PRICE OF CHEESE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 73, 28 March 1933, Page 3

PRICE OF CHEESE

THE HOME FARMER

ADVICE TO ADVERTISE

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, February 0.

According to Mr. Charles H. Prendergast, a cheese factor and produce merchant of Manchester, if the Cheshire farmer wants to sell his cheese he must .advertise in the Press.

New Zealand cheeses are selling all round, while thousands of Cheshire cheeses cannot oven get to market because there is no demand for them. And this despite the fact that prices in some markets have dropped 100 per cent, in a year.

Some of the big farmers are holding back stocks of tho best "grass" cheeses in the hope that the situation will mend, but the signs of promise are not yet to be seen.- ' . . . .

. "It is no use accusing your opponents of dumping," said Mr. Prendergast to tho Manchester "Dispatch" correspondent. "Let us see that our commodity is the best, and then let us persuade the public to buy it.

"The New Zealand authorities spent thousands of pounds advertising their products, and they are reaping tho benefit by selling more New Zealand cheese.

"I know of one instance whore New Zealand honey was selling to tho extent of £50 a month. Advertising was started, and in tho winter months tho sale has gone up to £2000 a month.

"Why don't the Cheshire farmers advertise—the Lancashire farmer, too, perhaps though the Lancashire trade is but a tenth of that of Cheshire? We have one of the finest mediums in the Press of this country, and farmers should combine to tell the public that in Cheshire cheese they are buying solidified sunshine. "Made under ideal conditions, it cannot be adulterated, for other than pure milk the only things added are rennet, which one uses in making junket and salt, which is simply for flavouring. Hence its absolute purity." FARMEES' PLIOHT. Mr. K. G. D. Thomas, writing to "The Times," complains of the. New Zealand exchange rate. "What about the hardships of the dairy farmer in this country?" he asks. "To take an actual example. I am responsible for making about 27 to 30 tons of Cheddar cheese in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright; about 140 cows a'ro milked daily, and about 15 men are employed. No one expects to make money farming, but the past three years have resulted in increasingly serious losses^ culminating in the year ended Martinmas, 1933, in an amount of considerably over £1000 (as agreed with H.M. Inspector of Taxes, and exclusive of writing down stock values). There are many similarly placed who are gritting their teeth, determined to hold on as long as possible and avoid at all costs throwing all these workers out of employment. If, however, wo are to bo denied a fair fight and must contend with a manipulated currency on the part of our principal rivals, what aro wo to do and who is responsible?" Mr." J. T?. B. Darbyshire, in today's "Daily Telegraph," considers that a former correspondent who had written on "Unheard-of Cheeses" deserves the thanks of English cheesemakers for making the suggestion that they should combine and advertise . the various kinds of excellent cheeso made in this country. He adds: "The question of price is also a big factor. ."When the retailer can buy good Canadian cheese at 68s per cwt and New Zealand at 47s per 'cwt, he naturally hesitates before buying Cheshire at 112s per cwt and Cheddar at 105a per cwt. To a very large section of the community 'cheese is cheese,' and they are not prepared to pay Is 4d per lb for a commodity that can bo purchased for Bd."