BUTTERFAT PRODUCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 210, 6 September 1939, Page 6

BUTTERFAT PRODUCTION.

DROP OF If PER CENT. FARMERS' INCOME LOWER. Production of butterfat in New Zealand during the past season shows a drop of 11 per cent on the previous term. The total quantity of butterfat used to make butter and ckeetse for export or consumption on the local market was approximately 155,405 tons, compared with some 172,867 tons in the previous season, the production year from August 1 to July 31 being taken in each case.

Exports of butter in the 1938-39 term amounted to 122,365 tons, cheese 80.673 tons, and local consumption annually accounts for about 27,000 tons of butter and 5000 tons of cheese. In converting these figures to their butterfat equivalents an over-run of 1.22 is allowed for butter, and 2.6 for cheese. That is, one ton of butterfat makes 1.22 tons of butter, or 2.6 tons of cheese.

Thus, in spite of the increase of 9 per cent in the guaranteed price for butter and the smaller increase in that for cheese, farmers' total income during the year -was smaller than last season. The higher price was offset by the fall of 11 per cent in production.