BUTTER PRICES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 April 1933, Page 6

BUTTER PRICES

(Press. Assn.-

LOWEIRING OF LOCAL RATES NOT FAYOURED BY MERCHANTS AVERAGE CON SUMPTION

— By Telegraph — Copyright)

Auckland, Saturday. Mr. H. C. Aickin, a director of C. Aickin and Sons, Ltd., referring to the suggestion by Mr. P. H. Anderson, chairman of directors of the Cambridge Co-operative Dairy Gompany, • that by lowering local prices the consumption of butter could be raised considerably as ia temporary expedient to relieve the British market, said: — "The suggestion is not in accordance with our company'-s- experience of the local market over many years. Although to-day the1 local price iis. 3d per 1b less than in March last year, when the economic depresisdon was almost as acute as at present, the siale of our company's butter on tbe Auckland market shows oiily a small normal annual increa.se. The lower prices have not noticeably inereaised the turnover and the f act that the normal annual increment has continued would indiciate that consumption is not being seriously restrdcted. Further, the consumption of butter a head in New Zealand is about three-quarters of a pound a week. "It is- noteworthy that - althouigh s-ecdnd-grade butter has been retailing at ld per lb below the price of first grade, the proporti-on of second grade purchased by the public has declined steadily during the past six months," said Mr. Aickin. "The increase ' in local consumption, following a reduction in prices, would he disappointingly small, certainly not sufficient to give noticeable relief to the British market or to juistify a further great sacrifice by the farminig community."