CANADIAN FARMERS WORRYING.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1922, Page 4

CANADIAN FARMERS WORRYING.

N.Z. DAIRY INVASION

VANCOUVER, Jan. 28

The leading farmers of Canada are considerably perturbed at the prospect of a large portion of their domestic dairying business disappearing owing to tho determined movement to introduce butter, cheese and other larm pioducts from New Zealand into the Dominion.

The subject lias been taken up by various Canadian farm associations, and has been discussed in the columns of the Eastern Press, and suggestions have been made to present a full statement to the new Federal Government in Ottawa with a view to securing some measure of protection Irom the grow - iing invasion of larm products from New Zealand and Australia into tlie Dominion of Canada.

Enquiries by a correspondent tend to show that the Eastern part of Canada is the most disturbed at tho deep incursions of commodities from New Zealand, especially in the butter department. Tlie markets of some of tho Eastern Canadian provinces arc being deluged with largo quantities of Antipodean produce, but it is in the populous dairying province of Ontario, where one-third of the people of Canada are domiciled, that the marked business developed by Antipodean farm produce is causing something approaching alarm.

It was at the Dairymen’s Convention held in Ottawa a few days ago that a “grave warning” was sounded by Mr J. A. Ruddick, Dairy Commissioner, that “some sort of Government control of exports of dairy products was absolutely necessary if Canada, hoped to maintain her present position in this connexion.” In reviewing “this great Canadian industry,” Mr Ruddick quoted figures showing the enormous growth of Canada’s export trade in butter and cheese to Great Britain during the past few years, and th e great decline of Continental European exports to Britain during tlie same period. One hundred and sixty-seven thousand three hundred and seventy tons of butter, and 233,209 tons of cheese were received from the latter source by Great Britain in the twelve months preceding the late war, according to the Dairy Commissioner, while these figures declined to 54,904 and 7940 ifn 1921. Canada, United States, New Zealand, Australia and the Argentine were the principal countries to benefit by this change, but the competition between these and the old sources sqve Russia, ib now becoming keener,

and therefore reasoned the Commis-i sioiier, “broader measures are necessary 1 in order to perma'h’ehtly stimulate our export trade.” MORE AGGRESSIVE POLICY. Dairying fn each of the varioits countries was taken up in detail, the members attending the convention showing not a little Surprises at the sound state of the industry in. Neiv ZeafaVid and Australia. MhiM the significant enterprise of the coiintrieS of the Southern Seas was strongly admired t>y Canadian farmers in the mariner in which butter, • cbdese, riricl other products has gained j remarkable headway in tlie worlds inarkets, the Canadian dairymen felt iiiat they should bestir themselves and obtain a larger share of world busings | and, if possible endeavriftf to off-set conipetitore generally. Mr Ruddick urged the dairymen to adopt a mote aggressive policy, especially in regard to the Home market, which could be developed to a remarkable degree, particularly in regard to 1 cheese, in his opinion. “Ihere is 110thuii> in tlie present outlook that shot., be discouraging to afiyorie,” he said. “We shall undoubtedly have keener competition in the future than ue liau in the past, but we can meet this easily with our present lead, and the prennei position of our cheese, if we are piepared to exert ourselves,, and thus meet our rivals on even ground.” Commissioner Ruddick’s contention of Canada’s lead in respect to cheese, was considerably discounted at the Ottawa convention in an address delivered by Mr G. A. Putnam, Director of Dairying for the Province of Ontario, who complained that the dairy regulations enacted by the Governumt iiad not been lived up!, and inferior milk had been used in the manufacture of Canadian cheese.

Mr Putnam was corroborated by testimony offered by Mr (J. G. Publow, Chief Dairy Instructor lor Eastern Ontario, who said: “We bear a lot about factories having to shut down oil account of the regulations of the Dairy Standards Act, but this is all rumour. There have been only seven factories

closed through legislation in the his-toi-y of the dairy industry ill Ontario.” Mr Publow explained that it was the intention of the Government to administer the Act with judgment, and to make every effort to get all interested to see the justice of the legislation and to approve of the same. Ibe testers to be used by the Government would have the confidence of the public, be assured the convention amid considerable applause. CHEESE OFF FLAVOUR. That there was need for every bit of legislation already in existence in Canada was amply proven by this speaker, who claimed that the quality and reputation of Ontario dairy products wen suffering for lack of enforcing tlie Liw. “Fifty to GO per cent, of the (lucre shipped from Eastern Ontario to Montreal at a certain period during the past season,” he stated, was tiii.b.) grade, open, and off-llavour, and I am convinced 75 per cent, of the defects can lie placed to unpasteurised whey. The loss from his cause alone in the same section amounts to over one million dollars annually.” Mr Publow explained that the whey in these cases is returned to the farmer, who hauls it away in the wholemilk culls. The whey, when unpasteurised, develops bacteria, which ruins the quality of the- cheese, and is transmitted to it through the milk cans. Ordinary washing cannot destroy the germ. “Compulsory pasteurising of whey has cured this damage (sometimes amounting to 50 per cent, of the output) in three days,” stated the speaker, “And at least a quarter of a million dollars will be saved, over and above the cost of the work, when this practice becomes general, besides halting the spread of tuberculosis among hogs through the same agency.” Other speakers declared unless the cheese factories obtained the very best milk they could not expect to compete with the' l best cheese makers in tlie world. THREATENED BY NEW ZEALAND. Subsequent to the discussion at the Ottawa convention, another interesting debate ensued at London, Ontario, where the Western Ontario Dairymen’s Association met at their fifty-fifth annual conclave, Where the subject of New Zealand butter successfully competing with Canadian varieties was considered at length. The subject was dealt with ait the outset by Mr E. H. Stonehouse, president of the Ontario a nd National Dairy

Council of Canada, who said: “If We are ever going 'to maintain our present dairy position we must get down to work. I look for more drastic changes in the next three years than has been the case in tho past 55 years, otherwise we are going to be placed in a very precarious position,” continued Mr Stonehouse, who mentioned the pre-

sence of New Zealand butter on the Ontario markets, and predicted a. similar invasion of cheese next year. “Tt is not a ease of competing with this country in the foreign markets any longer,” be declared, “but of bolding our own in Ontaruf.”

fn outlining a method of meeting this competition, both at home and abroad, the speaker asserted that production costs must ‘first tie lowered. ’Hie New Zealand butter was selling below the price of the Ontario at three dollars —nominally 12s 6d—per 100, but ho

also shows a great variation in the actual costs from higher than this figure to greatly below it. Tlie latter milk may be sold a.t a profit to-day, and the butter produced from it could compete in price with the product of New Zealand, both here! in Canada and on the British market. \Ve have got to lower the cost of production by letter breeding, feeding, and marketing.” N.Z. BUTTER CHEAPER. In the Ontario city markets the best Canadian “creamery fresh” butter was quoted for the first two weeks in January at 45 to 60 cents a pound by the wholesalers to retailers, but the domestic stuff was completely out-distanced by the New Zealand importations, which were landed in Toronto and other Ontario centres of population, and sold readily at as low as 30 cents a pound. A few days later the prices of the Antipodean varieties stiffened arid at Montreal the New Zealand butter was quoted at 33 cents laid down. The conditions generally throughout Ontario for domestic butter are declared to to pyerv unsettled,” with the whole-eaters ip a dilemma. Xnotlier ‘factor contributing tb ri tjis*

quieting position for Ontario dairymen is the undoubted fact that the general public are singing the praises of the imported butter, a has prevailed in British Columbia, especially in Vancouver, for the last few years, the New Zealand butter being in great demand there. The same story holds good in Seattle, Portland, and other Pacific Coast ports, where heavy importations of Antipodean butter for "long have boon reported, with eager I sales, and the weakening of the demand I for domestic produce. The only jarring note heard in Ontario with reference to the importations of New Zealand butter was made in Toronto, where some of those who are unfavourable to the policy of importing claimed “that New Zealand butter is too mild for this trade, but, on- the other hand, past importations have been favourably received.

A large number of Canadians prefer butter with a. salt flavour, well defined. |fn discussing the Canadian butter situ a- I tion, the “Trade Bulletin, ’’ of Mon--1 treal stated that the weakness in the butter market of Eastern Canada was caused “by the offerings of Danish, Argentine, New Zealand, and Australian butter, added to the fact that the homo production in the United States has been in excess of all requirements of late.” It was mentioned that there was no export enquiry in Canada for butter, a fact which materially increased the dullness of the domestic market, and, furthermore, “England is getting j a il the New Zealand and Australian j butter she can take care of, and a lot | of Australian butter has been offered in [. Eastern Canada.” j What the Canadian dairymen most ! bemoan is the loss of the British marIcets, brought about by the immense shipments from Denmark, New Zealand - and Australia, to Great Britain, .thereby reducing the clem and for Canadian - produce.