The Colonial Butter Season.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 50, 27 August 1896, Page 3

The Colonial Butter Season.

The colonial butter season just over (MTS Messrs Weddel's Circular) has witnessed the first check to th«.t exfcraor. dtaary development which has cnarac tedsed the importation of Australian butter into tbe*tJn,ted Kingdom, ever tince its commencement m 1887. *or the previous five seasons the import had •one on with marvellous mp>^* "?£* Jf reached the large total of 29,000,0001 b. The ievere drought, however, which lately afflicted several of the Australian colonies has temporarily retarded this development, and for the season lately Soaedonly 17,000,0001 b were received. Victoria, the principal butter-producing colony, instead of exporting to the Mather Country over 10,500 tons, as in the previous season, shipped only about 7000. Naw South Wales sent 50 tons instead of 1800, and South Australia 350 in beu of 580. New Zealand on the contrary.notbcingaffliciwdwith drought increased her shipments from 2305 tons to 2558. The total deficiency from Australasia for the colonial season (September, 1895. to April, 1896, inclusive) amounted to 5000 tons. This short ace was foreseen in Europe early hut autumn, and produced two important results. The Danes, who have been watching with great anxiety the growth of fcbe colonial butter trade, were adrised from Australia of the position of affairs, and believing they had the winter's trade very much in their own hands, in October rnshed up the wholesale price of Danish bntter in Copenhagen to 1335, which was higher than it bad beeo for years, while in London it rose to 1425. The Copenhagen Committee, however, over-reached itself, for the rise in values speedily brought in larger imports from other sources, notably from the United States and Canada, which together in October and November sent 3340 ton* against 626 for the corresponding months of tne previous year. Tbe shortage from Anatralasia for these two months being only 396 tons, this great influx of American and Canadian butter reduced values rapidly, and Danish fell 25s per cwt. in Copenhagen in fourteen days, but not before the rise had done great barm to the genuine butter trade by giving an enormous impetus to the sale of " pure margarine " and " margarine mixtures.'