BUTTER AND CHEESE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 203, 21 May 1908, Page 3

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

THE EXPORT TRADE. A Dunetlin Press Association telegram stated:—The annual report of,"the National Dairy' Association of New Zealand (South; Island) states-, that; the - exports of . cheese from the-Dominion in 1907 were 8597 tons, , and'the exports of butter 14,852 tons. -..Tile' i-eoort'goes* on,to say that : tho .past : history dairy export trade' should_ encourage. us- to -increase it Without; any ;hesitation, for; ■we;havo' ; a vory long-way to go in New Zealarul arid ; other British . colonies -before ; we. overtake-what-has-.proved t0.,b0 an ever-in-creasing .demand,for further supplies to the •British, market. Butter .factories which consigned this year have done ivell. The', cheese outputs were mostly, consigned. ; Only a few:;sofd. at:'.from- ojjd. to .6Jd. for; outputs to the end of ApriU :,Many factories | refused .to sell at fid. . Later on buyers: de-.. clined. to buy at sJd< Consignors of ; cheese, will'iiot, do quite as .well, a's the. ..few. .whosold/last.' year.;- The position 'in this' respect-, .was 'all'in favour of: the; coiisigriors.'. . It;-is :. evident' :'New Zealand butter stands 'as' to' quality on' the •market, 'asi it continues to ■hold first place, and is readily sold at. 2s. .'to 1 ; 4s. : per cwt. ;over Australian, and during ..the' season lias been frequently -sold. at ; the same price'as Danish. . Tlio quality Of .our cheese. :'is riot so; favourably', reported on generally as our' butter. Doubtless the market • has been'loss buoyant and rather "against forward buyers, - and so complaints 'are more general, but there is ,rio doubt there has been room 'for complaint in many cases.. Very much of -the fault complained of is' due to shipping cheese too'green, and worse still in casing; it : too green; also,, of course, to inferior milk' 'supplied, to factories. With 1 -care arid attention., there is no reason why. New Zealand cheese should not 'at least equal and. this, is one of the many things that ■ it' Ibehoyes suppliers arid' factory mon to bring' about. It is .a riiatte'r within their power' and in'\theirs only. Year after year it;, is more apparent that itho export shipping sea*son will have:to be extended.' -We used: only [to'export, up .to the- end of. March, but increased supplies both of butter and of.cheese 'made in April .and May now are far beyond; .what the local , market can. absorb for winter ■use.' till tlie, riewVseaSori opens., .'.Already.'in Otago and Southland, as well as from tho' /North; Island; 'we are shipping.' April and May. makes of cheeso in-fairly large-quanta '■ties;-* and ,much' : of'-this cheese : shows .the ■effectof , turnip: feeding most. distinctly, and.; tho /landing pi/such' cheese ori'the' London f market must be harmful'to : and to'tho .New .Zealand cheese export-trade generally. The sooner factories decide to refuse -turnipy milk' for.' cheese 'making tho '/better., • 'Dairy farmers should 'at once'-'set. about- -finding winteiy. feed- for-dairy cows', other than tur- : nips.,' The revenue of . tho ; Association, now 'just , cbvers the modest 'yearly expenditure. / The debit balance of last year. has. been wiped "out'.>by' the' liberality of 'some ,factories who: • subscribed the amount as donations. ■ . '.