N.Z BUTTER

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1929, Page 2

N.Z BUTTER

CANADIAN CRITTCIBAI . “CRUDE METHODS.” VANCOUVER, April 3. That part of the year during which .ve hear a great deal of abuse of New Zealand butter for coming to delight vhousands of Canadian palates is nearing its end. As it does, your old friend, Air James A. R.uddick, who for many years was Dairy Commissioner in New Zealand, and now holds the same past in Canada, is telling his people not to ho afraid of New Zealand butter. Keep- up the quality of Canadian butter is his antidote. “MOULDY 4ND DIRTY CONDITIONS.” Speaking of bis experience in Now Zealand, Air Ruddiek expressed his conviction that New Zealand butter could never drive Canadian out of the narket. “So far as manufacturing is concerned they are ahead ef us,” he said. “They put more money into their dairy equipment. A quite ordinary factory in New Zealand is not very expensive if it costs £IO,OOO. Many factories cost £20,000. But as regards production, their methods are crude and conditions are difficult. They have so much wet weather and mouldy and dirty conditions, and the milk product is not up to Canada’s, while they have many difficulties in overcoming injurious flavours. They found it necessary to pastf”rise all milk in cheese-making to get rid of unpleasant flavours, and that is very expensive. A. pasteurising outfit in New Zealand costs more than the total cost of a Canadian factory. New Zealand 1 cheese has never displaced a single pound of Canadian cheese on the market, and never will so long as wo make a better quality.” ■CANADA’S HUGE PRODUCTION. Dairy production in Canada was worth £55,600,000 last year,, according to Air Ruddiek. The output' of dairy butter is 75,000,0001b5, but very little of it is on the market. Milk increased in production by 2,000,000,0001 b in the last three years. The maximum production of clicose was in 1904 at 250.000,00011); last year it was 135, 000j 0001b. Producers of milk have found other and more profitable channels for it. Canada is now third with Holland first and New Zealand second in cheese production. But, says Air Ruddock, Canadian bfings-the highest price. The price of butter in Canada during the last two or three years, says Air Ruddiek, has beoh from Id to 7d a pound above the export value, for the reason that Canada has no export surplus. At the present time New Zealand butter is being imported into Canada from London, and duty of a pound is being paid. “We have imported butter and cheese for the last 30 or 40 years in small quantities until during 1912, 1913, and 1914 it reached a considerable proportion, and in recent years we have been more than ever before, said the Commissioner. “I think the time will come when we will have an export of butter. It all depends. I am not a prophet, hut if anyone had told me in 1924 we would require to import butter in 1928, I would have laughed at him because, instead of a deficit, there was every indication that we would have a surplus for export of 50, 0C0, 0001b. The rapid increase in consumption of all milk products in Canada during the four years and the lack of progress in the continued production of butter, caused by the falling off in the western provinces, changed the whole situation.”