EXPORT OF DAIRY PRODUCE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26078, 3 April 1950, Page 6

EXPORT OF DAIRY PRODUCE

RECORD MAY BE ACHIEVED

MR HOLYOAKE’S REVIEW From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, April 2.

In spite of the drought conditions which had prevailed in the eafrly part of this year throughout the dairying districts of New Zealand, this country was likely to export even more dairy produce and meat than she had done to achieve last year’s record, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr J. K. Holyqake) told “The Press” to-day. Production this year will probably reach 165,000 tons of butter and 103,Q00 tons of cheese. It was expected that there would be a record Hill of 13,000,000 lambs this year—6oo,ooo more than were slaughtered last year, and cattle and sheep killings would also be higher, so that a tentative forecast gave an increase of 15,000 tons of meat, most of which would be available for export. Mr Holyoake emphasised the fact tha| of a total of 66,000.000 acres of land comprising New Zealand, more than one-third was unoccupied and incapable of producing food. Of the remaining 43,000,000 acres which were Under occupation, 9,000,000 were unproductive and almost 1,000,000 were forestry plantations. The effective farm land therefore amounted to 32,800,000 acres, and 96 per cent, of that was under grass'. New Zealand’s 1,800,000 dairy cows, 2,000,000 cattle, and 32,000,090 sheep, were rqn on 18.000,P00 sown acres. It was from those pastures that New Zealand produced her export income, and that was largely dependent on seasons and rainfall. . Although the 1949-50 season opened auspiciously, and up till the end of December dairy production had reached an all-time record, late spring and early autumn were, unfortunately, dry in the main dairying districts, and while heavy raips fejl at the beginning of March it was too early to say whether they would curb the very sharp drop in production. "However/the early part of the season was so good,” said Mr Holyoake, “that it is unlikely that total production will be less than last year’s high level, and it is likely that a small increase, in fhe order of 1 or 2 per cenf., will be achieved, representing a total production of 165,000 tons of butter and 103,000 tons of cheese. This should allow Exports to the United Kingdom to reach at least last year’s level of 138,600 tons of butter, the highest since before the war, and 87.8Q0 tons of cheese.” Mr Holyoake said that prospects for the 1950-51 season in dairy produce were good at the 1 moment, but everything depended on- seasonal factors. Dairy cows, at 1.800.000. were at the highest figure reached since 1941. Supplies of winter feed, hay, and silage, were adequate, and given a favourable spring anfi sujnmer next year’s production should not be below that achieved this year.

Mt Holyoake said it was too early to make more a tentative estimate of meat production, because the meat season ran from October I to September 30, but the sheep numbers, ‘especially breeding ewes, were high an<J if was expected that a record kill of lambs would be reached. Carcase weights, however, would probably be down by nearly one pourid each because of the dry early summer. Meat production was down in’ 1948-49 compared With the previous year, mainly because more stock was retained op farms. A dry season this year would probably reverse the position, so a tentative forecast was for an increase of 15,000 tons, rhost of which would be available for export.