DAIRY PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1922, Page 8

DAIRY PRODUCE.

BUTTER AND CHEESE INCREASED PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR TARANAKI, The Taranaki Producers’ Freezing Works Company, Ltd., has received, into its works at Moturoa for the period from June 30, 1921, to May 12, 1922, 190,336 boxes of butter and 142,904 crates of cheese, compared with 150,161 boxes of butter and 118,909 crates of cheese for the corresponding period of last year, or an increase of 40,175 boxes of butter and 23,995 crates of cheese. Of the quantity of butter received into the works 24,128 -boxes were in store on May 12 compared with 15,167 boxes on the corresponding date of last year and 38,900 crates of eheese compared with 36,7'70 crates last year. The company has received notice of the following shipments:— Cornwall, at Wellington about May 22, 6000 crates of cheese.

Port Victor, at New Plymouth, May 28, 20,000 boxes of butter, 8000 crates of cheese.

lonic, at Wellington about June 5. 5000 crates of cheese.

Tekoa, at Wellington, June 15 (for Avon mouth, L.M. and G.), butter and cheese on application. Wiltshire, at Wellington, about June 30, 5000 boxes of butter, 9000 crates of ■cheese.

Maimoa, at Wellington, about July 10, 11,000 crates of cheese.

THE BUTTER MARKET. SLUMP IN DANISH ARTICLE. NEW ZEALAND BUTTER AFFECTED. The drop in the price of Danish butter to 1725, reported in a cable message published on Saturday, has caused no surprise to those interest in the' trade here, who attribute the fall to the increase in supplies (says the Dominion). Europe is now in its early summer, and next month should see a big output of dairy produce, for that would, be the flush of the season. Gn May G, just a week ago, the Danish market was reported to be slow, and this slowness has probably continued all the week, forcing the producers to make a cut in prices to induce consumption. The quotations on Maj’ 6 and 11 compare as under:

May G. May 11. Danish 188 s to 190 s 172 s N.Z. choicest . 180 s to 184 s 168 s to 170 s Australian . 172 s to 176 s 160 s to 164 s

From the highest point Danish has fallen 18s per cwt., New l2s to 14s, and Australian 12s. The Danish Producers’ Committee has not been able to keep control of the market, in view of the increasing supplies, for the British home make must also be taken into account when considering supplies, together with whatever- may be available of the imports from the Dominions. It is probable that the drop in London will be reflected in the local quotations, although some merchants think not, holding that London parity does not .affect the local quotation in winter, which is based upon the stocks in hand, as there is no general make of butter during the winter months. The London quotation is equal to Is 4d. so that on London parity butter should drop a little here, but it may not fall for the reasons stated above. It is unlikely, in view of the fall in prices, that Australia will make further purchases of New Zealand butter, which will mean that our supplies for winter will not be encroached upon.”

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER. ITS STANDING IN CANADAPRICE IMPROVING; Vancouver, April 13. New Zealand butter continues to monopolise attention among the dairy industry leaders in Canada, and the imported varieties are so much in demand in the Dominion that the quotations have reached 43 cents a pound, as compared with 33 to 34 cents per sixteen ounces a month ago on the Ontario markets. As might be expected, the dealers are congratulating themselves on securing this high price, as recently the continued importations from the Antipodes had the effect of depressing prices; in fact, the Canadian produce was forced down to 32 cents per pound. With the large arrivals of New Zealand butter from British sources and direct from Auckland and Wellington, the dealers managed to obtain splendid stocks, and at very reasonable prices. When the prices commenced climbing, the Canadian dealers found they were making a first-class margin of profit on their contracts. New Zealand butter makers are advised to send further shipments to the Ontario and Quebec markets, as there is such a demand for butter that the Ontario jobbers have had to look elsewhere for large supplies. In spite of the strong market across the line in the United States, some of the Toronto dealers are negotiating for supplies with Chicago dealers, and it is not improbable that heavy importations will be brought in before long from Chicago or New York. This is onte reason for the boosting of prices in Canada, the local supply having failed to materially meet the big demand. BIG IMPORTATIONS. More than two million pounds of New Zealand butter were imported into Canada during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1922, according to a return tabled in the Canadian House of Commons in Ottawa by the Hon. Jacques Bureau, Minister of Customs. Total imports of butter in the past fiscal year were 5,805,4221b5, valued at 1,801,267 dollars, and. the duty collected on this was 196,283 dollars. Of this amount 2,036,471 pounds came from Great Britain and 1,332,210 from the United States. The onions from “down under” have quickly won the esteem of the purchasing public, and as a result the imported varieties have met with a ready sale, and have, obtained the phenomenal prices of from 10 to 11 dollars per sack of 100 pounds for Australian and 50 cents higher for New Zealand brands. New Zealand newspapers to hand show that the prices in New Zealand have been extremely low, and Canadian consumers are wondering where the enormous *>oxead” is made ug as between Ud ft

pound in New Zealand and about 15 cents a pound retail in Canada, or a profit of 6d a pound, including cost of transportation to Canada from the Antipodes. In order to eliminate these disproportionate profits it is suggested by some authorities that some co-operative scheme should be introduced to prevent any form of profiteering in Canada in regard to goods obtained at very cheap prices in New Zealand and Australia, and whenever high prices are obtainable in Canada it is recommended that some percentage of this profit should be paid the growers in New Zealand. Better still, it would seem advisable for the New Zealand producers to pool interests and send a first-class representative to Canada to watch all trade transactions where the Antipodes has goods “on the block”. In these days of cheaper freights by steamer it is claimed that the isumer and grower should share the larger part of uic margin of profit, and not allow commission merchants and brokers to gain the lion’s share by paper transactions alone.