Genesis Forums

I read this on CNN's website today. I highlighted my favorite bits.
G.

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Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- Norwegians are facing an unexpected wrinkle in their Christmas cooking plans. Butter supplies are scarce, and prices have skyrocketed.

A higher demand for butter as a result of low-carb diets and increased interest in natural, home-cooked meals is one reason for the shortage, according to Tine, the country's largest farmer-owned dairy cooperative.

A rainy summer reduced the quality of animal feed, decreasing milk production in Norway this year by 20 million liters (5.3 million gallons) compared with the same period last year, the cooperative said.

The Norwegian government has responded to the crisis by reducing tariffs on milk product imports, the country's agricultural authorities said.
But many stores have been rationing how much butter they sell.

One seller on a Norwegian auction website offered 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of butter Tuesday for roughly 30 times the normal price.
Authorities detained a Russian citizen Monday who they said was trying to smuggle 90 kilograms (200 pounds) of butter from Germany into Norway. Food safety authorities then warned people not to buy butter from strangers, Norway's TV2 reported.

Danish airports and ferries traveling between Norway and Denmark have started offering butter in their duty-free shops, according to press statements.
Some Norwegian politicians have criticized the government for acting too slowly, and right-wing bloggers have compared the government's agricultural policies -- which include high tariffs on milk product imports -- to those of former Soviet states.

Others have taken a more light-hearted approach to the problem. Norwegian and Danish television recently broadcast live coverage of Danes handing out 2,000 kilograms of free butter to Norwegians on the streets of Oslo.

This went well with my mother recently telling me not to talk to strangers when I went for my exercise jogs I started since moving home... my response to her at the time was that I would not talk to strangers unless they were offering me candy. Maybe I should switch it to butter?

Butter up ?

We had a small butter crisis in Sweden too some months ago. I was even affected personally, for a few days there were no butter at the shelf in my local store and instead there was a sign saying "we're out of butter". Scary. Luckily we had butter at home, and a few days later butter arrived to the store. Its been okay since then. Phew.

However, an even worse crisis has been reported lately. Apperently there is a risk that there wont be enough pigs to slaughter for everyone for the traditional "Julskinka" (ham) meal on christmas eve. As a consequence a few days ago a swedish farmer had ten pigs stolen from his farm. And they had all been slaughtered at the spot, before being stolen. I suppose its easier to steal ten dead pigs than ten live ones. So, there is a risk for a pig shortage if we are to believe the news.

Its tough to live in the nordic countries these days it seems. On top of it all, there's a snow shortage as well. Hopefully we will at least get meatballs for christmas or there might be a riot!

Komrades,

Do not believe the false propaganda of the American Imperialists. In Sovjet Norway, the proud and hardworking Tine produces
more than sufficient quantities of butter to sustain the Norwegian population.

In Sovjet Norway, the butter runs out of baking komrades.