BUTTER AND CHEESE

Otago Witness, Issue 3509, 14 June 1921, Page 10

BUTTER AND CHEESE

TIIE PRODUCERS’ CASE PUT. WELLINGTON, Juno 10. In the course of a statement in reply to criticism on the price of butter, Mr T. C. Brasil, secretary of the National Dairy Association, points out that this winter producers are receiving 4d less than the summer price for bulk butter, which is sold at the factory door at Is lljd, which is increased to 2s by the subsidy, which is actually a bonus to the consumers, not the producers. The cost to the general taxpayers by the removal of the so-called subsidy would mean that the retail price would be 2s sd. The cry of parity at the butter producer is sheer nonsense, the fact being overlooked that when it is summer here it is winter in England. Producers have a free market after August. If they had a free market for the period which _ expired in July, 1820, they would be receiving 2s 9d instead of Is 7§d, which is paid by the Imperial Government, which made a profit of eight millions on New Zealand butter and cheese in two years. That butter was retailed in Great Britain at 3s 4d. DAIRY PRODUCE. Messrs Joseph Nathan and Co. report aa follows under date June 6: Butter. Our London house cables that the price for Goveramnet New Zealand butter is unchanged, while Australian has been reduced 6s. Danish. —The market for Danish is irregular, and the juice quoted for buffer on spot is 200 s. Local. —Complaints from consumers as to the Duality of butter being retailed in Wellington at present have been rather plentiful, and we hope that this does not mark any failing-off in the high standard of our butter. It is to be sincerely hoped that managers will not lose sight of the fact that our butter has now to go out and compete with butter from all over the world, and it will be quality that counts, not the fact of merely getting a first grade which was sufficient to obtain the maximum price under the Government contracts. Cheese. Unfortunately industrial conditions in the United Kingdom show no signs of improvement, and it is feared that a further break in prices is imminent. If this occurs it will be no doubt also largely due to the very wide difference in prices that has been ruling between the Canadian new season’s make, which is now arriving in England, and New Zealand cheese. Our London house quotes as follows: —New Zealand, white 1225, coloured 116 s to 120 s; Canadian (on spot), coloured 100 s to 102 s; to arrive next week 98s. From tho foregoing . it will be seen that the difference in price i between white and coloured has vanished, | and our London house puts this down to the j fact that the demand for coloured in tho | North of England lias been filled by AmeriI can cheese, which has been sold at 95, and ; Canadian at 100 s.