The Fielding Star, OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETTE. Published Daily. THURSDAY JAN. 31, 1895. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 181, 31 January 1895, Page 2

The Fielding Star, OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETTE. Published Daily. THURSDAY JAN. 31, 1895. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

We have indicated thrit the prices for butter which were obtained in London during the month of December, were not likely to be continued and we are now in a position to make an authoritative statement as to the causes In the first place, we now quote from Messrs Weddell and Co.'s Colonial Dairy Produce report, dated 14th De cember last : " The weather all over butter producing countries of Europe, of course including the United Kingdom, was abnormally miJd for the season, and the amount of butter poured upon the market was in consequence excessive. The second cause is that the Daves appear determined to fight hard for the market and have lowered the price in Copenhagen by another 4s 6d for choicest qualities They are pouring largo quantities into all our markets on consignment, especially those in the North and the Mid lands, so that Colonial butter has for the first time to fight Danish face to face in the open market. Hitherto Danish was ordered from week to week by telegraph, just sufficient to meet the demand, now it is sent on consignment, and as there are no frozen stores in the Northern markets it ha-* to be sold before it deteriorates, just the same as Colonial. In this contest for supremacy it is pleasant to note that choicest Colonial is more than holding its own. Never were Colonial and Danish butters nearer together in price than they are to-day. In many instances Colonial realises higher prices than Danish. The Northern markets are still over supplied, and prices are almost whatever the buyer likes to give. Colonial butter of all grades is lown about 6s to 8s on the week, and though the Copenhagen quo ation is only 4s Gd lower, the market values have declined fully as much as Colonial. Irish butters are also lower, and it almost appears as if the bottom of the market had dropped out, but it is natural to suppose that such low values will shortly produce a reaction." Last year was a season of drought, this year it is a soason of plenty, and exceptional prices prevail, but it would be unwise for the producers of Colonial butter to lose h^art The un usual period of low values will pass away but not before it has conferred a great advantage un Colonial butter Its very cheapness is making it known to hundreds of thousands of consum eTB who if prices were high would either have to go without, or eat that horror known as Margarine. To meet this exigency the dairy farmers must assist by disposing of their milk to the factories at the lowest possible prices By so doing they will etill have a market for their produce, and will not be required to reduce the number of their herds, nor will they be compelled to allow a quantity of valuable plant which they have now on hand to go to ruin from want of use. The position must be accepted with resignation The work may be a little harder, but after all it can at the utmost only be for a short season.