DAIRY PRODUCTION HIGH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 135, 10 June 1942, Page 4

DAIRY PRODUCTION HIGH

So far as disposal of outputs is concerned New Zealand dairy producers need have no immediate anxiety as to Hearing saturation point. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Barclay), speaking in Christchurch, is reported to have given the assurance that the United Kingdom can and will take all that is available for export. The British Government, as a matter of fact, looked to New Zealand for 160,000 tons of cheese. For the nine months ended April last gradings for export were 138,000 tons, and that was an increase of almost 30 per cent, over the figure for the corresponding nine months of 1940-41. The increase was made, however, largely at the expense of butter, the output of which was reduced. As the season ending in July draws to its close total production of dairy produce will be found to be down on last year's returns, due to twef main causes: unpropitious weather and shortage of skilled labour. The first cause is, of course, irremediable, but the second should not be regarded as hopeless. Mneh, then, will depend on the weather during the season now about to reopen; but the prospects of a still larger production so far as human effort can carry it are bright. It is well known to those in close touch with the dairy industry that producers as ja whole did their utmost with the means at their disposal to increase output and succeeded as to cheese. Their plants are now fully equipped to :supply the British Government with the 160,000 tons called for.