RECORD CHEESE OUTPUT

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 18 November 1932, Page 9

RECORD CHEESE OUTPUT

LIKELIHOOD THIS SEASON BIG PRODUCTION INCREASES 400.000 MORE DAIRY COWS. DECLINE IN HERD TESTING. The .probability of a record output of cheese this .season was mentioned, by the Hon. R. Masters, Minister of Industries and Commerce, when referring in hi.s address at the opening of the Stratford A. and P. Show yesterday to the big increase in dairy production this year, compared with that of last season. Reports of substantially inicrealsed output at the dairy factories'' were .being received from ajlf over tlie Dominion, said the Minister. 'Gradings for the first three months of the season (Angust-Oetol)er) .showed an increase of IS per cent in butter-fat production for tlie Dominion in comparison with the figures for the corresponding period last year. Butter was. up by approximately 19 per cent and cheese by over 13 per cent. A record output of "cheese was probable, given average weather conditions during: the season. Returns, from the grading stores at Motnroa and Patea, which handled the Taranaki output, for three months ended October 31. were : 39,077 cwt of butter in 1931, 45,030cw.t in 1932: 130,639 cwt of cheese in 1931, 139,768 owt in 1932. Taking butter and cheese together, that represented in butterfat equivalent an increase of 10.23 per cent —a very large increase in production.

DECLINE IN TESTING. The number of cow,s> tested, in the Dominion during the 1931-32- season < was 259,87*5, compared: with 271,404 in ] 1930-31 and 283,731 in 1929-30 (the > peak year .of the movement), added f Mr Masters. The .percentage of cows ; tested to total cows in milk for the ■ three years was 16.4, 18 and 20.4 re- * spectively. Tlie decline could-be large- ' Iy attributed, to the difficult economic position. - The average production of tested cows decreased iby 4.181 b butter-fat in the 1931-32 season, the figure being 236.871 b of butter-fat compared with 241.051 bin 19SQ-31. That fall was ascribed to an adverse season climatically, a decreased use of fertilisers in the preceding season, an .increase in first-calvers milked and less cullingIn the Taranaki land district 31,179 cows were tested in 1931-32, or 13.8 per cent of the total cows in milk., compared- with 32,519 and 14.77 per cent in 1930-31, and 31,603 and 15.1 per cent in 1929-30. The Government subsidy to tlie herd-testing movement for tlie .past season was approximately £7700. Last season the Dairy Board, granted £6OOO, but had not renewed its subsidy. The Government would probably commence to taper off its financial assistance to herd testing in the future, on tlie principle that farmers should (lie sufficiently alive to its value to include it among the essentials of successful dairy farming practice. Statistics on dairy stock showed the number of dairy cows ill the Dominion at January 31, 1932, ass 1.702,0/0, compared with 1,601,633 in 1931, a vo'rv satisfactory increase. The figures for Taranaki were 239,563 dairy cows in January, 1932. and 233,563 in 1931. The falling off in the use of. artificial fertilisers in 19-31 was so marked, Mr Masters said, that it was necessary l for the Government to take some immediate action, and it was decided to subsidise the manufacture of superphosphate by 11s per ton until tlie end of June, 1932, hut that ha-djieeii extended. until the end of June, 1933. When the subsidy came into operation the price of superphosphate was reduced bv 17s Gd per ton, but_ on ac- j count of adverse exchange it had fallen to a. reduction of 15s per ton. 1 The following figures showed the increase in the use of artificial fertilisers as a result of the fall in price consequent upon the Government subsidy: 1931: 152,000 tons; decrease from 1929. 76.000 tons. 1932: 220,000 tons; decrease from 1929. 6000 tons. “Tlie necessity for the use of manure needs' no emphasis when it is remembered that the number of cows in the Dominion lias increased hv .over 400.000 in the past three years,” the Minister .said. “Concessions in con- ’ nection with the carriage of fertilisers have been continued. Lime, of course, lias been carried free for. up to 100 miles, and other fertilisers have received a reduction of 40 per cent in freight rates. The benefit of this to the farmer mav he readily gauged when it is stated that the value of the.se concessions in carriage of lime and fertilisers lias amounted during the past three years to £483,000.”