WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1928, Page 7

WELLINGTON NEWS

DAIRY- PRODUCE TRADE

[Spkcial To Tiik Guardian.]

"WELLINGTON, October 31

“ For 1 Tie first lime since before the war, ;i complete trading year lias passed in which the ordinary factors of supply and demand have been allowed to operate normally without being complicated by political or economical influences.” observed .Messrs W. Weddel and Co., in their annual review of the Imported Dairy Produce Trade of the United Kingdom for the year ended June JOtli last. As if to emphasise the point they add: “There were no strikes or lock-outs at home or abroad big enough to have any effect on the smooth running of trade, nor any artificial interference with the conduct of business on the part of Governments or trade hoards.” Hence “in comparison with many of its predecessors the past year may appear somewhat colourless.” In the industrial districts of the .Midlands and the North there has been a long-continued trade depression, but it is stated, the consumption of butter and cheese throughout the country as a whole appears to have been wonderfully well maintained.”

“ It was (proceeds the Review), just as great a relief to the New Zealand section of the trade in the United Kingdom as it was to producers generally in New Zealand to he free Irom all official control and he able to conduct business on ordinary commercial lines. At the conclusion of the experiment both shippers and importers were glad to lie relieved of the irritation inseparable from outside domination, to say nothing of the enormous losses, amounting to several millions sterling, suffered by the dairy companies as a result of the Control Board fiasco. The total importations of butter into Great Britain, 274,307 tons, was 12,710 tons, or 1.0 per cent greater than in the preceding twelve months. Australian shipments turned out to be heavier than expected in 1920-27. New Zealand arrivals were heavier than ever before, despite increased exports to North America and Australia and a bigger make of cheese. Canada’s butter supply was negligible; from South Africa we again received nothing. Empire sources sent to the Mother Country a total of 101,207 tons, compared with 89,703 tons in 1920-27. This represents 37 per cent of the total imports, against 34 per cent in the year preceding. f oreign sources sent a total of 173,280 tons ol butter, compared with 171,834 tons in in 1920-27. Argentina suffered a very serious setback on account of drought, while the effect of last year’s cold and wet summer all over Northern Europe were apparent in reduced totals from Holland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The Baltic provinces of Latvia, Esthonia, Lithuania and Poland, where produce comes under the heading “other countries” showed considerable expansion in the production ol butter for export and are at the same time showing promise of producing an article comparable in quality with that exported from other European countries. Cheese imports have shown surprisingly little variation in each of the past three years.. The figures are lor 1927-28 151,037 tons and for the preceding two years 151,421 tons and 151,520 tons respectively. New Zealand totals were the highest on record; Canada totals the smallest for many years, “it is disappointing to notice (the Review observes) that the total supplies of cheese Ifrom Empire sources have been falling away in recent years while foreign supplies have been steadily increasing.” Dealing with prices the Review states that as soon as the accumulations of butter and cheese held on account of the New Zealand Control Board had been disposed of, the market quickly responded to the resumption of free trading, and prices were established throughout the autumn months on a higher basis than bad been possible at any time during the preceding year. Cheese quotations were also on a much higher scale, although supplies were not any scarcer, indicating that the demand for cheese is' increasing. Prices for New Zealand cheese throughout the year (followed the butter market very closely, but after October Canadian cheese prices, owing to short supplies, ruled at a higher level than those for Neu Zealand cheese.

This Dominion sent a total of 67,343 tons of butter to the United Kingdom, an .increase of 19,1 per cent on the pi\H it ous year. Arrivals of cheese were 84,760 tons, aii increase of 7.7 per cent. Hie total quantity of Australian butter during the twelve months was 33,58tons, an increase of 11.1 per cent on the year. Cheese totalled ‘2678 tons, compared with 1229 tons. I lie impoits of Argentine butter H'or 1927-28 were 17,921 tons, a decrease of 32 per cent. Denmark sent 100.319 tons of her export of butter, which (146.000) was tin l heaviest on record. There are 167 b dairies in Denmark. In relation to Siberia, the lteview stales that the total exports of butter amounted to 33,823 tons, of which 18,600 tons were imported into Great Britain.