OUTLOOK FOR BUTTER

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1940, Page 6

OUTLOOK FOR BUTTER

While it is true that increased exports of chbese must be the chief aim of the dairy industry during the war, it is still essential that exports of butter be maintained at a high standdrd of quality and in as large a quantity as possible. Concern has been expressed on more than one occasion in Taranaki lest the enormous fillip given by war conditions to the consumption of margarine in Great Britain should interfere very seriously with the market for New Zealand butter when the war is over. This view is not held by merchants and others who are engaged in the distribution of dairy produce in the United Kingdom. They point out that owing to war conditions if it had not been for supplies of margarine many people would have gone short of the fat supply necessary for the maintenance of health, and it is admitted also that in appearance and palatability margarine has reached a high standard. But when the war is over they are convinced that th&re will be a

large demand for butter in Great Britain, and that this will have to be met chiefly by Empire-grown supplies. It will, in their opinion, be a long time before Denmark and Holland, formerly two of the principal suppliers to the Lond,on market, will be able to resume extensive exports of butter or cheese. Authorities in Britain consider therefore that when peace returns the United Kingdom will be able to absorb all the butter New Zealand can export and at a price which will be satisfactory to Dominion producers. The chief factor in proving the correctness of that forecast is the maintenance of the quality of New Zealand butter at a high standard. This is recognised by the dairy industry and even war exigencies are not to be allowed to lower the quality of the Dominion product. If that is maintained New Zealand butter should be able to hold its own against the competition of margarine when normal trading conditions return.