NEW ZEALAND BUTTER FOR IRELAND

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 62, 31 March 1937, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER FOR IRELAND

Bridging Gap in Home Supply SUBSTANTIAL PR0F1T I LONDOK, March S. For the nrst time since 1932 New Zealand butter has been sold in Ireland. | ! Bad weather during the winter caused a 1 slight shortage on the home market, and it becamc necessary for the Minister of Agriculture to lift the ban on |imported butter for a.short period. i : Authqrity was given to butter mer[chants to import a supply of New Zea[land butter. The quantity required to bridge the gap between home supplies . tand market demand was less than 8000 .cwt. NormalIy, sufficient butter is coid- j .stored in the Free State, together with ! home production, to meet home needs. j If production had been normal the i isupply cold-stored before the winter . iseason began would have been sufficient j to carry the Free State over until April. Cpws milked badly during the win- ' ter, however, owing to the cold, rainy j weather, and the result was that the necessity for fulfilling German and Belgian contracts caused a temporary shortage. Default on the contracts would xnean a reduetion of Free State quotas during the coming summer sea- ' son when there will be a plentitude of stocks on hand. The importation of butter was prohibited in the Free State in the ■ autumn of 1932. None has been admitted since then until nowBeferring to the situation, the Irisli Times - states: A well-known butter^ trader said that there had been an improvement in the situation, due- to the fact that New Zealand butter was being imported to fill the gap caused by tho shortage in home supplies. "Kew Zealand butter was imported by the Government," he said, "and, although it could be bought very cheaply in London, it is not being given to the wholesalers at any lower price than Irish creamery butter. "This Kew Zealand butter is being imported >by the Government, and is beilig sold by the Government to traders— 'at a sub&tantial profit — for distributiou throiigh retailers to the shopkeepers." Asked for an estimate of the Government 'a profit on the transaetion, he replied,. "About £50 a ton. If New Zealand butter was imported by the traders themselves duty .free — as it would have to be under present circumstances— -it could be retailed at approximately, 4d under ruliug price's. The retail price of butter to-day is ls 5d. If we imported under the conditions I mention the price would be ls Id." The New Zealand butter which was sold in the shops is stated to be of very good quality.