HERE TO LEARN

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 11

HERE TO LEARN

KENYA DAIRY MAN

RESPECT FOR NEW ZEALAND

With a view to seeing, something Qf the dairy industry in New Zealand, Mr. J. D. Chater, general manager of the Kenya Co-operative Creamery, Naivasha, Kenya, arrived at Wellington today by the Tamaroa from England. While abroad he attended the big dairy congress in Germany, which was attended by 3700 delegates from 53 different nations. "I want to see what I can learn from the only country in the world; that is how I look upon New Zealand," said Mr. Chater in an interview. Referring to Kenya, he said that, although it had an area of over 200,000 square miles, the European population was only just over 20,000. The Kenya highlands were at an elevation of 6000 ft or more, and there was a very equable climate. There were not the seasons as New Zealand knew them— just the wet and. dry seasons. \ The country was .still teeming with big game.. "We have the world's zoo, you might say," said Mr. Chater. The presence of the game affected the stock-bearing capacity of the country, but adequate measures were taken to protect the stock and generally the depredations Of game were not great. As the country became more settled the game went further back, but at the same time lions and leopards did a certain amount of damage to the cattle and sheep. Most of the European breeds of cattle were kept, said Mr. Chater. He thought he was right in saying that Friesians predominated among the cattle, with Ayrshires and Shorthorns. They had not gone in to any extent for the Channel Islands breed, although they, too, were represented. The pasturei land, comprising native grasses, was good, and as yet it was unnecessary to do much in the way of treating the grass. To deal with stock diseases a very efficient veterinary research station had been established. His firm, said Mr. Chater, ran five creameries. "Last year," he continued, "we made about 2000 tons of butter—not a lot in comparison with New Zealand, I know, but still quite a bit for us—and of that we exported about 1200 tons to London. We make some cheese, but only for local consumption. We also export down the coast to Portuguese East Africa and the Belgium Congo." Mr. Chater also mentioned that every hope was held of developing the export of frozen pork and mutton. Already two or three small experimental shipments had been made to England and Palestine. But for the intervention of the war Mr. Chater, who is an Englishman by birth, might by this time have been a New Zealander, and after the war, if he had not been satisfied with prospects in Kenya, it was also his intention to return here. He was in New Zealand when Britain entered the Great War. In those days, he said, he had every intention of becoming a New Zealander. He had been in the Navy and was called up when war broke out and served in Wellington as assistant naval intelligence officer for the first three months. Then he went Home as naval transport officer in the Willochra and served in the Navy during the war. After the war he was attracted by the soldiers' settlement scheme in Kenya, and went there with the intention of coming on , to New Zealand should he not like the prospects. But he liked the idea and stayed there.- ' v -r;: :. ■ !