GOING FORWARD

Evening Star, Issue 18809, 6 December 1924, Page 12

GOING FORWARD

NEW ZEALAND’S DAIRY INDUSTRY. DANISH EXPERT’S VIEWS. In view of Denmark being ..our principal competitor in the dairy industry, the visit to New Zealand of Mr 8. Sorensen, the Agricultural Adviser to the Danish Government attached to the Danish Legation at Washington, and his comments on dairying conditions here, are of especial interest. In the course of an interview with a representative of the * Dominion,’ Mr Sorensen said that after the war Denmark realised the advantage of gaining more information appertaining to the agricultural conditions of other countries, and consequently the Agricultural Department commissioned experts to carry out this work. “We have had an expert for the past thirty-five years in England,” said Mr Sorensen, and after the war I was sent to America to report on agricultural conditions there and the improvement of trade 'between Canada and the United States. We also have representatives in Germany and Russia. Igo homo from America every year, attending all tho big national and provincial shows, addressing fariflers, and beeping in touch with exporters. Last time I was at home I gathered information about the development of the dairying industry in (he Southern Hemisphere, as compared with conditions before the war.” .Mr Sorensen spent, two months in Australia, and he has been in Now Zealand for the past six weelcs. He attended the Royal Show at Palmerston North, concerning which ho said tho exhibits showed that New Zealand possessed excellent cattle. “ I saw you have some strains of animals hers,” he said, ‘ and something to build up on.”

“WELL ABEEAST OF THE TIMES.” Upon visiting the flat country in the South Island he found that everything down there was contributory to efficacious dairy farming, and the_ farms were much bigger than those in his own country. In Denmark intense cultivation was a necessity among the farmers. Mr Sorensen was much impressed by the dominion’s big cheese centres. “ I know rou are the biggest exporters of cheese .11 the world,” he said, “ and I was very interested in observing what hnprovcments you have made in producing more uniform cheese. This is bound to have a lug effect on the export of this cornmodity. because, if you concentrate on a particular brand and make it popular you will acquire a more stable market.” In its dairying activities Mr Sorensen was of opinion that New Zealand was keeping well abreast of the times and going forward. Ibis was a (latent fact from what he saw at the big dairying factories in the Auckland and Hamilton districts, and where twenty to thirty times more butter was produced than in the Danish fart ories. Summing up his impressions, he considered that in view of the comparatively short lime that the dairying industry had been established in Hew Zealand it had made wonderful progress. To draw comparisons with Denmark was rather difficult in view of the dissimilar conditions of the two countries. Ne.w Zealand had n better climate than Denmark and a. milder winter, which meant, so much. Me had also plenty of land still that we did not need to cultivate. “A WONDERFUL SYSTEM.” “Your dairying is a pastoral industry,” he said: “ ours is an industry built up on imported goods and an intensive cultivation of crops with which to feed our cattle. This necessitates a. great deal of hand labor. Jt seems to me yon have introduced ;i wonderful system of grading your butter and cheese for sale, in addition to having special instructors appointed by your Agricultural Department;, who keep in touch with the factories and ensure that the produce is of the highest quality. This practice has a very great influene" on the qualify and uniformity of your IniUer and cheese being maintained.” After visiting (lie Argentine, where lie will continue his study of dairying conditions. Mr Sorensen will return to Washington to compile a report. He paid a tribute to the hospitality of the Agricultural Department’s officials, partieuknly Mr Singleton, and the courtesy and kindness with which he had been received by all whom he had come in contact with in this country. “Although wc arc competitors.” said Air Sorensen, "there is no reason why New Zealand and Denmark should not benefit by an ini erchange of ideas concerning the. advancement of The. dairying industries in both countries.”