COMMERCIAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4757, 29 September 1924, Page 1

COMMERCIAL

MONTHLY PRODUCE REPORT. Messrs Norden and Co., Ltd., Fort Street, Auckland submit the following report:— DAIRY’ PRODUCE. , Butter.—The butter market still maintains a strong position and, whilst practice has taught us not to view matters too optimistically at any time, the immediate future appeaivs bright, especially in view of the fact that' Continental buyers have been operating freely.- The London price has risen steadily since the middle of April, and quotations for salted butter during August advanced from 192 s to 208 s. the present values being: salted, 212 s -, unsalted, 224 s ; as against 192 s for the same time last season. The toteil importations of buttdr into Grda't Britaih during August was 23,390 tons,’an increase d 2930 toils for the corresponding month last year.

Australia’ lias experienced favourable weather conditions, and returns show increased , production. Weekly returns from-..the grading stores at Sydney. Melbourne, arid Brisbane have shown increases of up to 250 tons when compared with last year. Thenexport o£ butter for August amounted to 500 tons." The local price at Sydney and Brisbane has remained unchanged, ’at 177 s 4d per c.wt, and at Melbourne is 173 s per cwt., the market being inclined to drag. Argentine, like New Zealand, is suffering’from parochial dry spells, with tlie resultant diminished production. This decrease is considered only temporary, and, no doubt, Septmber returns’will show considerably improved quantities. The exports of butter have been for July arid August 1545 tons, as against 1991 last year. z Canada, probably because New Zealand ha's captured their English cheese trade, has in many quartens swung over to butter, with the result that large’ quantities of that product are’ now being manufactured, although up to the present time' the bulk of their exports have gone into the United States.

Cheese.—During August cheese has shown very little fluctuation, white ranging from 94,t0 96s and coloured from 90S' to 925. Present values are 93s for white and 91s for coloured, as against 118 s to 120 s at this time last year. The retail price of cheese at Home has been Is per lb, and this reasonable price has had the effect of maintaining steady consumption. New season’s cheese will not reach London until (he middle of November, but it must be borne in mind that over 10,000 tons of cheese are in cool store in Canada ready for shipment, while the estimated quantity o£ New Zealand and Canadian cheese on hand in stores throughout Great Britain at the end of August was 10,000 tops. The total importations of cheese into Great Britain during August amounted to 14;216 tons, being a decrease of 1800' tons from last year.

New Zealand Production. —The following figures were supplied by the Dairy Division of the Department Of Agriculture for August, covering gradings throughout the Dominion; Butter, salted 1875 tons, unsalted 5 tons ; cheese, white 109 tons, coloured 99 tons. These show a decrease in the butter-fat production of 9.2 per cefit when' compared With the August figures for last year. Stocks held at the various grading ports on August 31 were ;' Buttiir ; 2183' tons', cheese 502 tons. Shipments from New Zealand for August totalled 1049 tons of butter and 1721 tons of cheese.

In contrast with the. New Zealand production, the figures for August butter and cheese at Auckland and Southdown freezing works show an increase in butter-fat production of approximately T. 5 per cent.

Shipping.—During August . five steamers carrying New Zealand butter and cheese arrived at Great Britain. discharging 37.608 boxes of butter and 35,6i4- crates of cheese, whilst September' sees four ; steamers unloading 65,011 boxes of butter and 28,346 crates of cheese. Then there is a lapse of three weeks, when the next two produce steamers will arrive in London with 24,890 boxes of butter and 6832 crates of cheese. At the end of August there were 64,254 boxes of butter and 2608 crates of cheese in store at Auckland, as against 45,902 boxes of butter and 1881 crates of cheese last year, but unfortunately only two steamers leaded at Auckland during September, an l thus little rfelief has been effected.

The feeling in many quarters with regard to space allotments is that wool and meat receive preference over butter and cheese, and it remains with the authorities to show that ample shipping accommodation is provided for this season’s output. At the present time there appears to be no Auckland loading steamer between October 10 and about the middle of November. Although the Rotorua and Maimoa will load 125,850 boxes of butter, , indications show that these allotments will only absorb all September butter, so that any butter arriving-in store from the first week in October onwards will have to awfait shipment by the Orari about November 16. It is to J>e hoped that additional space will be provided and thus avoid the congestion that so many tin'.oH in the past lias proved detrimental to the dairying industry. The following steamers are scheduled to load at Auckland for Great Britain : Port Denison, 4000 butter, September 29 ; Rotorua, -88,850 butter and 5000 cheese, October 4 ; Maimoa, 37,000 butter, October 8; Mamari. 5200 cheese, October 10; Orari, 60,000

butter and 250 cheese, November 16. The Port Denison will clear all butter up to-August’2B. Auckland Market.—Butter: Prices were again increased on September 2 by Id per lb, and current wholesale values for 11b pats are : Superfine Is 'B%d, first-grade Is Bd, second-grade Is 7d. Sales of second grade ' have been made at Is 5 A-jd per lb, and the market is considerably oversupplied with this grade. Cheese: Coloured mediums to 834 d, matured Stilton 2s 6d, coloured loaf 10'%d to 10%d. The market is well supplied with mediums, while spot stocks of loaf cheese are scarce. MEAT PRODUCERS’ BOARD. SOUTH AMERICAN SHIPMENTS. * The N.Z. Beat Producers’ Board has received the following advice from Buenos Aires, South America, concerning shipments to the United Kingdom for the fortnight ended September 20, 1924. from Argentine and Uruguay : Chilled beef, 199,750 quarters ; frozen beef, 72,418 quarters, frozen mutton, 48,754 carcases; frozen lamb, 63,505 carcases. The quantity shipped to the Continent of Europe during the same period totalled : frozen beef, 1,84,100 quarters ; frozen jnutton, 10,601 carcases; frozen lanjb, 2075 carcases.