The Norwegian Butter Crisis

[Xrysthos]

2011 will forever be remembered by Norwegians as the year without butter.

Due to the increased popularity of the low-carb diet, Norwegian supermarkets and grocery stores are experiencing a nation wide butter shortage. This has been headlining news here in Norway for quite a few weeks now, and to be honest the entire situation is too absurd not to be shared. The situation is particularily dire on account of Christmas being just around the corner, with traditional dishes and pastries all requiring butter, which has whipped the population into a frenzy.

People are lining up outside stores rumoured to have an incoming shipment of butter for hours in advance, hoping to get their hands on some hardened, salty bovine delights. Lately the government has agreed to accept foreign aid in form of butter shipments from the neighbouring Scandinavian countries to placate the seething mob, and they have also reduced the import taxes for butter products. However, in recent days a black market has been flourishing, and on finn.no, the Norwegian equivalent of eBay, there are hundreds of entries from people selling butter - whole and already partially consumed packages - at outrageous prices (highest current entry is at approx. 100 USD per kilo). There is also evidence of smuggling from bordering countries, and a Russian citizen was recently stopped on the border with just short of 100 kilos of butter in his car.

To be honest, I wish I was trolling. This is just too bizarre. But it's true. I would provide you with links to related news stories, but they would all be in Norwegian and thereby be of little use to the majority of you.

So, what would you do? Have you ever experienced similar food shortages?

EDIT: As far as the black market is concerned, the government health officials have issued warnings against consuming butter from unknown sources, and against second hand butter purchases for obvious reasons.

In answer to my own question - I don't really eat butter, so it doesn't affect me, and if this wasn't the first time I experienced something similar I wouldn't make a thread about it

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

I'd love to say this is the most ridiculous thing I've read lately.

That aside, no, I haven't, and I'm pretty confident no such shortage would affect me much.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

But... but what will you put on your crumpets?

This is a sad day for Norwegian crumpet eaters.

 

[Hoplon]

So there is a killing to be made exporting butter to Norway?

very interesting...

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

Wow...what a bizarre story.

Keep strong over there, and try not to think of crumpets too much (stop it Daystar).

 

[Dags90]

The situation is particularly dire on account of Christmas being just around the corner, with traditional dishes and pastries all requiring butter, which has whipped the population into a frenzy.

I see what you may have intentionally done there. Well played.

Also, as far as sources, Google translate is your friend. My supermarket recently posted signs about a peanut shortage causing them to have run out of peanut butter.

 

[Xrysthos]

The situation is particularly dire on account of Christmas being just around the corner, with traditional dishes and pastries all requiring butter, which has whipped the population into a frenzy.

I see what you may have intentionally done there. Well played.

Also, as far as sources, Google translate is your friend. My supermarket recently posted signs about a peanut shortage causing them to have run out of peanut butter.

Google translate works terribad with Norwegian, and results in a mostly illegible ramble when used. Butter is generally translated as 'lard', expensive becomes 'animal' etc.

Good luck with the peanut butter shortage, that would be devastating for my diet.

 

[Darh Abdomino]

This is simply one of the greatest examples of the "first world problem" meme ever seen. I am in awe.

 

[miscelaneous]

Has the Norwegian exodus to France begun?

 

[Ham_authority95]

2011 will forever be remembered by Norwegians as the year without butter.

Due to the increased popularity of the low-carb diet, Norwegian supermarkets and grocery stores are experiencing a nation wide butter shortage. This has been headlining news here in Norway for quite a few weeks now, and to be honest the entire situation is too absurd not to be shared. The situation is particularily dire on account of Christmas being just around the corner, with traditional dishes and pastries all requiring butter, which has whipped the population into a frenzy.

People are lining up outside stores rumoured to have an incoming shipment of butter for hours in advance, hoping to get their hands on some hardened, salty bovine delights. Lately the government has agreed to accept foreign aid in form of butter shipments from the neighbouring Scandinavian countries to placate the seething mob, and they have also reduced the import taxes for butter products. However, in recent days a black market has been flourishing, and on finn.no, the Norwegian equivalent of eBay, there are hundreds of entries from people selling butter - whole and already partially consumed packages - at outrageous prices (highest current entry is at approx. 100 USD per kilo). There is also evidence of smuggling from bordering countries, and a Russian citizen was recently stopped on the border with just short of 100 kilos of butter in his car.

To be honest, I wish I was trolling. This is just too bizarre. But it's true. I would provide you with links to related news stories, but they would all be in Norwegian and thereby be of little use to the majority of you.

So, what would you do? Have you ever experienced similar food shortages?

EDIT: As far as the black market is concerned, the government health officials have issued warnings against consuming butter from unknown sources, and against second hand butter purchases for obvious reasons.

In answer to my own question - I don't really eat butter, so it doesn't affect me, and if this wasn't the first time I experienced something similar I wouldn't make a thread about it

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

 

[Dags90]

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

The low carb diet says that as long as you don't eat it with bread, you can have butter for lunch and lose weight.

 

[Ham_authority95]

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

The low carb diet says that as long as you don't eat it with bread, you can have butter for lunch and lose weight.

I guess the Norwegians had it coming, then. Do they not realize that they import nearly all of their food, making shortages like this more likely?

 

[Xrysthos]

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

The idea behind the diet is to reduce intake of carbs in favour of protein and fat, and thereby revert to a diet similar to what humans ate during the Stone Age to achieve weight loss. Due to the popularity of the diet (who wouldn't want to live on eggs and bacon?), butter is now in short supply. People just bought more butter than they ever have before, so the butter industry became overwhelmed and couldn't keep up.

Supply and demand, with supply < demand = butter shortage *panic*

 

[Ham_authority95]

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

The idea behind the diet is to reduce intake of carbs in favour of protein and fat, and thereby revert to a diet similar to what humans ate during the Stone Age to achieve weight loss. Due to the popularity of the diet (who wouldn't want to live on eggs and bacon?), butter is now in short supply. People just bought more butter than they ever have before, so the butter industry became overwhelmed and couldn't keep up.

Supply and demand, with supply < demand = butter shortage *panic*

Ah okay, I get it now. Now we'll see the butter companies make a killing from the Norwegian market in the next year or so.

 

[Xrysthos]

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

The low carb diet says that as long as you don't eat it with bread, you can have butter for lunch and lose weight.

I guess the Norwegians had it coming, then. Do they not realize that they imports nearly all of their food, making shortages like this more likely?

Due to high import taxes on farm products to keep the nations farmers in work, most milk-based products are produced locally. To be honest, with the exception of foreign cheeses, I've never seen a foreign milk-based product in a Norwegian shop. Your argument holds true for most of the other food though.

 

[Ham_authority95]

So what, just because not many people like consuming carbs, stores don't stock it anymore? Or has the government made it illegal? Please, tell us more.

The low carb diet says that as long as you don't eat it with bread, you can have butter for lunch and lose weight.

I guess the Norwegians had it coming, then. Do they not realize that they imports nearly all of their food, making shortages like this more likely?

Due to high import taxes on farm products to keep the nations farmers in work, most milk-based products are produced locally. To be honest, with the exception of foreign cheeses, I've never seen a foreign milk-based product in a Norwegian shop. Your argument holds true for most of the other food though.

You're right, cows can surely survive better in the Norwegian climate than certain crops.

Wanna hear a joke? "I just bought a cheap cucumber in Norway!"

 

[Xrysthos]

You're right, cows can surely survive better in the Norwegian climate than certain crops.

Wanna hear a joke? "I just bought a cheap *insert name of anything you can buy in Norway here* in Norway!"

Fixed that for you Prices in Norway are generally high, and while I don't recall cucumbers being atrociously expensive (everything is relative, I guess), they do adhear to the EU rules on length and curvature.

See, another joke! EU guidelines for the shape of cucumbers, that is.

 

[Ham_authority95]

You're right, cows can surely survive better in the Norwegian climate than certain crops.

Wanna hear a joke? "I just bought a cheap *insert name of anything you can buy in Norway here* in Norway!"

See, another joke! EU guidelines for the shape of cucumbers, that is.

"It must be *this* much like a penis to be sold!"

 

[MrTub]

Here is a somewhat decent google translate from DN.se (Swedish website)

Honestly OP I though you were trolling.


http://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/smorsmuggel-till-fettbristens-norge&act=url

 

[Dags90]

Here is a somewhat decent google translate from DN.se (Swedish website)

Honestly OP I though you were trolling.


http://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/smorsmuggel-till-fettbristens-norge&act=url

Google översätt seems to be having trouble with that page. Even Google Translator can't seem to get it to work. Here's the text, I love robot translations.

Autumn Scandinavian butter shortage still affects Norway with full force. On the net offered Swedish butter out at prices in excess of SEK 1,000 a kilo. Sweden saves itself by means of import.

As in Sweden earlier this fall gape now spreads counters empty in many places in Norway. This has led to an almost bizarre secondary market. Even opened butter packages are offered - more or less tongue in cheek - go online to violent over prices.

- Food should be purchased from professional and secure merchant, not the private environment, warns Atle Wold, section chief at the Norwegian Food Safety, the newspaper VG.

- I would urge people not to buy butter products that are posted on Finn.no and elsewhere, says Lars Galtung, communications manager at a dairy wholesaler Tine.

VG has also talked to one of the hopeful vendors, Tove Li in asana. She gives out her butter on online auction.

- I should have 800 billion, at least. Then I can give 400 crowns for each of my children's sports teams, she says, adding that she is far from the worst.

- I've seen an ad where you would have 5000 bits for a packet of butter. It's totally freaked out.

And to take in fat from Sweden can not be done anyway. Butter trade is customs-coated, which is a Russian who through Svinesund tried to bring in 90 kg experienced on Friday. He was arrested on suspicion of smuggling attempts.

The duty is also Norway's problems right now, says Jonas Carlberg, director of the department of dairy policy in the trade association Swedish Dairy Association.

- They have, as we understand it, a very restrictive trade policy, bordering on protectionism. They have enormously high tariffs on food and to protect domestic production with very high tariffs.

Violent over prices! I'm surprised tongue-in-cheek gets translated, usually idioms like that are lost.