DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1929, Page 10

DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES.

The fact that the prices recently obtained. in London for New Zealand blitter- and cheese have been lower than farmers would, like them to be has created a rather pessimistic outlook in some quarters. Agents’ messages have described the market as dull, quiet, of slow, and some commentators, with whom perhaps the wish has been -father to the thought, have jumped to the conclusion that the bottom has fallen out of things and the outlook is anything. but bright. It seems to ns, however, that a reasonable survey of prevailing condition's will suggest that the dairy farmers in this country need not be down in the mouth. An important point for consideration is the statement made in a London cablegram a few days ago that in spite of the weakening of the wholesale market retail prices in London were unchanged. This would mean that there had been no stimulation of consumption to encourage the timid wholesalers. It, must also .be borne in mind that the period preceding Christmas is not a particularly favourable one so far as retail dairy business is concerned. The people have to meet many extra calls for money and naturally enough become economical in their purchases of such luxuries—for many of them —as butter and cheese. Just now the financial stress which affects so many of the poorer people at Home must be felt very acutely, for they are in the middle of winter and unemployment is a serious trouble. Moreover, England this month has experienced quite exceptionally stormy weather, which alone has been sufficient to put a brake on spending. It seems therefore that adverse conditions of an unusually severe nature have combined to prejudice for a few weeks at any rate the interests of this countryls dairy farmers. It is, however, a fair pres'umption that the new year will bring about a better of things. Those engaged in the dairy industry, and all the rest- of us wlib are so closely interested in its welfare, may not unwisely look forward to a better time. A measure of justification for a lilttie optimism is to be found in the knowledge that the production of the industry this season is considerably in excess of last season’s and that every year the perfection of methods is reducing the cost of production and distribution and so adding to the farmers’ return.