THE BUTTER MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 87, 3 October 1911, Page 3

THE BUTTER MARKET.

REVIKVf 01" Til K POSIT I (IX IN KM i LAND. Tin l , Loiiodn correspondent of the Mercantile Ciawtte of New Zealand, writing under date of August 17. savs: A fitudv of the course of the butter trade in the twelve months to June 30 lust reveals some features of exceptional interest, and, as Messrs W. Weddell and Co. observe, makes clear the advantages enjoyed by the Ignited Kingdom through being able to draw its supplies of dairy produce from sources of production widely spread over the surface of the globe, and countries possessing varied conditions of climate. Five different sources wf supply of butter and five of cheese failed to send us as much as in the previous year. Four of the countries supplying'the largest amounts of butter—Australia. Denmark, Russia and I Sweden—all sent increased quantities, and more than made up for the deficiency of butter elsewhere. In the case of cheese, although Australia and the United States sent more, the total receipts were rather less than in the pre- • vious year. The imports of butter amounted to 222,T00 tons, which is an average of 4248 tons a week. The, cheese receipts were barelv over half those of butter, being only 121,454 tons, or an average of 2330 tons weekly. The past year shows the greatest importation of butter on record, exceeding the previous highest amount registered in the year 11X17, by 3513 tons. Ten years ago "the total import was 187,!>07 tons, so that imports now are 34,883 tons more than it was then, Canada. Holland, Germany, Italy, the United States-and Argentina are countries steadily reducing their export of butter to the United Kingdom. The countries increasing their shipments are Australia and Sweden, while Denmark, New Zealand, Russia, | France and Norway remain practically stationary in their supplies. It is noteworthy that a large amount of imported butter. is from the British oversea dominions, and that during t)ie past ten years this proportion has risen from one-seventh of the total imports, to over one-fourth. Ten years ago imports were 27,235 tons, and for the past year 01,023 tons, an increase of 134 per cent., while foreign supplies increased in the same interval from 100,072 tons to 101,707 tons, a growth in the ten years of only 1 per cent. During these ten years Canadian supplies have risen from 8295 tons to 15,705 tons in Mil. The greatest progress in this period has been made by Australia, which has increased its supplies six-fold, making them now half as much as those from Denmark, while ten vcars since the proportion .was not quite one-twelfth. In the past year shipments here from Australia were 44,31)5 tons, or 10,372 tons over the previous highest year—namely, 1907 —and 15,025 tons over lillO—an increase of 54 per cent. New Zealand records a small decrease of 853 tons.. There was no fresh ' development as regards the quality of j New Zealand butter for the past sea- | son, except that the amount treated by ; pasteurisation was largely increased. It ' maintained its normally high character, with the exception of a few brands ar-1 ' riving in January and February, which | were more or less affected with "fishiness." Tlies temporary defects then observed were, to some extent, due, it is thought, i,o the droughty weather which I prevailed for a time in part of the Do- ., minion. Australian butter maintained 1 its previous character and quality with--1 out any particular advance being noted. ' j The increase by 14,380 tons in the quan- , tity of British dominion butter on our - markets, compared with thp, previous I year, might have been expected to cause ; a large reduction in values of these kinds L if all other conditions had been unalter- >: ed. for the excess amounted to. 32.4 per

cent. Fortunately, there was; for the • year, a decrease of 2945 tons in foreign | butter, and this, to a small exjtent, modi-'! j fled the effects of the largely increased ' supplies just mentioned. The demand also during the year has. on the whole, been good. The decreases in the average prices of Australian and New Zea- , land for the year were only (is !)d and IGs Id per cwt. respectively. When it is i pointed out. Messrs Wcddel observe, that ; for the eight months from September, 1910, to April,' 1911—when Australian and New Zealand butters were in thp greatest supply—the total amount of other butters in our markets were 4114 tons in excess of the corresponding eight months in the previous year, the wonder is that the average prices for the past season have not been more largely reduced. In the particular eight months mentioned, however, Australia was actually 8s 8d per cwt. and New Zealand 8s Cd per cwt. lower in comparison with the similar eight months of 1909-10.

The supply of butter made in foreign countries and shipped to the United Kingdom during the past ten years gives an annual average of 105,284 tons, or nearly three-quarters of the total imports, and considerably morn than half the total consumption. In the year to June 30 last, however, the foreign supply was 3.500 tons below the average. If our home production be averaged at 80,000 tons annually and the British dominions' butter at *43,832't0n5, then the amount of butter consumed weekly in the United Kingdom is about 5550 tons, consisting of 3200 tons foreign, 1500 tons home produce, and 850 tons of British butter from the oversea dominions, equal to 57 per ocnt., 28 per cent, and 15 per cent, respectively. The import of foreign butter during the past year was 101,767 tons, of which Denmark supplied 88,37!) tons, and Russia 30,201 tons.