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Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1923, Page 2

Tiiekk is a tendency in some quarters at present, says the ‘‘Lyttelton Times." to anticipate a fall of juices on the London dairy jneduee market. A North Gland authority said the other day that rejioj ts now being received I; um Home all indicated that New Zealand farmers must he prepaid! for reduced returns lor both butter and c heese, and that it would he extremely inadvisable for dairy producers to calculate' that- juices would stabilise near the present level. They should go cautiously dm ing the next few months. “Ucacti.m is certainly coming,’’ said another authority, who remarked that cheese at least was hound to decline after Christmas. Particulars given in ctahh'giams from the High Commi.suioncr's office supply evidence of n siigin weakening tendency. New Zealand salted butter was quoted at 190 s to 19-ls per cwt. on October 15. On Oi toiler It it was selling at 198 s, and a year ago the quotation ivis 21iic io 2205. However, it must not he forgotten that butter has made remarkable headway since July, when it was as low as ] 13s per cewt. The High Commissioner says that the cheese market continues dull, with a slow demand. On October Id the price quoted was l()8s per cwt.. on October 6. it was 118 s, on. July 1 84s to Bfis. and a year ago 100 s io 102 s. If any further decline in butter is coming it will he clue to the fact that Denmark, Finland and Canada are making extraordinary efforts to gain a firmer hold on the English dairy produce markets. and •that Canadian shippers particularly do not hesitate to push sales by lowering prices. But it is Denmark that is to he feared, according to statements made in the annual review of Messrs A\ eddol and Co.. London. This firm points out- that the imports of butter into the Lnitecl Kingdom from Denmark during the year 1922-23 were 81.89*2 tons, against 67.313 tons in 1921-22, an increase of 21.8 per cent. Denmark, continued the review, was not only the largest s.bij>per of butter, but it. was also the most reliable both as regards quantity and quality, In the course of their long experience of tlie trade, the Hanes had worked up a connection for their but-

ter in tlio northern counties and in the Midlands which, was almost, impregnable, nnd this result had been achieved by studying th© requirements of their customers and sending them regular supplies of the kind of article they wanted. Tty law the Danish Government would not permit the export to England of any butter below a certain quality. In consequence buyers of

Danish butter could invariably rely on getting a fust class article always in fresh condition, the practice lseing to sell the butter as it is made, week by week, irespective of tile condition of the market. ‘‘lf New Zealand shippers desire to eliminate the margin l>otween the price for their produce and that for Danish produce,'’ say Messrs Wcddel and Co., ‘‘they must copy some of the. Danish methods, and. at the saiuo time, embark upon a propaganda campaign that will make New Zealand butty as much a household word iu Hits country as Canterbury lamb. But the quality should be irreproachable, and. so far as possible, the butter should lie constantly available.”

Ahoentixa is also providing strong competition in the English dairy produce market, a conclusion thai can ho gathered from study of the following statement of the total exports, averaged over periods of three years, from New Zealand and Argentina: Now Zealand. Argentina. Tons. Tons. 1911-13 1 7.0 IG 2,952 LlUl-lfi 29.211 1.591 1017-19 17.187 1(1.107 l‘,)2i)-22 38,8-15 29.890 Argentina exports, in other words, hare increased nearly ten times aagainst a four-fold increase tor New Zealand. Statistics of this kind show that the Dominion must light, and fight hini, to keep the place it has won ns a butter producing country. All the pooling in the world will avail nothing if qualilv is allowed to suifer; indeed, as we mentioned the other day. pooling may even discourage high-quality production. Producers would he well advised to concentrate on turning out better Gutter, and not allow tliem-elves to be either unduly elated by promise of an improved market when control comes into operation or needlessly discouraged because of present repotts oi a weakening price tendency. “Keep up the quality” is the advice telegraphed every month by tile importers. It is a sound maxim.