BUTTER AND CHEESE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 165, 2 April 1918, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE

THE PASSING SEASON , CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REVIEW In its'annual review of affairs of the year, the Council of the Wellington Chamber' of Commerce says the following respecting dairy-produce:— The season has been entirely favourable for the dairy industry. . Theresas been abundance of rain in nil districts. Even'those provinces, such as Hawko's Bay and Canterbury, which are recognised as our drier districts, been favoured, with frequent rains. . Tnero has been ample feed for all stocks. In fact, in many places more .stock could have been pastured, but there has been a tendency to'decrease rather than increase herds, owing to the difficulty of-' securing • labour for milking, Tho drafting of so many' , _ of _ our young nien into military servico is beginning seriously ,to affect the production of dairy produce, in spite of tlje fact that the number of dairy farmers who are installing milking machines is ever on the increase. So favourable has been the season, however, that in face of existing disabilities the production .of both butter and cheese will probably show an increase. Below are given figures of shipments for the period from Soptember Ito February 28. These show the quantify' exported only, and owing to shipping difficulties are of very little value for comparison:— , ' Butter. ■ Cheese. ' Tons. Tins. -1914-15 ... 17,000 27,000 1915-16 ... 17,350 28,100 1916-17 ... 12,250 20,687 1917-18 ... 8,774 19,043 Very heavy stocks of both butter and cheese were held in cool store at February 28, namely, 369,148 boxes of butter and 350,268 crates of cheoso .Butter —Very early in tho season producers were approached 1 by the Imperial Government with a view to the purchase of the butter output for. the. season. After somewhat ■ lengthy negotiations an agreement was arrived at. The prices were as follows:— First grade creamery butter, salted, 1575. per cwt. 'First grade creamery butter, unsalted. 160s. per cwt. Second grade creamery butter, a deduction of Is. per cwt. to be made for each point below first grade. .First grade -whey butter, 1335. Bd. per cwt. I ' . Second 'grade ,whey butter, 1295. per cwt. , ' First grade dairy butter, 1335. Bd. per cwt. : Second grade dairy butter, 1295. per cwt. 'First grade milled butter, 1345. 4d. per cwt. ' ; v Second grade milled butter, 1295. Bd. per cwt. Prices are f.o.b. ocean steamer. Producers to pay all cool storage charges up to three months, the Government paying for any storage ovor three months. Producers also to pay all charges for insurance until tho butter is placed on ocean steamer. There is a stipulation in the contract which provides that,'.should the Imperial Government make a profit on the sale of the butter, 50 per cent, of such profit 'shall be paid to the producers. For local supplies a somewhat difficult position has arisen. Whilst nominally, no price has been fixed for sale in the local market, tho Primo Minister has made it abundantly clear that if the price advances beyond the presont ruling r,ate, namely, ls>6d. to stores and Is. Bd. to consumers, ho will immediately step in and fix the price. If the exporting factories realise anything from the promised 50 per cent, of tbe_ profits on the export butter, the factories supplying, tho local market will suffer •financially. There is considerable unrest amongst producers in this connection. ; Cheese—lLle whole of the cheese output , for tbe 1917-18 season has been sold to the'lmperial Government at the following prices:— First grade factory cheese, lOd. per lb. • • Second grado factory cheese, Md per lb. First grade dairy cheese, BJd. per lb. Second grade dairy cheese, Bd. per lb. J Prices are f.o.b. ocean steamer. Pro-! due'era to pay up to three months' storage and all costs of insurance, etc, to f.o.b. ocean steamer. At the. above prices it is anticipated that our best factories will pay almost 2s. per lb. of butter-fat to the producers, in .comparison with, about Is. 6d. per lb. expected by producers supplying butter factories, tinder these circumstances many butter factories are turning 'their attention to cheese-making, and there is every indication that _ each, season will see. a further move in this direction, v