ANTIPODEAN BUTTER ABROAD.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1922, Page 1

ANTIPODEAN BUTTER ABROAD.

STIRS AMERICAN CONTINENT. VANCOUVER, February 9,

Tbe unloading of vast quantities of, butter from Australia and N«w Zealand on the North American Continent has aroused considerable discussion, particularly in the Dominion of Canada, which prides itself on its domestic supply, especially in regard to its quality. It is in the purely agricultural districts where the presence of the imported butter from the Southorn Seas has forced its attention upon the Canadian dairymen, and they have not been slow to observe a falling off in the sales of the domestic production The Province of Ontario would appear to he that part of the Dominion which feels the situation most profoundly, for the Press of that province is urging the dairymen to bestir themselves, improve their methods, and thereby stave off international competition.

All the Canadian newspapers candidly admits that the Antipodean varieties of butter are hard to beat however, and one journal says: “While there is little reason for optimism regarding the future trade in dairy products from the standpoint of the local producer, there is, if a lesson is learned from present conditions, a reason for confidence. The demoralisation of the British market at present promises to be but temporary, and the present is the flush season in the Antipodes, therefore th e great bulk of overseas butter should soon disappear from the Canadian market Very real progress will have to be made in butter marketting, and cheaper production methods in this country generally and Ontario in particular, however, if we are to meet competition successfully in our important overseas outlet.” Ono Ontario opinion is that un; 1 ' what milk producers in past years have termed normal condition steady prices for cream would he paid during the winter months, no weakness showing up until the summer pasturage began materially to effect the milk flow. Conditions in the world to-day, it is pleaded, are not normal, and because of this fact prices for churning cream have been on the down grade since the beginning of the new year. Though sojme creameries have maintained a figure in the neighbourhood of 40 cents for butter-fat during the first half of January, this will now have to be reduced at least 5 cents if the concerns purchasing are to break even, it is claimed. The reason for this abnormal state of affairs—like so many diverse and perplexing situations—is dated back to the source of all recent trouble the late wars

CONTROL AND WAR CONSUMPTION.

The “Toronto Globe” dairy expert, discussing this foreign butter invasion of Canada, launches out thusly in a recent article; “During hostilities, Great Britain, in order to assure a steady supply of dairy products, controlled the sale of butter and cheese, and contracted for the total output of New Zealand for the period of the war and two years after. People in the Old Country were asked to economise in their use of dairy products and substitutes were resorted to where possible. In consequence, consumption of butter and cheese per capita of the civilian population fell off considerably while that of margarine and other substitutes increased. Production, encouraged by wartime prices and the constant growing demand of the armies in the field, went ahead by leaps and Iwnmds, and because of the heavy overhead and large amount of labour involved in this production, the increase has been fairly permanent. “Only a few months ago the last vestige of control was removed in Great Britain, and the contract with New Zealand expired. Immense stocks of butter were offered to consumers who had learned to economise, or who werie accustomed to something else with the result that the market became badly demoralised, and prices fell. In a few cases recently, the British buyer was able to purchase Canadian butter at a lower price than the housewife in this country. In order to unload their wares, New Zealanders began reshipping tlieir produce from Great Britain to Canada. “Creamerymen and cheese manufacturers to a lesser extent, in the pavSt few years have made a c lose study of Government a/nd produce exchange figures regarding stocks on hand and comparisons, and have governed their prices largely accordingly, hut the rather unexpected invasion of foreign supplies has upset the balance. CANADIANS WORRYING.

“This condition was further aggravated by a lack of knowledge regarding the quantity of these imports, and though the percentage of them, compared with pur own production, so far, has been insignificant, the potential volume of that trade is the thing that is worrying Canadian buyers of dairy produce today.

“Tho quantity of the shipments from New Zealand and Australia, on the whole, has left little to, lie desired, though some variation is reported in that from the latter country. Competition, however, may prove keen beliiuso of the lower production costs in those countries, made possible by better organisation, and helps to offset the high transportation charges to market.” While it has astounded the Ontario consumer that New Zealand and Australian varieties of butter could he sent all the way from the Antipodes to Canada and sold on the North American continent for from 5 to 10 cents, a pound cheaper than Ontario butter, made less than a hundred miles from the populous centres of that Canadian province, the consumers themselves have shown a particular predilection for the imported brands, not only on account of reduced charges per pound at the big department stores, but furthermore on account of the richness of the Antipodean product.

It is . in the Far West that the New Zealand and Australian brands of butter have the greatest vogue, and there is always an eager rush of shop-keepers to obtain their quota wlienever a- steamer arrives in Vancouver from “down undpr.” The shopkeepers always feature the imported butter in them advertisements in the daily, press of Vancouver, Victoria, and other British Columbia oities, and as a..result the supply of butter from the Southern Seas soon disappears. Connoisseurs frankly admit the ■! im ported* variety superior to any. produced in British Columbia, the nearest approach being the “Saskatchewan Government Special,” which is much sought for when the Australasian produce has given out. ' INVASION MINIMISED IN U.S.

A considerable quantity of the Antipodean butter landed at Vancouver finds it way also south; of the international 'border, and it is in special request in Seattle and Portland, although the State of Washington has gained fa,me in the United States for its excellent dairying produce. In San Francisco steamers arriving from Sydney and Wellington invariably unload vast quantities of butter, and' here again the imported varieties are much sought for. Government officials under the Department of Agriculture, but more particularly State authorities, have taken up the position th'at the invasion of Antipodean butter is very insignificant when compared with the total consumption of butter in the United States.

On a Californian official has declared that all the butter imported from New Zealand and Australia in twelve months into'the United States would not prove sufficient for one meal for the people of America, and consequently he sees no cause for national stir on account of butter being imported from abroad.

The American dairymen do not assume a similar attitude, believing that the foreign importation, may increase in volume and seriously cut into the domestic market. Those who are fostering international amity bv mutual trading as between the Antipodes and the United States look with approbation upon the arrival of foodstuffs in the States from over the Pacific Ocean, and these fair-minded Americans contend that the interchange of commodities should b e encourage with all possible power, otherwise outside nations cannot be expected to accept) America’s overplus of goods. In, this direction it is pleasing to note th 0 arrival in San Francisco a few days ago of Mr F. Laurie, of Sydney, director of the Associated Press of Australasia, who successfully initiated his mission! of preaching the gospel of increasing the interchange of trade as between the United States and Australia and New Zealand. His views were laid before a. gathering under th e auspices of the San, Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and provided much useful data for the American merchants.