THE BUTTER BOOM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13662, 28 March 1908, Page 7

THE BUTTER BOOM.

REPORT BY MAIL.

GRIFFITHS AND CO.'S ADVICE 1 FROM LONDON. '

Messrs^ E. Griffiths and Co., Dairy Produce Exporters, New Plymouth, have received the following market? report from their London principals, Messrs Mills and Sparrow, dated Fobruary 14: — The main feature of the market "has been a still further jump in prices. Buyers have to pay the extreme rates demanded, as the supply up till now has not been quite sufficient for tho demand. The total imports of all descriptions of butter into the United Kingdom for the six weeks ending February 8, show a decz*ease of 102,172 cwts. — equal to 34,000 boxes weekly. The retailers have materially advanced their prices, r and to-day the principal retailers, who were previously making a speciality of shilling butter, are now charging Is 2d and Is 3d, with prospects of still higher prices, as the re^ tail price is considerably below .the wholesale. It remains to be seen if tlie demand can be maintained with these big advances, but it is a fact tßat during, the past fourteen days, tliero has bee% a niaterial .increase in the,-de-mand for margarine, which previously had not been selling «k »H' W ©U ; bijttf it must be borne ;nmind that until fourteen days ago no change of any note was made in the retail price of butter. Danish. — A big demand was thrown on to this description "owing to the high. price , of colonial, &o that Copen-' hagen yesterday advanced 10 kroner (12s), which should check the demafid. Siberian arrivals are very small indeed, arid ';quotat ions quite nominal. French .—^Advances of 9s to 10s have been made during the ' weok and at these prices some 30 per cent, more butter hus been shipped from France, tho high prices evidently bringing the goods. . j Amerjtatri. — Shipments continue to expand, and nearly 7000 packages were shipped last week, with an expected increaso this week. Quite common qualities are seeing at 126s %o 130s, as there is no other description of underpriced butter offering. Australian. — In our report of the 7th inst. we quoted that prices were nominally 136s and 140s for goods to arrivo per Oinrah, but it was found buyers came at the goods pretty freely, so 130s was asked- and obtained; so that quotations this week show an increase of 30 per cent, over thoso ruling three weeks ago, which is a record advance on colonial butter in this country. The goods are Steadily going out, but there is more btftter offering than has been the case for some weeks past and it can ' hardly be expected that the present extreme prices -can be maintained. New Zealand. — Prices for the last arrival pet" s.s. Tongariro seem very low when compared with to-day's rate, as 150s is demanded for butters now due to arrive pe^ s.s. lonic; but at this extreme price the demand is not too keen. Milled and dairy have been selling at .fabulous prices owing to the scaroity" of, underpriced goods which are wanted for the low price, retail trade. We are sorry to hear of unfavourable wrather from this colony and the considerable shrink in supplies. ■ Quotations — Danish, 148s y 1525, and 1535; French, 130s aud 148s; Russian and Siberian, 140-s, 144s x and 1465: Victorian. New Sptfth Wales, Queensland, and New 'Zealand — Very brisk demand for all grades, arrivals quickly cleared on landing at 144s to 150s; American, good to fine, 130s to 1365. . .