SATURATION POINT?

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 427, 7 May 1937, Page 5

SATURATION POINT?

BUTTER MARKET Farmers Express Concern A suggestion that the export butter market had reached saturation point was made at to-day’s annual meeting of the Stratford sub-provin-cial executive of the Farmers’ Union. ' The seriousness of the position was j first emphasised by the president, Mr | T. T. Murray, in his ahnual address, i “Have we reached saturation point « on the London market?” Mr Murray ' asked. “This is the most serious • question of all. Our politicians say ' that if the people of Britatn would : only eat a few pounds more per head all would be well. These people will eat what they like. If saturation ; point has been reached for the pre- ■ sent, tnen we as farmers will have to ■ turn some of our land to produce j something else that will g-ive us and • the country a better return. This I cannot be done overnight. The posi_ tion has to be faced whether we like I it or not,” concluded Mr Murray. I Mr B. Richnind said marketing and quality was all right and there wae ■ only the question of saturation. He i considered the time was fast api proaching when farmers would he I compelled to give up producing buti ter. j Mr J. H. Kirkby said that satur- | ation point had very nearly been | reached, and the position was a seri- ; ous one. It was estimated that in ; 1940 the peak population in Great Bri_ | tain would 1 be reached and that by ; 1950 it would have declined by three | million. There was no country in ■ Europe consuming as much but', er as I Great Britain with the exception perI haps of some of the smaller countries! i There was a world market for wool j and hides but the butter market was limited. Mr Murray said he had previously advocated that merchants should be given greater encouragement to handle New Zealand butter, particularly when prices were low. Instead o£ cutting down commissions they should be increased under such conditions. If the merchants could not get sufficient out of handling New Zealand butter they would deal ip butter from other countries. I A resolution was passed requesting | the Government to immediately | examine the position.