EXPORT OF CHEESE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1921, Page 7

EXPORT OF CHEESE.

STORES SAID TO BE CONGESTED. GOOD MARKET MAY BE LOST. New Zealand cheese producers fear that, owing to the inadequacy of the insulated space allotted them for shipments to the Old Country, much of this season’s output may arrive too late to catch the present favorable market, and may clash with tlw early Canadian make. Mr. J. T. Martin (manager for Messrs. Wright, Stephenson and Co.) told a Dominion reporter that every store in ‘New Zealand was congested, and that the producers considered the New Zealand Government should insist on having space for at least 200,000 crates a month allotted to cheese. Mr. Martin said that cheese was going out of the country more slowly than any other insulated cargo. New Zealand’s butter had been bought by the.lmperial Government, which was expediting the shipments to such an extent that the butter was being taken away almost as soon as it was received into cool store. Moreover, practically all the commandeered meat had either been shipped or had had space arranged for it. Cheese was receiving the worst treatment of all, and the pro. ducers attributed this to the fact that it was no longer under control, and that the Imperial Government, which allotted all insulated space, had no interest in it. This season’s cheese started to come into the stores as early as August last, and up to the beginning of December it was allowed to accumulate in the stores without any allotment of shipping space. At the beginning of December the Imperial Government sanctioned shipment at the rate of 100,000 crates a month. The Overseas Shipping Committee duly allotted space for 100,000 crates for December, but some of the steamers had not yet got away. At the beginning of January an allotment for another 100,000 crates was made, but most of the steamers op which the “January” space was provided would not load, until February. Some of them, in fact, were timed to sail in the last week in February. The steamers loading at the present time were only removing cheese that bad reached the store before the middle of November. Cheese was thus being subjected to a delay of ten weeks in store, and the producers -were incurring not only increased storage charges, but were also losing interest on advances made by the banks against the cheese awaiting shipment. Infest and storage charges together meant a loss to the factory of £2 10s per ton in a period of two months. The seriousness of the present position Lay in the fact that fully 80 per cent, of the New Zealand cheese had not been sold by the factories, but was on consignment to London, to take advantage of whatever prices were ruling at the time of landing. The London price at the present time' was roughly, according to the cablegrams. 14d per lb. f-o.b. New Zealand. But the market, was very uncertain, and there was I grave danger that owing to the late- . ncss of shipment, the hulk of the New Zealand supply would arrive in London at a time when it would clash with the early Canadian make. This might re- ! suit in a serious decline in values. I .An indication that the Home people I to-day had very little confidence in the I future o-f the market, was afforded by ; the fact that it was impossible to ini duce them to make purchases for Feb- ■ ruary. March, and April shipments from | New Zealand. Mr. Martin concluded by observing I that the price ruling for ' cheese this I season had been the highest on record, ‘ and that therefore there was room for a tremendous drop k AN OFFICIAL VIEW. CLAIMS OF MEAT, MUST BE CQNSIDERED. From inquiries made in official quarters it appears that the Prime Minister is making strenuous endeavours to obtain increased shipping space for cheese and free meat. The total tannage listed for February-March loading is unfortunately very small. The Ministry of Shipping states that this is due partly to the very poor “turn round” of ships in New Zealand—that is, 'to past delays in loading in. this country. Practically all the Imperial meat has been lifted, and it has not been possible to arrange heavy cheese loadings at the expense of private shipment of meat, which is also wanted in London, and'is beginning to accumulate very rapidly in New Zealand.