DAIRY EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1918, Page 7

DAIRY EXPORTS.

THE IMPERIAL PURCHASE

(Wellington Post.)

To-day being the 20th of fjiie month, cheques are paid out to suppliers of milk to butter and cheese factories, but as the banks are closed for a week, and inasmuch as the Imperial. scheme for 'the purchase of new season's butter and tfieeso is not yet finally settled, some little financial difficulty may arise. In any case, it will only be temporary. It will be remembered that the representatives of butter-making concerns- recently met in Wellington and decided on asking for 196s per cwt for butter, no less. The Imperial Government's idea of value, it was understood at the time, was 181s per cwt.. having purchased Australia's surplus at 1755. For cheese the price for tho season's make was I0J& per pound, and with tihis cheese-makers were well-satisfied. To the butter-mak-er, however, 181s per cwt., while a very good price compared with the pre-war values, was much below IOJd per pound for cheese, on the value of the butter-fat yielded from milk supplied for manufacture.

The difficulty is that in- many dairying districts where cheese and butter factories are working Bide by aide most milk suppliers will take their milk to the cheese factory every time, even though they be shareholders in a co-operative butter factory. The difference in favor of the cheese-maker on present prices is estimated to be from 3Jd to 4d per pound on butter-fat or say, 12 to 15 per cent, more for milk turned into cheese than into butter. However, the buttermakers have decided to accept 181s per cwt. for their produce, and their decision lias gone Home to tilie Imperial authorities. I"

The purchase of the Now Zealand butter and cheese required the sanction of the Imperial War Cabinet,, which was granted some weeks ago. The matter now rests with the British Food Controller, but the delay iu concluding the "deal" is causing sjraic embarrassment hero among dairy factory concerns, as they cannot make definite financial arrangements for the whole season. Almost all last season's make of butter 'has now left the Dominion. There is a relatively small quantity held in Auckland, which it is hoped to ship soon. A large quantity of last season's cheese, however, is still in store, and its room is wanted for the new. make; but there is tonnage in sight for lifting fairly heavy cargo at an early date, which will give appreciable relief to the congestion.