The Daily News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6. COLONIAL DAIRY PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 207, 6 October 1909, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6. COLONIAL DAIRY PRODUCE.

Mcssi-., W. Weddcl and Co.'s annual review of Hie colonial .liiirv produce trade is as Usual -hill of interesting inform,!lion to those engaged in the dairy in dustry. Due of the mont striking fea I tines of tin- year, so far as colonial pro dtice is concerned, appears to have been the complaints that have been made regarding the quality of New Zealand ami Australian butter, the principal grievances being excess of moisture ami a large increase of "fishy'' butter. However, stops have been taken by the New Zealand Clovermiiont to check the practice, that was evidently growing, of milling to the water content of butter, ami probably there will be less ground foi complaint on that account during tin ensiling season. Messrs Wcddell anil Co, make a suggestion Unit might be worth considering, as having a. bearing upon the quality of our butter, and that.is that the grading should be stiffened, either by raising the percentage of points for each grade, or making an extra section above lirst quality, far superfine butler. Messrs Weddel and to. point nut that those factories which wild last year were much better off than those which consigned their outpius. the losses sustained by buyers, 'nou ever, !liave apparently made them cautious this \o.ir in milking forward contracts, and ili.y have had to increase Humollii- .i'iiii Mid to nearer lid. Hut wiles at in. hi,, oiivr have not so far taken place. Last year the opening offers were l(l'/:;d, anil the price was forced up to ll'/id, at which many factories closed, ami thus made the season the most proiitable one for sellers experienced since the trade began. 'i'lie United kingdom require* an. nually nearly 3(10,11(1.) tons of butter and as she only produces BII.UUU tons herself the dairies of the wide world are brought into reijuision to make the English bread more edible. Even with the assistance of overseas do minions Britain would still be very short of butter, for at present foreign countries supply 180,001) tons as againsi 32,000 tons sent from the colonies. Denmark, the wonderful little country where dairy farming has been reduced to an exact science, sent ICI.OOO tons to England last year, and Russia, despite the appalling poverty which hangs like a curse over its peasantry.Was able t'l spare :!2,000 toils. Other receipts were: From Sweden. 1.1.000 tons; Franc, 10,1101) tons; Holland, 10,000 tons; Argentina. 4000 tons. Of late years Bri Vain has become mow and more dependent upon foreigners for her butler. Eour years ago the foreign supply totalled 'loS.OOfl ' tuns. ,iiid tne colonial ."i7,(n 0 Ions; last vear the figures were: Foreign I7S.00II; colonial. :12.U00. Of the three source, of colonial supply New Zealand exhibits tlie greatest steadiness. AiisLia. lin has been very spasmodic, wnilc Can ada shows a great falling-oil', the actual figures for last year being: Australia 10,000 tons »w Zealand 111.000, Canada 2000. The expansion of the New Zealand export butter trade was checked by the sudden rise in the price of I'heese. which made it pay relatively better than butter. Throughout the last foil" years this ri-e lias averaged about 10s per cwT. higher than during th" previous [our years. This was mainly due to the deficiency in the Canadian supply The variability' of the climate of Australia prevents tlie same steadiness ;ii shipments that marks the New Zealand trade. Drought, which, unfortunately, too frequently occurs in one or other of the three great eastern States of tli" Commonwealth , has during the .last three years reduced ils supply of bather to Britisli markets by more than fifty percent. Canada has'for the lust three years shown a most marked diinimiti.-ii in the export of butter to the Mother Country in contrast with the three previous years. This was brought about In two factors—one, the hot and dry seasons, anil the other, the large, influx of population. The newcomers settled mostly in th<' North-West, and stocked their lands with cows from those districts of Canada which export dairy pro. duce to England. Prices for butter last year upset i'll the forecasts of the experts. In view of small stocks record values were looked for, but the exceptional mildness '" the season in Britain and Europe disturbed all calculations. Instead of pastures ceasing to grow after September lliey continued to' grow through October, November and December with, the result that dairy produce was much more plentiful llian is usual at that period of the year. The outstanding feature regarding prices was the great loss made by those factories -which prcferrcit consigning their output to sellin» it forward. Australian butter is gcn° crally sent on consignment, while New 'Zealand shippers mostly follow tne practice of selling forward, and consequently the season for New Zealand butter' was a very profitable one to those sellers—in fact, the most profitable experienced since the trade began —in consequence of the high e.i.f. prices secured. A very prominent aspect of the Australasian'butlcr trad- is the dif feronce in prices between "the value of Australian and ■ New Zealand butter, which is year by year widening. The average annua] price per cwt. for AipIralian of '■choicest" quality was lowrr than Xew Zealand for the last three years hv 1, 7d in 1007. 3s Sd in lfiOS. incl as in in' On. On this point Messrs Weddel and Co. remark:-"ll is well kno.vn ' that while »7 per cent, of New Zealand is classed as first grade, a eonsidcrahlv less percentages of Australian reach's Unit standard. If the New Zealand standard of grading were followed in Australia not much over 80 per cent, of the latter would be passed in the first grade."

AVhile British farmers produce little more than a quarter of the butler needed for home consumption, th.-y ■.upplv more limn link' the cheese required. Home production of cheese is estimated at 14(1.0110 lons, whilst last year lli.llirj Inns were imported. Of this qiianli ,v 02.000 ciimp from oveu-en posses-ions whilst only 2:1.000 tons were from in. reign sources. Dutch dairies are responsible for Ihe bulk of this, (heir ouiput for last year being 14,000 tons. Xe. v Zealand sent 10.000 tons and Canada 70,000 tons. It will he noted that Canada is much the. largest supplier o" cheese to Britain, sending nearly half of the total output. Since 1904, however. Canadian cheese exports have steadily declined, partly as the result of decreased production, Irnl more in consequence of Increased home consumption. New Zealand, on the other hand, line shown rapid increases over the same period. Thus in 1006 Canada exported (15.000 tons as against 5000 tons from New Zealand, Since then Canada's to tal has decreased by 19,000 tons, wiii'st New Zealand's has increased bv 11.000 tons. Canada now holds first and NewZealand second place among the countries shipping cheese to the Unlicd Kingdom. So recently as 1007 Holland held second, and the United States third places, while New Zealand was fourth. Five years ago New Zealand supplied only about 4pp r cent, of Ihe colonial and 3 per cent, of Britain'* total imports of cheese. To-day New Zealand | supplies 20 per cent, of the colonial and 15 per cent, of the total. Australia. 1 strangely enough, sends no cheese from ;licr borders, and the fact would seem somewhat of a reflection upon the versatility of her farmers. Regarding the coming season it ig anticipated "that prices will he On a rather lower basis than last year. This is especially the ease with butter, for although tin. nlinormally cold and wet summer experienced in Europe and the United King, (loin will reduce supplies in Hint part of Ihe globe, the very favorable winter ill Auslralasia is likely to result in! record shipments from tile Common- I wealth and New Zealand.