The Te Aroha News Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1924. BUTTER.

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6545, 18 November 1924, Page 4

The Te Aroha News Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1924. BUTTER.

IT will'be seen from the following details (says the November number of the N.Z. Dairy Market Review) that there has been a very wide range of prices ruling for various brands of butter on the Some market during the past lhonth, and the only explanation is that there is a temporary shortage of best quality and an.ample supply of low and inferior quality. Danish, salted 248/- to 250/- per cwt.;- New Zealand, salted 224/- to 228/- per cwt.; Argentine, unsalited 212/- to 220/- per cwt.; Australian, salted 208/- to 212/- per cwt.; Canadian, salted 204/—to 208/- per cwt.; American, salted 196/- to 200/- per, cwt.; Siberian, spited 156/- to 184/- per cwt. In the case of New Zealand there has been a difference of 2d per pound between first grade and second grade—in fact, the second grade quality has been difficult to sell even at the lower prices. For several months now there has been very keen competition between English and German buyers for the Danish output each week. Uusally England - requires about 80 per cent, of the Danish supplies from week to wfeek for retail customers who insist on having Danish butter almost irrespective of price. Most authorities agree that best brands of New Zealand butter are, if anything, superior to the Danish article, but

English customs are hapd to break down and no ; doubt for some time to come a large percentage of consumers will continue- to demand Danish butter. If only opportunities like the present were seized' by the New Zealand producers ’to*advertise and ‘push sales of New Zealand butter in place of Danish, it would certainly .result in better business for New Zealand. Unfortunately, the New Zealand output is produced at this end in irregular quantities—that is to say, that the' season commences in August-Septem-ber, reaches it height of production in November-December, and falls away again from January onwards. The butter .is shipped almost as soon as it reaches the seaboard and conse quently arrives at Home in irregular quantities in much the same way as it is produced. The Danish output, on the other hand, varies very little in quantity from week to week through out .the whole year and is sold to the public as “Danish.” Whereas New Zealand is, to a large extent, used by the merchants at Home for blending purposes and sold under various brands established by the merchants throughout Great Britain. No doubt the members of *the Dairy Produce Control Board, who are now on their way back from Great Britain, will have something to say on this very important question, and, any suggestions they can make as to better methods of marketing New Zealand buttef* will be anxiously awaited by New Zealand producers. In the meantime it is to be hoped that Germany will continue tq buy best New Zealand as well as Danish butter during their winter months, from November onwards. Unless some such demand sets in from/the Continent it is evident that the Home market will be over-supplied with stocks of good butter from New Zealand, Australia and Argentine during the next six months. The production in Australia will probably be a. record one. The total November shipments are estimated at not less than 7000 tons and December 8000 tons. Still larger quantities will be shipped from New Zealand; while Argentine shipments will average 3000 to 4000 tons’per month. The market is olMously on the eve of a decline, the real effects of which will probably not be seen until early January onwards.