BUTTER EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 89, 5 October 1911, Page 4

BUTTER EXPORTS.

Tt will surprise those engaged in the dairying industry in this country that Canada has almost ceased to export butter (o the United Kingdom. Five years ago Canadian butter imports to Britain amounted to about fifteen thousand lons per annum, which is about the quantity that New Zealand sent Home last year, when Canada sent considerably under one thousand tons, Denmark's butter exports to Britain are not increasing or likely to increase, but tliev range in the vicinity of ninety thousand tons per annum. Holland's exports have fallen away materially. But while Russian supplies have not increased, Sweden is becoming a very large exporter, last year's shipments being a record. Scarcely any butter reaches the United Kingdom from the United States, and the same may be said of Argentina. The totol imports of butter to Britain last year were the largest 011 record, amounting to 2-22,71)0 tons, of which Australia supplied 44,30.5 tons and Xew Zealand about 10.000 tons. It must, be remembered in this connection that the cheese industry has been greatly developed in Xew Zealand of late years. Woddel's Review points out thai regular weekly shipments would do much to advance the selling value of consignments of the overseas output. That is how it is that Danish butter holds its permanent sway. For four months of the year Xew Zealand practically exports no butter. If Denmark, with its rigorous climate, can keep up its supplies ill the winter surely we in Xew Zealand, with our exceptionally mild climatic conditions. can do the same. Still, the dairy farmer in this country has much leewa'v to pull up before he can attain the footing that the Danes occupy. lie is. -peaking generally, much behind him in methods of working his land so as to reap (be fullest advantage, and the rapid rise in the price of land will not help him to bestow more of his time to systematic testing and culling, breeding or buying better animals, going in for cropping for winter feed, and otherwise improving his methods. If tile high prices of land compelled him to turn his attention to these matters the high prices would be a blessing'in disguise; except, in a few isolated cases this is unfortunately not the case.