BUTTER SUPPLY FOR CITY

Southland Times, Issue 24238, 23 September 1940, Page 6

BUTTER SUPPLY FOR CITY

ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR MARKETING

GREATER QUANTITY TO BE BROUGHT SOUTH Arrangements for the present season’s supply of butter to the Invercargill market have been made by Mr J. W. McConnon, head of the dairy produce and egg marketing section of the Internal Marketing Department, who has been visiting Invercargill. It is estimated that, in view of the greater concentration on cheese production to the exclusion of butter, a quantity of butter greater than that brought south last year will be required for southern needs. This total will be further increased if arrangements can be made to utilize to the full all the cheesemaking machinery in Southland. It is stated that there is in this province a good deal of cheese-making plant which is not fully in commission. The change-over from butter to cheese production sought by the New Zealand Government in the interests of an increased supply of cheese for the British market has intensified the problem of supplying butter for the local market in centres from Christchurch southwards. These centres are in districts which do not produce butter in quantities sufficient for their own needs, and last year the Internal Marketing Department had to bring about 80,000 boxes of butter from the North Island to supplement the supply. The production and marketing of eggs in Southland, with particular reference to Invercargill conditions, was investigated by Mr McConnon. Mr McConnon is officially interested also in the bobby calf trade, and fias been imnressed by the smooth working of the Southland Calf Pool. There are now well over 100 calf pools Gazetted *hrough New Zealand, and Mr McConnon states that the scheme for the exchange among farmers of good heifer calves is one of the best proposals put forward for some time. Several attempts to effect such exchange were made in the Waikato last season, but it was not until this year that the system was brought into full working order.