DAIRY PRODUCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 16

DAIRY PRODUCE.

Messrs Joseph Nathan and Co. report as follows under date May 7: In our last circular we touched on the disparity of prices between Danish and New Zealand. In a later letter our London office comments further as follows: — “Germany and the United States have been buying a large quantitv of butter from Denmark recently, and thus curtailed the supplies coming to Great Britain. •‘ln the northern parts of Great, Britain they will have cask butter and they will have Danish butter. There is not sufficient to meet the demand, consequently being short of supplies, they are able to ask and obtain a price which is far in excess of the price which can be obtained for New Zealand butter New Zealand butter being in excess of the demand. “Again, the buyers have been informed at the beginning of tne season that owing to drought, there would be little or no Australian butter coming to England. This was true at the beginning of the season, but good rains came and Australia was able to make plenty of butter, so that in

last fe'.v months there has been coming from Australia about 1000 tons a week. “On account of the probability of an Australian shortage of butter, retailers filled their lequirements with New Zealand, consequently there is very little sale for Australian butter. “The position is made even worse by the very large supplies of butter coming from the Argentine. At the meeting it was resolved that those present would contribute to an advertising campaign.” Small purchases of May and June outputs are reported at prices ranging from Is 4d to Is 4jd. Local prices have been changed more than once in conformity with London prices. To-day’s wholesale price in Wellington is Is 6d net for choicest quality in 11b pats. Stocks in New Zealand on April 30 were 90.725 cwt against 124,535 cwt last April. Gradings for the month were 93.240ewt against 141,638 cwt for .April, 1523. CHEESE. 1 Here has not been very much movement in cheese during the past month. At one stage quotations touched 80s. but on May 3 the quotation was 84s to 88s — market quiet anci very little business being done. A large quantity of cheese is being held, estimates ranging from 125,000 to 130,000 crates, while 4000 tons are being landed. This is greatly in excess of the 32,000 crates of New Zealand and Australian Held in the United Kingdom this time last year. The general feeling of London agents appears to be in favour of selling. Stocks in New Zealand on April 30 were 100,753 cwt compared with 156,146 cwt last April. Gradings for the month were 109 900 cwt against 167,245 cwt April. 1923. BRITISH IMPORTS. The following figures show the total importations of butter, cheese, and margarine into the United Kingdom for the two months ending February 29.

Attention has been drawn to the following extract from a letter written by one of the Toolev street houses to its agent in New Zealand:—“We have made sales of several parcels of unsaltod butter this season and in one instance the buyer is claiming rejection on account of the fact that the factory has not used any preservative in manufacture.” SHIPMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA. October 1, 1922, to April 30, 1923, 24,496 tons. October 1, 1923, to April 30, 1924, 19,722 tons. During February, March, and April the production in Australia has shown a wonderful recovery and shipments for February, March and April are double the quantity shipped during the same period in the previous year. Writing from Melbourne one merchant says: “As a result of continued mild weather conditions favour production. There is an abundance of feed, and all cattle are in good condition and milking heavily. Present prospects seem to indicate that there will be ample supplies of fresh butter right throughout the winter and the surplus now finding its way into cool stores will ultimately “have to be exported.”

From Holland Italy United States Australia New Zealand Canada Other countries Cheese. 1922. cwts. 24,724 3.672 3,704 40,715 309,292 28.951 9,719 1923. cwts. 40.444 10,584 5,290 13,314 290.419 57,811 14,650 1924. cwts. 42.085 21.7C3 3,355 5,787 393,686 23,965 6,077 Total cwts ... 420,777 432,512 496,718 Holland” Margarine. 1922. cwts. 127,946 1923. cwts. 7,263 1924. cwts. 206,920 France 290 1,218 1,189 Irish Free State — — 9,473 Other countries 234 199 — Total cwts ... 128,379 108,685 217.562 From Finland Butter. 1922. cwts. 9,840 1023. cwts. 18,743 1924. cwts. 19.206 Sweden 293 13,313 19,377 Denmark 210,743 250,110 278,407 Holland ... 2,0-13 4.107 6,656 Franoe 123 1.955 1.906 United States — 1,625 1.053 Argentine 90,838 113.114 141,225 Irish Free State — — 9,044 Australia ... 277,468 250,536 104,426 New Zealand ... 284,830 297,507 282,818 Cauada — 254 1 Other countries 15,006 11,865 14,650 Total cwts 892,093 963,120 878,760