DROP IN PRODUCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 141, 16 June 1936, Page 12

DROP IN PRODUCTION

SOUTH ISLAND DAIRYING

The South Island Dairy Association reports that for the year ended March 31, 1936, there was graded for export at all Dominion ports:—Creamery butter, 5,839.590 boxes: whey butter, 56,437 boxes; cheese, 1,192,591 crates. Compared with the previous year, these quantities indicate an increase of 598,636 boxes of butter and a decrease of 107.846 crates of cheese. On a butterfat basis this represents an increase in production of approximately 6 per cent. Taking the export figures as a basis, there has been a drop of 23 per cent, in dairy production in the South Island in the last three years. The following analysis shows the fall in tonnage at the various ports:— Butter. Cheese. Tons. Tons. BlufT 245 3527 Dunedin .... 465 421 Timaru .... 360 130 Lyttelton 278 243 1348 4321 On the other hand, the total production for the whole of the Dominion shows an increase of about 10 per cent, for the same period. The highest average grade for export cheese for the period from October 1, 1935, to April 30,1936, was secured by the Omimi factory, Otago, with an average grade of 93.740. The leading results in the competition were as follows:—Omimi, 93.740; Milton, 93.561; 'Little Akaloa, 93.395; Stirling, 93.382.