BUTTER TRADE WITH FIJI.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1706, 8 November 1887, Page 4

BUTTER TRADE WITH FIJI.

The following particuhrs rr-garding tbe butter trade with the Fiji Islands have been handed to the Secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association by Mr Meares, of the Union Insurance Com pany, who received it m reply to an enquiry made to a Fiji merchant regarding the butter trade m the itlanda. The matter is of great importance to the farmers of New Zealand at the present juncture :— "The paragraph m reference, to tinned butter is quite correct, or rather, was at the time mentioned, about 12 months ago The bu!k of iho tinned butter used ia Fiji was Ita ian, lut durine the last six or eight months it has been superseded by tho Now Zsaland, wbich has been somewhat batter thai it used to be. It has always seemed to us a puzz'e why New Zealand conld not tupply tho whole of the South ?e»o, but they have failed on sccount of the qaa'ity being moat unreliable. Boitsr, as you can understand, ia wor'.hless unices it fa really geed, and if good butter c.n be relied on by any packer, he may rest assured he would soon hivo a Urae demsnd. We had a consignment a short fnie ago from Melbourne of bntterine, which was really pronounced to te rery good, although we could not altogether endorse the general opinion. There ia a very larga consumption all over the Monde for good batter, but people prefer to do without any if they cannot get it good. We should think it an Industry that would pay well, with very little expemeln starting, and one involving very little risk to those who would Invest their etpitsl In It, We have no Italian butter m stock at pteaent, otherwise we would ■end you a tin. The tins are nicely got op with a patent fastener, which can be opened without the aid of the tin opei er. Pisoni Bros, Sydney, sre the principal Importers. They uaed to do a very large business m it. 0 In further connection with this question, wrltei Mr Moires, I may In'orm you that eorae of the direct eteaimra bring with them from London a sufficient gupply of butter to last foe the return voyage, and this is m consequence of tbe alleged inability to seoure a proper supply of good butter In this colony. Surely such a state of things should not exist m what Is termed " an aerlonltura 1 colony."