Shortage Of Butter In Britain Persists Despite Big Imports

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 9, 18 October 1948, Page 4

Shortage Of Butter In Britain Persists Despite Big Imports

Despite efforts of New Zealand, Australia and, latterly, Argentina, to exceed pre-war butter exports, Britain is still butter-hungry on a ration of 4oz per person per week. Imports for the first seven months of "‘this year at approximately 192,000 tons .are still well behind the corresponding figures of 277,600 tons in 1938. To the end of July, imports from New Zealand totalled about 93,960 tons, against 75,600 tons in 1938. Australia’s contribution was about 55,580 tons against 52,400 tons, and Argentina’s '3420 tons, against 2620 tons. Foreign countries, other than Argentina, and Denmark, shpw greatly reduced totals on pre-war figures, imports for the seven months reaching only 5,200 tons, against 65,640 tons. Imports from Denmark fell from a pre-war average of 68,970 tons to 33,664 tons in the first seven months. Australian butter production figures for the 1947-48 season ending June 30 show a total of 157,286 tons, compared with 145,571 tons in the 1945-46 'season. All the pastoral States, with the exception of Vietria, showed production increases on the previous year. Although some parts of the continent have experienced adverse weather, prospects for the current season appear to be good. 1 -A/ ; v/VA:. v’ 1 ' : ;

Although drought earlier in the year hastened the seasonal decline in New Zealand’s export gradings, total gradings for the season of 131,721 tons were 4 per cent greater than, the previous season,' and 8 per cent more than in the 1938-39 season.