COLONIAL BUTTERS.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXII, Issue 2791, 17 May 1911, Page 3

COLONIAL BUTTERS.

A LONDON REPORT

A London correspondent of an Australian paper, writing just beiore one of the latest mails left England, said that the outstanding feature of the trade was the fact that only about 10 per cent, of the Australian butter arriving was of a quality that could be sold as choicest. Usually the proportion was about 20 to 25 per cent There was an excellent demand for this grade, and butter within it cleared well; but there was little call for the other qualities, which are accumulating. The large quantities of this butter in cold store was a very seri-

ous matter. At that time everything should be clear. What would happen to this heavy block oi over 100,000 boxes ? Prices would be down to the eighties before it was liquidated.

"The multiple shop companies are holding off the market," he continued, and with abundant supplies coming it looks unlikely that they will be attempting further ' manipulation ' of a se/ious kind. These buyers stick very closely to their bargains, however the deal turns out. They make no quibbles. An ordinary trade buyer, if the market goes against him for a line of Australian butter, will strain every point to get out of. the contract. "The average quality of Australian butter coming along is below par, showing signs of the heavy rain and rank herbage. New South Wales butter is sour and earthy in flavour, and musty, evidence of delay in cream conveyance. Queensland butter is just the same. The line drawn between fancy butter

and other grades that in ordinary times should be is to 2s below is very sharp, and these secondary qualities are selling at* fully 6s to 8s below ' fancy ' values. Butters that would have made 100s to 102s last year (with choicest values same as now) are only worth 965. Of the 90,000 boxes in this week, I am informed by a large importer that not more than 10,000 are ot the finest quality. These ,10,000 cases are worth 104s to 108s unsalted, as extreme prices for 'fancy.' I notice that one of the big distributing houses is offering it's grocer advertisement " Australian salt butter "at 88s., off which has to come, to bring it to Tooley Street parity, some 5s for the profit. Probably after Easter we shall see a fall in Australian and New Zealand butter prices."