PRICES PAID FOR BUTTERFAT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 166, 18 April 1916, Page 1

PRICES PAID FOR BUTTERFAT.

The " New Zealand Dairyman " says: We have had a host of enquiries as to the relative merits of cheese versus butter-making, and in one instance we were asked for an immediate reply by letter. Although this is against all rules of journalistic etiquette, we treated this communication as one of urgency, and sent a reply direct, For the benefit of other enquirers we give herewith our reply : The future prospects of cheese in our opinion are immeasurably superior to the prospects for butter, because every civilised country iu the world is catering for the butter market of England, and ouly Canada caters for the Cheddar cheese. The supply from Canada is falling oil year by year at a greater rate than our supply increases. There is another reason. The butter business now in England is up against a business proposition. It is being met by adveitising, and farmers won't advertise, and consequently they let the other man get the business.

The Maypole Dairy Company made £495,000 profit last year selling cocaa-nut oil butter, and it is likely that during that year they probably spent £50,000 on advertising. That is what the buttermaker of New Zealand is up against now. If he will not spend money on advertising iu England, it means that the other man is going to get the business.

In regard to cheese, there is no substitute that can be boomed by advertising. If you will put up a cheese factory with a cool curing room, and get the best cheese-maker you can procure for money in New Zealand, and give him and the rest of the staff an interest iu the profits, you would probably get as good a price for your cheese, or better than, any of the older factories. One pound of butter-fat will make 2.liolbs of cheese, and at the present prices, 'Jos, this is equal to a payment to the suppliers of Is 8d por lb of butter-fat. The prices paid out by a typical good North Island cheese aud butter factory respectively since 1 901 are as follows :

Cheese Butter Factory Factory .1. d. 1904-05 >i it. 64 1905-06 12 10 38 1906-07 12.82 10.96 1907-0S 11.92 10.28 1908-09 12,94 11.32 1909-10 12.05 11.16 1910-11 11 95 10.52 1911-12 11.59 12.16 1912-1;; 13.25 12.02 I9i;;-n U.38 12.00 HijlQrflH BKWKr^