DAIRYING RECOVERING

Evening Star, Issue 26091, 3 May 1947, Page 9

DAIRYING RECOVERING

OTAGO PRODUCTION HIGHER NOTABLE TAIERI WHEAT CROP Cheese production in Otago for the preseni season has shown a smalt, but encouraging increase on the previous year, uuct viie predictions inado ut the beginning of tlie season that dairying had touched its lowest ebb, and would begin to recover are being substantiates Butter production is probably about the same as last year, or possibly a little greater, but it is difficult to estimate exactly at this stage of the season. Comparatively small percentages of local butter production are exported at the beginning of the seasou, but the whole of the make from about December is held ill store to meet local requirements in twe winter, 'and is supplemented by supplies from the West Coast and South Canterbury. . . . Except for a few lines on the Taien Plain, all the Otago wheat is now safely in, and throughout the province tlie yield has been higher than might have been expected after the cold and wet spring, and the unlisually dry autumn. Wheat seemed to recover better than most other crops from the bad start, and the best- return so far reported in Otago or Southland worked out at an average of 96 bushels to the acre from the Taieri, compared with a general provincial average of about 50 bushels. As the Dominion average is seldom above 35 bushels to the acre in a good season, the Taieri achievement is particularly creditable. It is understood that the New Zealand average will be high this year. * A start has been made in the Taieri district in lifting main-crop potatoes. Returns promise to be fairly satisfactory, but growers are disappointed to find that the yield of table quality potatoes is not as great as usual, there being a considerable proportion of seed sizes. There have been indications from ]\iany quarters that there may be a shortage of potatoes in New Zealand this year, but the southerncrop has been‘fairly satisfactory, and unless there are shortages in other districts there should not, be a serious famine in , potatoes. From the Taieri experience, there should be iio shortage of seed varieties next spring. The brown-top harvest is now in, and returns have been good, except on thedricr land in South Otago and Southland. The fescue crop, was also satisfactory,- and of good quality, but at the present .time the market outlook is not encouraging. A fairly big.harvest of white clover has been, obtained, but. here also marketing conditions are difficult. The red clover- harvest- is. proceeding, and some giod yields have been obtained in the Taieri district, where the heavy soil has produced well, in comparison with the lighter country where some of the crops were a failure.