BUTTER RATIONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 October 1943, Page 3

BUTTER RATIONING

POSITION OF DAIRY FARMERS CONTROL OF PRODUCTION & SALES. LIMITS ON HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An explanation of the butter rationing scheme as it affects the dairy farmer was given last night by the Food and Rationing Controller, Mr J. E. Thomas. ■ He said that if farmers who hitherto had not been making butler at home now began to do so, they would be diverting supplies of cream from the factories and so would lessen the quantities of butter which could be made available for export to Britain. It was solelv to prevent such a situation as this that the regulations providing for control of butter-making on farms had been put into force as part of the butter rationing scheme. “It is realised that farmers will be wholly behind the endeavour to augment supplies of butter to Britain which makes butter rationing in New Zealand necessary,” said Mr Thomas. “In putting that rationing into force it becomes necessary to protect farmers against difficulties which might arise through pressure from outside groups to obtain butter from othei than the normal sources. In other words, it helps the farmer to take his part in preventing the development of a black market.” Giving a summary of the regulations as they concern dairy farmers, Mr Thomas said that no producer supplying milk or cream to a butter factory or cheese factory could make dairy butter on the farm without a permit from the Rationing Controller. The controller would issue permits only in those cases where the producer was unable to buy factory butter. Dairy-farmers who did not supply cream or milk to a dairy factory could make butter on the farm. They could dispose of this butter as follows: They may sell it to a wholesale distributor. In that case, the distributor is to give a receipt to the producer foi each parcel purchased. They may sell it to a retailer licensed to sell butter. The retailer accepting farm butter must keep a detailed r.ecord of purchases and must supply the producer with a receipt for each parcel purchased. They may use it for consumption by their own households, their employees and their households, and their guests. The quantity consumed in this _ way must not exceed the quantity available on the coupons of the producer and members of the households. The producer is to cut out the coupons, and these, together with the receipts from retailers and wholesale distributors, should account for the whole of his manufacture. FARMERS AS RETAILERS. In districts where factory butter is not available, consumers may register with a producer for the supply of butter. The producer then has to apply to the local rationing officer to be licensed as a retailer and to comply with al' requirements imposed on retailers. Except where the producer is a licensed retailer, no butter may be taken away by a consumer from the property of a producer. It may not be sold oi given away to guests or friends. Where a producer with a few cows finds that he has no lawful avenue of disposal of all his butter, the mattei should be referred to the controller for a direction as to what should be done. “Suppliers to a dairy factory who propose to continue obtaining their butter from that source should register for butter with the dairy company, surrendering to it the completed A counterfoil from the ration book,” said Mr Thomas. “Because of the special conditions of delivery of butter from dairy factories, the whole sheet of A coupons may be cut from the ration book and sent to the company which will cancel coupons as the butter is supplied. “This special arrangement about sending in the whole sheet of coupons to the dairy company does not apply I where butter is obtained from a retail I store.”