Pak n Save have 500g of Anchor NZ butter at $4.99 (cheapest NZ option). 400g of French produced butter was priced at $3.00 - its really good butter too!
How can that be?

Is this not because of subsidies? French dairy farmers are subsidised by their Govt, NZ ones aren't? Same with tomatoes - NZ tomato growers aren't subsidised by our Govt but Italian tomato growers are, which is why we can buy imported canned tomatoes for $1 in our supermarkets. I support NZ tomato growers by buying fresh tomatoes instead of canned imports. Same for butter.

Yes, countries in the EU get export subsidies.

As Poland is EU member I may observe that in our media - EU farmers may count on really significant subsidies - this policy plays very important role within the EU and consumes big part of EU budget

Flora205 Warsaw/Poland
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What brand was the French butter?
Was it very pale?

Petit Normand - yes very pale

Are you sure it was a 400g block? The New World near me sells that brand for $3.00 as well, but the blocks are 200g. This week they are 2/$4.00 which works out to be equivalent of $5/500g.. just a hair cheaper than the cheapest NZ butter at New World this week ($5.19).

Out of curiosity I bought some of that brand a few weeks ago, one each of the salted and unsalted. Mine were 200g packs. The unsalted is still in the fridge as yet unopened but I did find the salted more salty than the New Zealand salted butter. At first I thought I had accidentally added too much salt to the dish but when I tried it again on an unsalted cracker it seemed very salty. I disposed of the remainder. Did you find it salty IngridO? Maybe it's just my taste buds.

I have bought a 200g pack of Petit Normand too but thought it wasn't as creamy tasting nor as nice tasting as NZ Anchor butter, but I put it down to what the animals eat i.e. grass fed vs grain fed and maybe hence nz butter being very yellow and imported very, very pale.
Regards,
Dawn.

I bought some Petit Normand and we like it, it is a cultured butter like Lewis Road, but saltier. I probably won't buy it again though as I would rather support local industry, also I think Lewis Road has a better nutrient profile because of the way NZ cows are farmed.

Recent article about the price of butter [www.nzherald.co.nz]
Regards,
Dawn.

Re the NZ Herald article in the above post, somebody is not telling the whole truth. As I see it, our farmers should get $X number of dollars for their product and to sell it in NZ they should get a reasonable price. But that price should not include the costs of shipping the balance of their milk overseas. The overseas market should be paying that cost so therefore home grown dairy products should be cheaper than the product that 's been shipped. Too simplistic???

It does give food for thought (no pun intended), Lorna.
Not so very long ago when the milk payouts were at a very high rate and of course dairy products seemed through the roof to the supermarket shopper, we had a little discussion with one of our farmer friends. We asked him would he ever ask the New Zealand government (read that as the taxpayer) for drought relief.
He said it certainly made him see things from both sides.
I am pleased for the farmers when they get a fair price for their products but it can be a catch 22 situation.

I dont think it says the shipping price is included in the commodity price. It does make me query, why the demand for NZ dairy..........is this the grain fed vs grass fed and that type of trend. Go through substantial amounts since giving up vege oils, so would like to see the price come down by a $1 at least.

The price is just painful. I recall in the last 5-6 years or so, butter regularly being $2.50 on sale. The govt rattles on about healthy eating, yet the price of real food, and I consider butter to be a real food, just keeps going up and up and up. No wonder lower income families buy $3/kg tubs of "table spread", with all its hydrogenated fat. $10/kg for butter is out of reach for many.

pams 4.49 at New world, limit 3.

The rate of the butter has incresaed since last couple weeks.Several reasons are responsible behind of the increased rate.They should view source for improving the quality of the butter.