OUR PRODUCE ABROAD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1743, 7 May 1913, Page 8

OUR PRODUCE ABROAD.

"— : ♦ WELLINGTON BUSINESS MAN'S TOUR. VIEWS ON THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. "As far as dairying is concerned New Zealand has nothing to learn from any of the countries I have visited," remarked Mr. J. M. Muir, of the firm of Messrs. Jos. Nathan and Co., who has just returned from a l'i-months' tour aboard, when approached by a representative of The Dominion yesterday. "Our cheeso and butter factories," continued Mr. Muir, "are more complete and up-to-date than any I have seen in otifer parts of the world. It is uiuleuiablo that tho quality of our produce stands very high in public favour, moTo especially in the new market of British Columbia, where it is preferred to tho product of the Eastern States of Canada. People wero quite willing to pay a premium over their locally-manufactured article _iu favour of tho New Zealand product." In passing, Mr. Muir »remarked that, in his opinion, there was an opening in British Columbia for New Zealand beef, mutton, and lamb. At certain times of the yenr the Australians had trade there) but tho feeling was that in tho near future the better quality meat that New Zealand could supply would be in demand. Vancouver, according to Mr. Muir, is going to afford a permanent market for New Zealand butter, the demnnd which has set in during tho jiast couple of years being one which is likely to expand rather than decrease. The people who make tho demand for this' produce receive good wages, livo well, aud purchase just what appeals to them. To bear this out, Mr. Muir remarked that copper currency was almost unknown, practically none of the larger stores handling copper nt all. Generally speaking, the people of Vancouver aud Victoria struck one as being more like the New Zealander than the people of Eastern Canada.

Commenting on the somewhat disappointing priecs - N'liich have been offering tor New Zealand dairy produce ofi the London market this season, Mr. Muir stated that as far as butter was concerned the cause might be ascrilied to the increased production of margarine and the lessened spending power of the people. In Mr. Muir s opinion Mew Zealand dairy farmers are hardly likely to see buttet as high again in London as it was the year before last, the day of fancy prices, in his opinion, b?ing over. However, prices would always, be good, as New Zealand butter on quality would be able to hold its own. It was wonderful the grip the margarine trade had secured in the Old Country, especially in London. For cooking purposes, it was a really fine article. The people who were pushing the trad© were,foil of enterprise and had the capital to enable them to boom their product, the result being that tho consumption of margarine was going ahead by leaps and bounds. "I do not think for a moment," said Mr. Muir, "that it will ever niaterially injure the New Zealand butter trade, as the Doinin- . ion should always be able to hold her own, provided the quality is maintained, but it will prevent any possibility of fancy prices bein& obtained again.:' Questioned as to the cheese market in London, Mr. Muir stated that great complaint had been jaade in London as to the greht variation. 111 the quality of the New Zealand produce sent forward this season. Some factories in particular, it was statod, liatl been sending unsatisfactory produce right through the season. 'Inken all round, the, cheeso which reached London was not nearly so satisfactory as the butter, and New Zealand had not been, a Die to make any appreciable inroads into the Canadian maTkft as far as the first-men-tioned product was concerned. Daring his tour Mr. Muir spent a month in and about tlie condensed and dried milk districts of Holland, and was very much impressed with the manner in which the Duitch ; peoplo > handled their factories. Under the conditions which they worked, they wore able to produce the finished article much more cheaply than was the case in New Zealand, and their trade was increasing materially each year. Reverting, to London, and the handling pf' produce there, Mr. Muir considered that" tho handling was splendid nil through. In view of the ease with which enormous quantities of produce wore cleared, one could not be other than astonished at the completeness of the work. .As far as the marketing of New Zealand produce was concerned, the general public did not see the name of the country from which the produce originated as much as we, as producers, would like, but at i the same timo the produce brought the prices, which waSthe main consideration after a'!. , Thero was no doubt that New Zealand butter, was becoming better known, and ooming more into prominence, in tho Midlands and the North of England, as well as on the West Coast. During a. stay in Soutli Africa Mr. Muir was very much impressed with the possibilities ot the country. Incidentally ho remarked that the phenomenal price of Is. per lb. was paid for New Zealand buti*r in. Durban last year. Matters pastoral wero goiag ahead at a great rate, and farming on scientific lines was being undertaken, the Dutch apparently arousing from the lethargy, which has kept them back up till recently. Every year now would tee South Africa nearer a self-supporting stage,' and if they could only cope with the cattle diseases they would be an exporting country within ten years.