PROSPECTS OF THE DAIRY TRADE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue LIII, 6 April 1908, Page 8

PROSPECTS OF THE DAIRY TRADE.

(New Zealand Trade Review.) A private letter recently received from Canada conveys a forecast that should be Very encouraging to our own producers of butter and cheese. The writer of the letter, who holds a very prominent position in the' dairy trade in Canada, and is thoroughly in touch with everything connected with the industry, says that "from present indications the make of butter in Canada next year will not be more than enough to supply the Canadian, demand, and a further 1 reduction' in the quantity of cheese made' is likely to take place, as in all districts ' where dairying has been carried on there has been 'a reduction, in. the -number" of 'cows kept, partly because people have been doing i, well in everything they raise and dislike the milking of cows, and partly , because feed has been very expensive and the cost of wintering cattle where ! feed had to 'be bought Has caused people to sell a great many of their cows, so that we ; really look for a reduced make next year, both in butter and "cheese." r.') With a rapidly-increasing population ;and a falling-off 1 in production, the ..competition of Canada as a purveyor to the British market may evidently be ' Expected to weaken considerably, and 'the same holds good to some extent as to. the United States. In butter the Contributions of those countries has ;not been very important, that from Canada in 1905 being 292,117cwt, against 300,418cwt from New Zealand. This, however, was reduced in 1907 to 34,753cwt, while imports from the United States fell in the same years from 84,874cwt to 1063cwt. The supply from Canada next year will apparently be little or nothing. Even now, we have been given to understand on good authority, Canada is consuming New Zealand butter, so that there is a possibility of her being transformed from a competitor into a customer. In cheese, however, Canada has been the great purveyor to the British market, her contribution last year being equal to 71 P er cent, of the entire import. This quantity showed a reduction of nearly 12 per cent, on her quota in 1906; and if further heavy reductions are' to take place the prospect, is very important for our cheese makers. The climatic and other conditions of our favored land give our dairy farmers enormous advantages over their brethren in the Northern Dominion, and the position is full of promise for this industry. As with their confreres in Canada there is a disposition among our dairy farmers to desert the industry as soon as their finances are substantially improved, but it is evident that there is a great future before the trade, and it is to be hoped that with the aid of mechanical milkers the industry will not only be maintained but steadily increased.