NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1921, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS

HOME MARKED PROSPECTS FOR BUTTER. TRADING OPPORTUNITIES. An interesting statement concerning the produce market in England as affecting New Zealand’s primary products was made at Auckland by Sir Thomas Mackenzie, ex-High Commissioner in London for the Dominion. In the main he took an optimistic view of the outlook, though he was careful to point out that much required to be done if New Zealand was to take fujl advantage of her opportunities. Dealing first with butter, Sir Thomas said he still had faith in prices for the New Zealand commodity keeping good after the restitution of a free market at Home. There wae a great world [ shortage of butter, and not more than I half the previous supplies were going to . Great Britain. If unemployment became I widespread in England, however, it I would have a bad effect on prices, and. i butter might come within the range. He ! thought more should be done in connecI tion with advertising New Zealand but- : ter. Its identity was often lost, and l a great deal was used for blending. ,He knew that, before the war, New : Zealand butter went to Devonshire and ■ came back as “best Devonshire.” ; Sir Thomas said he had submitted a scheme for getting our butter into the. Danish customers’ hands, while the foreign article was out of the market, but it was not taken up. The suggestion offered was to get perhaps |!b. packages of butter distributed to the higher class customers of the Danes, accompanied by a circular stating that certain grocers in the neighbourhood stocked New Zealand butter, and that if required they could get supplies equal in quality to the samples distributed. Produce traders in the Old Country had toid him that the New Zealand article was the highest quality butter that reached the British market, and that if it diice got into the hands of the people now using the Danish it would never again be displaced by the latter. New Zealand ought to aim at the highest class trade in Great Britain, and not endeavour to cater for the second-class trade. •

NEED FOR BETTER ADVERTISING. The matter of advertising New Zealand butter brought up the larger one of what was going' to be the policy of the Dominion in regard to the handling of her produce, said Sir Thomas, both in the Old Country and in other markets. Was she going to depend on the ordinary trade avenues as before, or was she going to open out in other directions? The latter course would, of course, entail greater cost, but the returns would be better. There had been considerable discussion by New Zealand farmers as to what should be done, but he was not aware that they had ever matured any policy. He thought it highly essential that something should be done. All the trade channels of the Dominion had been disturbed by the war, and now it should be her aim to re-estab-lish old connections and gain new ones. The question of cost would arise, but when one remembered the great sums spent on exhibitions which brought the country no return, it was worthy of the consideration of the Government and the people whether it would not be better to devote the money that might be spent in 1922 or 1923 on an exhibition to some well-thought-out plan for placing the Dominion’s produce abroad. MEAT POSITION SHOWING IMPROVEMENT. In connection with meat, Sir Thomas said the position was improving, so far as stocks held were concerned. The same blunder had been made as in the case of wool by the Food Controller holding up stocks because he thought there was going to be a meat famine. On three occasions Sir Thomas attacked the Controller from the public platform, otherwise, he said, the reductions in price which were so necessary to bring meat within the purchasing power of the users would not have been made. In the meantime, however, the Controller had kept the New Zealand stocks so long that the quality deteriorated, and a prejudice arose against New Zealand meat, especially as the Argentine commodity was discharged direct from the ships fresh and presentable to the public. Thus tlie Argentine meat attained the status the New Zealand meat should have maintained. tf New Zealand could re-establish the reputation of her meat, Sir Thomas said he saw no reason why any great reduction in price should occur. On the contrary, as regards lamb, he thought New Zealand could look for a continuance of good prices. The Americans were very keen on New Zealand lamb, but did not care for mutton, and the most the American butchers would say it was possible to take of it was from 5 to 15 per cent, in proportion to lamb. There was a proposal to put a tariff on meat going into America, as well as on wool, but Sir Thomas learned while in the United States that it Was unlikely that the people would submit without protest, to any tariff that would increase the price of foodstuffs. At the same time, members of the Meat Trust informed him that they expected the Republican Party to put on a tariff.

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN THE FIRST RANK. Sir Thomas said he still thought, however, that Great Britain was the market to which New Zealand should give her utmost attention. He felt sure that Britain could consume all the lamb the Dominion wished to export at a satisfactory price. And, as the lamb helped to sell the mutton, and the British took New Zealand mutton, he thought the policy should be to conserve the market by every possible means. With regard to fruit, Sir Thomas said he had only received one or two sample lots from New Zealand while in office. However, these were exhibited, and some were sold. The former secured medals for quality, and the latter commanded good prices. The fruit which had been going in since had been subject to Government control, so that was not a fair test. but. given wellgraded selected fruit, he believed there was a profitable market to i e übtai ed in Britain. New Zealand honey aUo stood exceedingly high at Home. Indeed, one might say regarding New Zealand produce generally • which was ;ent Home, that it stood in the \\ 1 ■-t 4*nk, the honey with a strong lead.