Rotten butter campaign no threat to exports - farmers

Johnny Rotten, 1977. Photo / NZ Herald

Farmers say a British company's attempts to entice consumers away from New Zealand butter is not a threat.

Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, is fronting a campaign to sway customers from New Zealand's Anchor butter in favour of a local brand, Dairy Crest's Country Life.

Rotten is trying to set the record straight for the 39 per cent of Britons who believe the New Zealand-made brand is British.

The print ads feature an image of the singer under the headline "Anchor's from New Zealand". Underneath, it reads "So, I buy Country Life cos I think it tastes best."

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, which owns Anchor, said today it was not concerned by the campaign.

"It doesn't matter whether it's viewed as being British or New Zealand, I think the quality of the product is what counts most," shareholders' council chairman Blue Read said.

He thought the focus on the homegrown issue was wrong.

"You know we've proven time and time again that the air miles thing, or the export of product from New Zealand, is much less expensive than producing it in the UK," Mr Read told Radio New Zealand.

"So I think they're barking up the wrong tree quite frankly."

Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Lachlan McKenzie also said the campaign was not a threat and that the taste of New Zealand's butter spoke louder than the campaign.

"Our butter from New Zealand, because of the higher fat content and how we feed out animals, does have more flavour, so some people will prefer the flavour of the Anchor brand than the UK brand."

- NZPA