OUR DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 328, 15 October 1908, Page 5

OUR DAIRY INDUSTRY.

RAPID CROWTH. NEW ZEAL ANDERS NOT CHEESE EATERS. Tho Dairy Commissioner's return of the registration of dairy factories, ctc., in New Zealand up to March 31 last shows a very substantial increase during the year. We quote from the return tho following figuresThe Registrations. 1907. 1908. Increase. Butter factories... 212 222 10 Cheese factories 109 150 41 Private butter dairies ... 361 420 59 Private cheeso dairies ... 42 44 2 Butter mills ... 128 137 9 Totals ... 852 973 121 The'chief increases have been in Taranaki, whero tho establishments now in highest favour appear to be private butter dairies and cheese factories. There wore 30 new private dairies opened there during the year—a natural result perhaps of the bright outlook of the butter trade in the local markets —and also 13 new cheese factories, equally natural in view of the steady prospect for cheese. The following-figures show the distribution of tho increases: — A Year's Increases. 3. . . o o 0.2 5.2 * H -P 4J O-p -P S* © U J2 C 3 -P.O OCJ -p.O—' -p Mb Ofe Bfl Ofl S H Auckland ... 5 2 20 1 2 30 Taranaki ... 1 13 '30 — 1 45 Wellington ... 3 12 6 — 4 25 Hawke's Bay... — 2 1 — — 3 Nelson ... — 2.1 — — 3 Marlborough ... — — — — 1 1 Westland , ... — • — — — — — Canterbury ... 1 4 — — — 5 Otago and Southland ... — 6 1 1 1 9 . Totals ... 10 41 59. 2 -9 121 Total Registrations, April 30, 1308. Auckland ... 51 10 ' 50 2 14 127 Taranaki ... 64 39 258 — 9 370 Wellington ... 35 34 27 — 41 137 Hawke's Bay ... 17 3 — — — 20 Nelson' ... 8 5 8 1' 13 35 Marlborough ... 2 3 — — 2 7 Westland ... 3 — — — — 3 Canterbury ... 9 11 1 41 19 81 Otago and South- ' land ... 7 42 3 2 24 -78 Totals ... 196 147 347 46 122 858 Where the Butter and Cheese Came From. The. following are the quantities in tons produced by the factories in tho various provinces last season. The figures do not includo the produce made on dairy farms of less than 50 cows: — ' Butter. Cheese. Auckland . ' ... 5244 > 526 Taranaki ... 5792 6630 Wellington ... 4496 3128 Hawke's Bay ... 1213 240 Nelson ... 190 120 Marlborough ... 19 279 Westland ... 83 ' — Canterbury ... 1338 460 Otago and Southland ... 1504 4121 Totals 19,779 15,504 Of these quantities we sent abroad Of butter;YlS,'s66 tons," f Of cheese, 14,134 ton's. ■We sold locally:— Of factory butter, 6024. tons. Of factory cheese, 1370''tons. •. To these quantities must be added tho produce of tho 150 private butter dairies and 46 private cheese dairies possessing loss than 50 cows each, the,outputs from which would be chiefly, sold for the local- markets. If we estimate that'the million .New Zealanders eat about 11,000 tons of butter per annum, it would appear, that the amount of butter which must be:: made in tho numerous private dairies .of the country to make up that quantity (added to. the surplus from, the factories) !. is about 5000 tons. The cheose made at the 46 private cheese dairies is probably about 3000 tons. ; From the figures quoted it would appear that there are very few cheese eaters in New Zealand. If half a pound per week be estimated to be the amount consumed by aregular eater of cheese, it follows that only one New Zealander in three eats cheese. Obviously New Zealanders are not responsible for. the high prices ruling throughout the world.