COW PRODUCTION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 270, 29 October 1932, Page 4

COW PRODUCTION

BUTTER-FAT AVERAGES. A DIFFICULT TEST PERIOD. Returns from meat and wool give cause for anxiety, but as,the Minister of Agriculture (Mr C. E. Macmillan) pointed out in his recently published report, the dairy industry of the Dominion has been “hit less hard’’ than the pastoral industry, and dairy produce constitutes a particularly valuable factor in the export trade of the Dominion, and forms an essential part of the financial structure of Now Zealand. Butter-fat production so far as this season ha s gone shows a substantial increase already of nearly 20 per cent, for the two months August and September, grading returns showing 19.836 per cent, over those of the corresponding months of last season. The weather has been suitable for good growth of feed, and fertilisers used amount to 222,000 tons for the year, January to June, compared with 152,000 tons for January to June, 1931. The cow herself is under close surveillance, and the average buteer-fat production per head is most carefully recorded by organised testing; but the number of cows under test tends to decline. Mr W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, in reviewing the 1931-32 herd testing season in the “Journal of Agriculture,’’ regrets “this undesirable trend.” He also states that in reviewing the past season’s herd-testing work it must be kept -in mind “that 1931-32 was one of the most difficult periods the dairy industry of this country has yet experienced—a period of extremely low prices accompanied by climatic conditions which, on account of the abnormal dryness in many dairying districts, retarded production. A decrease in both average production and number of cows tested was anticipated. There were roughly 80,000 more cows milked in the Dominion in 1931-32 than in 1930-31, an increase of about 5.3 per cent., while the total butter-fat production over the same period increased approximately 5 per cent. The average production of tested cows decreased by 4.181 b of butter-fat, being 240.051 b for 1930-31 and 236.87 lb for the season under review. Four principal factors worked against increased production in tested cows. These were: (1) An adverse season climatically; (2) a decreased use of fertilisers during the preceding season; (3) an increase in first calvers as the result of more cows being brought into milk; and (4) non-culling or less culling, because of the attempt to obtain a maximum total production. Some 259,857 cows were systematically tested last season, a falling-off of 11,547 from the preceding season. The tested cows represented approximately 16.4 per cent, of the total cows in milk. . . . Although there is no marked fall-ihg-off in number of tested cows, the cows in milk are increasing so rapidly as to make the relationship between total cows and tested cows less favourable than could be desired. The peak year was reached in 1929-30, when 20.4 per cent, of the country’s cows were under test, but, as will be seen, there has since been a drop of 4 per cent, in two seasons. Despite the general financial stringency eleven new groups operated last season, and these helped to make the position appear more favourable. The South Island again showed an increase, and the herd-testing movement is firmly established in Westland, which last year tseted 39.6 per cent, of its total oows in milk—easily the highest percentage for the Dominion. The establishment of new groups is no doubt due in no small measure to the financial assistance rendered by the Government subsidy to herd-testing. Herd-testing received considerable assistance for the past season by way of subsidies. The New Zealand Dairy Produce Board’s grant of £6OOO has already been distributed, and it is expected that the Government subsidy of approximately £7700 will be allocated at an early date.