The Stratford Evening Post With which is Incorporated “THE EGMONT SETTLER.” (Established 1890.) FRIDAY,APRIL 22,1933 Marketing Our Produce

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 225, 21 April 1933, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post With which is Incorporated “THE EGMONT SETTLER.” (Established 1890.) FRIDAY,APRIL 22,1933 Marketing Our Produce

IT would be a good thing for New Zealand if the Hon. R. Masters were sent Home, and given full power to completely reorganise the marketing methods adopted in connection with the sale of New Zealand produce. A man of business experience would do more than all the Boards, whose chief activity seems to be casting unmerited sneers at the merchants of Tooley Street. We suggest Mr. Masters because he is the most suitable man in the present Government to undertake a mission of this kind. He knows how to sell, and how to organise sales campaigns. In addition he possesses the driving force which appears to be such a necessary thing to-day. As a business man he would know how to discuss matte!s with the.merchants, and make the best possible deals. It is no use going to Tooley Street and waving the "big stick," for England can get on quite well without our produce. New Zealand butter cannot be procured in many parts of the British Isles, and v/e should see that it is made available. Merchants would as soon sell the New Zealand article as anything else if the demand for it were keen and it is up to New Zealand to foster that demand, and supply an article of quality. Why are we compelled to play second fiddle to Canada and Denmark? Surely the management of our dairying affairs is expensive enough, and the zeal of our various organisations is more than adequate if employed in the right direction. An authority recently expressed the opinion that if we want to keep pace with Denmark we have to improve our dairy farms, insist on greater cleanliness, take steps to advocate white milk breeds, stop those factories which go in for yield against quality, stop exporting second-grade produce, alter the grading systems, reorganise the dairy division, and deny farmers who will not adopt sanitary measures the privilege of supplying factories until they comply with such requirements. This is only ordinary wisdom. No difficulties to such a policy present themselves, and, yet, one would imagine that insuperable obstacle stood in the way. One reason why New Zealand produce is quoted at the lowest figure on record is because the example of Denmark has been disdained; another reason is because we imagine that everyone in Great Britain is looking for our butter, cheese and lamb, while in fact the retailer and the consumer know very little about any of them. The necessity for advertising is indicted in a letter from a Lipton salesman in Inverness. He says: "You invite criticism, and I shall give it. I have never seen New Zealand butter advertised in any of our newspapers. I had a slow and difficult job in pushing your butter. My customers considered it was too cheap to be good." In another place he says: "... your industry should embark on a systematic advertising campaign in Scotland, where the reputation of N-"W Zealand is very high." We make bold to soy that, although the decrease in purchasing power of the workers has a great deal to do with the low prices for our main lines of exports, in some degree the unsatisfactorv business is attributable to the mistakes of those entrusted with the marketing of our produce. The extra cost of adequate and efficient marketing would be insignificant compared with the increased business, for we have not nearly exhpusted the resources of Great Britain as a market for our produce of all kind;. That fact is b~in<? impressed on us time aftev fi m e by those retailers in the Old Country who are best qualified to express an opinion in the matter, and why should its truth be doubted?