New Zealand’s Dairying Industry

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 120, 15 February 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

New Zealand’s Dairying Industry

Its Great National Importance THE FIRST CO-OPERATIVE FACTORIES Developments of Fifty Years The Dominion’s dairy produce export trade is actually much older 'than the frozen meat business, for whereas the latter came into being just 50 years ago, butter and cheese were actually being exported as early as 1867, in zvhich year 590 tons, valued at £47,358, were shipped overseas, mostly to Australia. But if dairy produce got a “flying start, it owes just as much to refrigeration for its great development as frozen ■meat.

O-DAY the dairying industry His of outstanding national importance. Of the total exports for the year ended December 31, 1931, valued at approximately £35,153,000, roughly 44 per cent, was dairy produce, valued at £15,448,270, this in addition to about £2,000,000 worth consumed in the Dominion. The total value of the frozen meat exported during the same period was £8,892,550. For the twelve months ended June 30, 1931, New Zealand supplied 24.29 per cent, of the butter and 63.18 per cent, of the cheese imported into Great Britain. Upon the industry depends directly the livelihood of from 250,000 to 300,000 persons, to say nothing of the large number indirectly connected with it. In the “Hungry ’Eighties.” It was in that period known as the < “hungry ’eighties” that the foundation i of the present huge industry was laid, v

thus proving once again that “necesjsity is the mother ©f invention.” The invention and early development of the eream separator was practically contemporary with that of the refrigerating machine. Once the separator had become a commercial proposition, it was possible for the farmers to combine to have their butter and cheese manufactured in a common factory, and, with the aid of the freezing machine, to send it great distances oversea to payable markets. The first dairy factories in New Zealand were established in the early ’eighties. Mr. T. C. Brash, secretary , of the N.Z. Dairy Produce Export Board, whose association with the industry dates back 43 years to 1889, when he started as a boy in J. and R. Cuddie’s factory at Mosgiel, tells how the hands started work at 4 a.m. and finished at 7 p.m. Even with the establishment of factories prices were vprv low. In mnnv

very ww, m many cases about twopence a gallon being paid for milk, equal to about 5d a lb. for butterfat; but the fact that farmers got cash for their milk, instead of having to “take it out” in groceries, made their position much more hopeful. The First Co-operative Factory. Later the Government offered a bounty of £5OO for the first 50 tons of cheese exported, and this was paid to the Edendale Dairy Factory, of Southland, which was the pioneer factory in New Zealand. The Greytown Dairy Factory, opened in 1882 at Greytown, in the Wairarapa, largely through the efforts of the late Sir Walter Buchanan, is said to be the first co-operative factory opened in New Zealand, and this is probably correct, as Edendale first belonged to the New Zealand Land Company, and did not become a co-operative concern till later. Among the other early factories were Cardiff in Taranaki, and Reynolds in Auckland. In the early years of the dairy industry, the majority of the factories were proprietary, probably owing to the fact that the farmers themselves had so very little money to operate with that they welcomed the establishment of a dairy factory to which they could send, their milk, and for which they had to find no capital. Among the early proprietary factories which rendered great assistance to the farmers were Edendale in Southland, J. and R. Cuddie in the Taieri. the Crown Dairy Company in Taranaki, Reynolds in Auckland, T. L. Joll at Okalawa in Taranaki, not forgetting that owned by Mr. Chew Chong at Eltham, Taranaki. About 1882 a proprietary factory was opened at Featherston by Mr. James Donald, who milked a number of cows himself, and also bought milk from his neighbours, being credited with being the first to

introduce into New Zealand the sharemilking system. However, during the next two decades the co-operative movement grew very rapidly, many companies, being formed and proprietary' concerns purchased by the farmers. Industry’s Debt to Pioneers. The dairy industry owes much to the ■ bard work of those who pioneered it, , and to the far-sightedness and ability i of those who developed and placed it i on a solid foundation. One of these j was the late Mr. Thomas Brydone, su- ; perintendent of the New Zealand Land i Company in New Zealand, who also t pioneered the frozen meat trade, super- 1 intending the killing of the stock for j the first shipment of meat, and person- ; ally stowing the first carcases in the < Dunedin. He took a very active part in the development of the Edendale dairy factory. It is fitting that a memorial cairn commemorating his services to the New Zealand farmer was r

erected on the Totara Estate, near Omaru, where the first sheep for export were killed. Further south, at Bushy Park, stands a cairn erected to the memory of the late Sir John McKenzie, who as Minister of Agriculture greatly helped the dairy industry in its infancy; He and Mr. J. D. Ritchie, then Secretary for Agriculture, realised that if the dairy export industry was to be established on a sound basis, particular attention must be given to quality. They established the grading system, under which every churning of butter and every vat of cheese had to be carefully examined before being shipped, with the resulting report to the dairy factory which made it The first experts were drawn from .Canada and Denmark, but the staff are now trained in New Zealand. The Value of Grading. The establishment of 'grading and the issue of grade certificates has been of the greatest value in building up the export trade, and in all marketing developments in recent years the grade certificate is accepted as final so far as quality is concerned. Obviously this very considerably simplifies marketing operations, as a merchant in London or elsewhere can confidently buy dairy produce in New Zealand subject to grade and know that he will receive the quality he has purchased. As the industry developed and the number of dairy companies increased, there arose the need for further organisation to deaf with the numerous problems relating to the industry. In 1892 the South Island Dairy Association was formed at Dunedin, and practically all the dairy companies in the South Island linked up with it. The National Dairy Association was established in the North island in 1893. Both co-operative and proprietary fac-

tories united in these associations for the benefit of the industry. Mr. R. Cuddie, of the proprietary factory in the Taieri, was one of the first presidents of the South Island association, for which Mr. J. R. Scott did much valuable work. Mr. T. L. Joll, of Okaiawa, and Mr. J. G. Harkness took a very active part in the development of the National Dairy Association, the latter as president and later as secretary. The work of these associations in their years was largely educational. They took an active part in supplying plans and specifications for the building of new factories, and the circulating of information for the improvement of manufacture. They also formed the parliaments of the industry, where it was possible to discuss all the difficulties and problems with which it was faced, The associations also took up other activities connected with the industry, such as the indenting of factory supplies, machinery, etc., for member companies. Later, they made the shipping contracts for the export of dairy produce, and in many they handled the bills of lading and other documents for the dairy companies. They are still active organisations doing good work for the industry. With the grading system there was instituted a system of instruction for dairy factory managers which has very materially helped in the building up of the industry. Government instructors were made available to assist and advise managers in connection with any difficulties or other problems affecting the quality of output. The Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, with its large staff of experts, has played a great part in the development of the dairy industry. Debt to Refrigeration. Development in the handling of the raw material of the Industry has been

remarkable, and the dairy factory manager of to-day, with few exceptions, has little idea of the difficulties faced by the pioneers. Modern machinery, including large combined churns and workers handling about a ton of butter at one time, and the most up-to-date pasteurisers, 1 have solved many of the problems of manufacture, which also owes a great debt to refrigeration. Probably the first refrigerator used in a dairy factory in New Zealand was one manufactured by Humble and Sons, of Geelong, Australia, and installed in the Moa Farmers’ Dairy Factory at Inglewood many years ago. Later, it was shifted to the Maketawa factory, where it was still working shortly before the war. Concurrently with the 'development of factory technique, a revolution was effected on the dairy farm by the introduction of mechanical milking. The first milking machine in New Zealand was installed by Mr. W. Kirkland, on the Taieri Plains, about 35 years ago: To-day, more than 70 per cent, of the milking in the Dominion is done by machinery, a greater proportion than in any other country in the world.