SATISFACTORY YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 147, 23 June 1937, Page 8

SATISFACTORY YEAR

DAIRY PRODUCTION

MINISTER'S. REVIEW

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

HAMILTON. This Day,

A brief review of the dairying season as far as it has gone was made by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. L. Martin) when speaking at the annual conference of the National Dairy Association today. He pointed to an increased- production of butter and cheese, and said that in the circumstances the figures were most satisfactory.

"Although the dairy year does not officially conclude until July 31 next, it is possible at this stage to indicate its outstanding features," said the Minister. "The season has been one of the wettest on record; and, although the volume of production has ■" been more than maintained, the moist nature of the pastures has made the maintenance of quality a difficult problem for the manufacturers. At the beginning of the autumn there was a turn for' the. better, and the comparatively mild weather gave an impetus to production. The result has been that, while the statistics relating to/the dairy industry at the end ■ of : March last- were not, perhaps., as favourable as anticipated, it is. expected that autumn figures will be unusually high.

"During the year ended March 31 last 151,436 tons of creamery butter and 89,966 tens of butter had come forward .'.for'■ grading! . .compared with 145,990 tons of butter and 86,250 tons of cheese for the previous year, an increase of 5466 tons of butter (or 3.73 per cent.) and 3716 tons of cheese {or 4.31 per cent). On a butterfat.■ basis the increase;was 5968 tons, or. 3.85 per cent. I think you will, agree with' me that in the circumstances .the figures are' most satisfactory. ..■';' ■■■.■••• :

"Owing to the -phenomenally high rainfall., districts such as North Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Nelson,, Marlborough, and Canterbury, .v^hich .usually suffer from a lack of rain in the summer months, have been ideal for.: dairying,. but in Westland' and Otago and Southland conditions have been unfavourable, arid extremely, trying "for the farmer. It is perhaps worthy of note that the Auckland Province has, in the year ended March 31 last, on a butterfat basis, contributed 58 per cent of the total exports. Ten years ago Auckland's percentage of the total exports was 47.5 per cent May I congratulate the farmers of the Auckland Province on their achievement?

"The reports of the Department's officers in the United Kingdom indicate that our butter and cheese has been well received on that market, and have maintained their high reputation for quality. Our butter has made inroads on to some of the markets in the North of England where the Danish product has its strongest appeal. There have been no major faults in the quality of our butter, but openness, and mould have,marred some •of our cheese. The question of openness is still an unsolved problem, but I am.glad to say.'that in this respect there has been an . improvement,- and there_ is-no indication thai the mould position is more;, serious." ■■-' ■ .-'Z-.'.