PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4869, 24 August 1925, Page 3

PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

NEW ZEALAND’S PROSPECTS. STANDING.IN WORLD MARKETS. Competition for supremacy on the world’s markets is becoming more and more keen, and in this Dominion efforts to improve the quality of our primary products must' be continued without slackening—even more attentio being devoted to thirs aspect than to increasing production. Some remarkable remarks in corro- . boration : of opinions of . experts in New Zealand were made by Mr Walter Darby in relation to the primary productswere .held in the highest esmarkets. Mr Darby, who recently returned to Auckland after a three years’ tour of the United Kingdom, the Continent, and America, said that New Zealand and. New Zealand products were held in teh highest esteem in all countries he had visited. It was quite remarkable, said Mr Darby, to realise what a complete knowledge of New Zealand, was possessed by . the French people, who were somewhat lavish in thir praises of New Zealand. Of the other Continental nations the Danes manifested a particularly keen interest in the Dominion, and in Italy this country was becoming recognised as rather ,a wonderful outpost of the British Empire. With the French there still lingered an historical knowledge of the country that so nearly became a French colony. This knowledge has been quickened to a tremendous degree by the presence of New Zealand soldiers in France during the Great War, and later by the famous All Black football team. France was ready and eager to trade with New Zealand if the market could i:e scrv- • ed direct, and no doubt developments woul be made in this direction before long. The Danes regarded New Zealand from a different standpoint, Mr Darby said. They considered us. a wonderful people, although their, enemies in the dairying markets of the world. There were no illusions in Denmark in regard to New Zealand as a dairy- ' ing country. This was evidenced in a dairying expert, who expressed the opinion that the Dominion in time would probably dominate the dairy markets. This opinion was based on the fact that New Zealand had won her place in the world markets against all competition; she had come into the field after other countries had become established, and now ranked with the best. It was convincing evidence to Denmark that a country so remote from the heart of the Empire and able to accomplish such a feat would never be ousted t from the position she had won. “This aspect of the matter was further impressed upon me," said Mr Darby, “by experts in Britain. “The thing that New Zealand producers must concentrate on is quality allied with increased production and economical marketing. These matters should take precedence over any desire for unduly high pficcs in the world markets.’’ There .was an economic limit to prices for any commodity. The aim of the ' producers should be to cheapen the cost of production and maintain a market that could, be stabilised at a price within tlie means of the masses. The world was prepr.aed to accept New Zealand’s dairy products as the best, but the Dominion must be prepared to supply the markets at a reasonable price. The same tone predominated in regard to New Zealand lamb and mutton, said Mr Danby. The meat, was - considered to be the best on the market, and the standard only had to be maintained to keep the New Zealand product in the premier position. In regard to beef, he said that it was interesting to note that markets were being found for our second-grade beef in. Italy and Germany. These could be regarded as capable of considerable deevlopment. Italy had expanded industrially to a remarkable extent during recent yaers, and as a potential market for New Zealand foodstuffs wsa worthy of consideration.

The necessity of extending our markets was. obvious, said Mr Darby, and properly accredited representatives in the different Continental countries could do much in this direction. Our primary products were so good, in fact, that they were thoroughly worth advertising in the broadest manner possible. This was the feeling he had had forced upon him after close contact with poeple on the Continent during the last three years.