Dairy farmers working to avert butter shortage

There might be an increased demand for butter, but consumers are being told not to worry about a shortage affecting their holiday baking.

Yves Leduc, director of policy and trade for the Dairy Farmers of Canada, says the industry is taking steps to ensure that butter and other products with a higher percentage of butter fat remain readily available in stores.

Leduc says the industry estimates consumer demand and sets a production quota to meet it.

But demand has increased faster than anticipated, leading the Canadian Dairy Commission to increase the quota level.

Leduc says if demand continues to outstrip the supply, the commission can arrange to import butter from other countries.

He says industry research shows that consumers are increasingly eating more butter because it is a natural product with no added ingredients.