It?s finally happened: NZ?s own dairy products have become too
expensive for NZers to buy, so we have to import cheaper ones -- in
this case, butter
<https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/imported-us-butter-lands-in-paknsave-as-cheaper-699-option-to-kiwi-blocks/VPSGARVWTBGLXCPDMT2VJ2YH5Y/>.
Where from? The USA. Apparently their butter is less yellow than ours, because they feed their cows on grain, where we use grass.
It?s finally happened: NZ?s own dairy products have become too
expensive for NZers to buy, so we have to import cheaper ones -- in
this case, butter <https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/imported-us-butter-lands-in-paknsave-as-cheaper-699-option-to-kiwi-blocks/VPSGARVWTBGLXCPDMT2VJ2YH5Y/>.
Where from? The USA. Apparently their butter is less yellow than ours, because they feed their cows on grain, where we use grass.
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?)
butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children
syndrome.
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more
expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?)
butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children
syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 07:32:14 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro
<ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more
expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?)
butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children
syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
Correct but the choice is not as simple as it seems. USA butter >predominantly comes from barn-housed cows fed from grain-based
(therefore Genetically Modified) product that will almost certainly
contain any number of artificial additives not required to be declared
as a butter ingredient. USA Federal standards permit yellow colouring
to be added to butter.
Then there is the issue that dairy farming in the USA is subsidised by
the Federal Government, as revealed in a simple Google search, meaning
that butter production there is oriented to subsidy requirements
rather than market requirements.
No wonder dairy imports sell well there.
But by all means we are free to buy USA butter for$6 per 500g vs $7
for NZ butter, but buyers need to be aware that USA butter is junk
compared to NZ product and not proportionately cheap.
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 07:32:14 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro >><ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more
expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?)
butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children
syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
Correct but the choice is not as simple as it seems. USA butter >>predominantly comes from barn-housed cows fed from grain-based
(therefore Genetically Modified) product that will almost certainly
contain any number of artificial additives not required to be declared
as a butter ingredient. USA Federal standards permit yellow colouring
to be added to butter.
Then there is the issue that dairy farming in the USA is subsidised by
the Federal Government, as revealed in a simple Google search, meaning
that butter production there is oriented to subsidy requirements
rather than market requirements.
No wonder dairy imports sell well there.
But by all means we are free to buy USA butter for$6 per 500g vs $7
for NZ butter, but buyers need to be aware that USA butter is junk
compared to NZ product and not proportionately cheap.
People will buy it if it's cheaper. For too long the likes of Fonterra
have been ripping off NZ customers with their export price for local >products.
On Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:29:42 +1300, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 07:32:14 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro >>><ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more
expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?) >>>>> butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children
syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
Correct but the choice is not as simple as it seems. USA butter >>>predominantly comes from barn-housed cows fed from grain-based
(therefore Genetically Modified) product that will almost certainly >>>contain any number of artificial additives not required to be declared
as a butter ingredient. USA Federal standards permit yellow colouring
to be added to butter.
Then there is the issue that dairy farming in the USA is subsidised by >>>the Federal Government, as revealed in a simple Google search, meaning >>>that butter production there is oriented to subsidy requirements
rather than market requirements.
No wonder dairy imports sell well there.
But by all means we are free to buy USA butter for$6 per 500g vs $7
for NZ butter, but buyers need to be aware that USA butter is junk >>>compared to NZ product and not proportionately cheap.
People will buy it if it's cheaper. For too long the likes of Fonterra
have been ripping off NZ customers with their export price for local >>products.
So you are happy to see a NZ company face competition from a foreign
supplier using foreign government subsidies to sell product cheaper in
NZ?
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:29:42 +1300, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 07:32:14 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro >>>><ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more >>>>>> expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?) >>>>>> butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children
syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
Correct but the choice is not as simple as it seems. USA butter >>>>predominantly comes from barn-housed cows fed from grain-based >>>>(therefore Genetically Modified) product that will almost certainly >>>>contain any number of artificial additives not required to be declared >>>>as a butter ingredient. USA Federal standards permit yellow colouring >>>>to be added to butter.
Then there is the issue that dairy farming in the USA is subsidised by >>>>the Federal Government, as revealed in a simple Google search, meaning >>>>that butter production there is oriented to subsidy requirements
rather than market requirements.
No wonder dairy imports sell well there.
But by all means we are free to buy USA butter for$6 per 500g vs $7
for NZ butter, but buyers need to be aware that USA butter is junk >>>>compared to NZ product and not proportionately cheap.
People will buy it if it's cheaper. For too long the likes of Fonterra >>>have been ripping off NZ customers with their export price for local >>>products.
So you are happy to see a NZ company face competition from a foreign >>supplier using foreign government subsidies to sell product cheaper in
NZ?
Yep.
On Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:06:10 +1300, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:29:42 +1300, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com> >>>wrote:
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 07:32:14 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro >>>>><ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more >>>>>>> expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being
higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?) >>>>>>> butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children >>>>>>> syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
Correct but the choice is not as simple as it seems. USA butter >>>>>predominantly comes from barn-housed cows fed from grain-based >>>>>(therefore Genetically Modified) product that will almost certainly >>>>>contain any number of artificial additives not required to be declared >>>>>as a butter ingredient. USA Federal standards permit yellow colouring >>>>>to be added to butter.
Then there is the issue that dairy farming in the USA is subsidised by >>>>>the Federal Government, as revealed in a simple Google search, meaning >>>>>that butter production there is oriented to subsidy requirements >>>>>rather than market requirements.
No wonder dairy imports sell well there.
But by all means we are free to buy USA butter for$6 per 500g vs $7 >>>>>for NZ butter, but buyers need to be aware that USA butter is junk >>>>>compared to NZ product and not proportionately cheap.
People will buy it if it's cheaper. For too long the likes of Fonterra >>>>have been ripping off NZ customers with their export price for local >>>>products.
So you are happy to see a NZ company face competition from a foreign >>>supplier using foreign government subsidies to sell product cheaper in >>>NZ?
Yep.
Watties also faced similar situation (unable to compete with imported >subsidised/dumped products). The result is less choice for NZ
consumers and growers.
The clear answer is to tax subsidised imports so that in the NZ
market, the importer does not have an unfair advantage.
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:06:10 +1300, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:29:42 +1300, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com> >>>>wrote:
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 07:32:14 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro >>>>>><ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 8 Mar 2026 16:48:00 +1300, Bumble Bob wrote:
It seems the world prefers to buy NZ butter, even though it is more >>>>>>>> expensive. Perhaps NZ?s grass-fed butter is perceived as being >>>>>>>> higher quality. And NZ is left to import grain-fed (?lower quality?) >>>>>>>> butter which the world has chosen not to buy. Cobbler?s children >>>>>>>> syndrome.
Choice is good. That?s where competition comes from.
Correct but the choice is not as simple as it seems. USA butter >>>>>>predominantly comes from barn-housed cows fed from grain-based >>>>>>(therefore Genetically Modified) product that will almost certainly >>>>>>contain any number of artificial additives not required to be declared >>>>>>as a butter ingredient. USA Federal standards permit yellow colouring >>>>>>to be added to butter.
Then there is the issue that dairy farming in the USA is subsidised by >>>>>>the Federal Government, as revealed in a simple Google search, meaning >>>>>>that butter production there is oriented to subsidy requirements >>>>>>rather than market requirements.
No wonder dairy imports sell well there.
But by all means we are free to buy USA butter for$6 per 500g vs $7 >>>>>>for NZ butter, but buyers need to be aware that USA butter is junk >>>>>>compared to NZ product and not proportionately cheap.
People will buy it if it's cheaper. For too long the likes of Fonterra >>>>>have been ripping off NZ customers with their export price for local >>>>>products.
So you are happy to see a NZ company face competition from a foreign >>>>supplier using foreign government subsidies to sell product cheaper in >>>>NZ?
Yep.
Watties also faced similar situation (unable to compete with imported >>subsidised/dumped products). The result is less choice for NZ
consumers and growers.
The clear answer is to tax subsidised imports so that in the NZ
market, the importer does not have an unfair advantage.
Maybe the answer is to stop price gouging of the likes of fonterra
who don't really care a stuff about the NZ consumer. The meat
industry is the same. Watiies will make al sorts of excuses mainly
the cost of power, over the top regulations etc most which are
valid points.
On Wed, 11 Mar 2026, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com> wrote:What a bit of competition will do . Pams is New World / Pak N
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
So you are happy to see a NZ company face competition from a foreign >>>supplier using foreign government subsidies to sell product cheaper in >>>NZ?
Yep.
Pleased to see Pam's has dropped its butter price to $7.30 in response
to the USA import. We are buying Pam's...
wn@nosuch.com (Willy Nilly) wrote:
On Wed, 11 Mar 2026, Mutley <mutley2000@hotmail.com> wrote:What a bit of competition will do . Pams is New World / Pak N
Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:
So you are happy to see a NZ company face competition from a foreign >>>>supplier using foreign government subsidies to sell product cheaper in >>>>NZ?
Yep.
Pleased to see Pam's has dropped its butter price to $7.30 in response
to the USA import. We are buying Pam's...
Save anyway so they are competing with themselves.
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