DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 August 1928, Page 4

DAIRYING INDUSTRY

DEVELOPMENT IN JAPAN.

EXPERT VISITS SOUTH TARANAKI. ‘ ‘dairying as extending in my country, especially since the people have developed a taste for milk and its products,” said Mr S. Okiinoto. a Japanese Government official, an expert in dairying, who is accredited to the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture in New Zealand,is making a short tour of this Dominion and of Australia. 'Phi's remark was made to a “Hawera Star” representative in a brief interview before tlie visitor left for the north. “Until comparatively recent years the ordinary diet of the people,’ he isaid, “lias been rice and vegetables, but of late years there, ‘lias grown up a generation which has the taste for milk foods and in consequence the demand has shown a .steady increase, winch is likely to expand with the large growth of population year by year.” Japan, he added, lias imported larger and larger quantities of butter annually from America, Australia and New Zealand, but of them all, he said, “we like New Zealand butter by far the best. It is certain that the imports into Japan will grow greater each year. The Department .at Agriculture has, he said, been in existence- for a consuleruble number of years, but- t«he division section lias of late years grown in importance and in extent of operation and every effort is being made to extend those activities. •. -Dairying, said Mr Okimoto, has slhown most development in the north, and intense cultivation of the land suitable for the industry is steadily extending. The farms are small, perhaps fifteen acres would be an average, and on tltat area, say i#n cows will' be milked. The climate in that part is fairly severe, snow lying on the ground tor perhaps three months- in the year, to overcome that drawback, a rotation. or crops is grown, the most ordinary being maize and oats and these, with abundant -hay supplies, serve to keep the dairy stock going throughout the cold season. . , - •Oouden-sed milk is manufactured .m steadily increasing quantities, factories having been built in many centres “As we ainl at getting large supplies of milk, we use> largely . the Friesian cow on ou-r farms,” he said. Because of this development the dairy division is of even greater importance and its officers need more and more knowledge and they are learning from dairying countries the latest methods practised to help the industry along and keep it in the forefront of progress. Tliis is the reason for the tour now being made by Mr Okimoto, through these .southern countries. He has been through the WelliiigtoiiPirovinccaiid is working north. In this ho was taken out by an officer of the Department to see the Riverdale and Kaupokonui factories, aiid he also had an interview with Mr P. O. Veale, by whom he was shown over the laboratory at Hawera, He was keenly interested in'the controversy now being conducted as the result of the exhaustive report made by Mr Veale- on tb,e: Tokaora experiment, He 'has done a considerable amount of scientific research work and L anxious to extend his knowledge and expo l enjoyed hny. short trip to your beautiful' country very im"ch indeed,” he said just 'before leaving. Tlie people have 'been very kind and- wherever I have 'been I have experienced nothing but consideration and help an this has assisted to- make the vrsit very pleasant, and the help of your dairy division has been of the utmost va-lne. T .shall always remember with appreciationtbe kindly reception everywhere 1 left by. train yesterday for New Plymouth and the north to pursue his investigations into the working; of the dairy industry.