PRODUCTION OF CHEESE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1934, Page 7

PRODUCTION OF CHEESE

NO INCREASE IN EXPORTS

STATISTICAL POSITION GOOD. THE PRICES SHOULD BE BETTER. OPINION OF MR. C. A. WILKINSON., The statistical position of cheese indicated that New Zealand should be receiving a better price to-day, said Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., to a meeting of the Eltham Farmers’ Union on Tuesday night. There should be no slump at all, he contended. Britain was not importing much more cheese than formerly and there was now no fault to be found with the quality of New Zealand cheese. He did not say the quality could not be improved still further, but there could be no complaint about the present quality. Mr. Wilkinson presented figures which showed that there had been no recent increase in cheese production. In fact there had been a decrease in the total output. Taking seven of the cheese exporting countries and their shipments to the importing countries, it was seen that the exports in 1929 amounted to 312,540 tons. In 1933 the amount was 260,052 tons, a decrease of 52,488 tons. From four countries there had been a steady decrease in cheese exports, the amounts being Canada nearly 8000 tons, Netherlands 32,000 tons, Italy 9000 tons and Switzerland 11,000 tons, making a total reduction of 60,000 tons. Against this there were increases as follows:— New Zealand 11,700 tons, Denmark 3500 tons, and France 3500 tons, a total of 18,700 tons. The imports of cheese into Great Britain, from Northern Ireland were 148,100 tons in 1929 and 150,793 tons in 1933. This was a very small increase, being only 2693 tons in five years, and it should be accounted for by the increase in population.