THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 26 May 1917, Page 6

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

... NATIONAL ASSOCIATION'S ~v; •> report. Tie animal report of the WftfaAßiU Dairy Association of New Zealand states that the exports of butter and cheese for the year ended March 31, 1917, were valued at £5,887,655, while \ the stores at present contain about; 243,000 boxes of butter and 123,000 crates of cheeso awaiting shipment. It also shows that "during the past sea- | son from May; 1, 1916, to April 30, 1917, 53 steamers have taken dairy produce, as against 48 for the corresponding period of last season. The heavy congetion of both butter and cheese at the various grading ports awaiting shipment, the difficulty of arranging brands for • export per each ' steamer, co that every factory should have a fair proportion of the space available, have added considerably to the work of the office. In this connection the forbearance exercised by all shippers of dairy produce has compensated largely for any additional anxiety and extra work." Referring to the past season the report says: Unfortunately, during the iirst three months of 1917, in consequence of continued dry weather in .the. southern dairying districts of the; "Isorth Island, the conditions Were so j unfavorable to the pastures that the milk supply diminished rapidly. The Wairarapa, the coast line from Wellington to Palmerston North and Taranaki have suffered severely. Consequently in these portions of the Dominion, notwithstanding the enhanced value of dairy produce, returns will [ not compare favorably with previous; seasons. Diminished quantity with j higher prices is not so advantageous to the dairyman as increased output j and fair average prices. On the other hand, the Hawke's Bay and Auckland provinces, which are usually dry in January to March, have had an abundant rainfall and feed has been plentiful. In this respect the season has been phenomenal and the output probably above normal. The report reviews the negotiations that ended in the purchase of the output of cheese by the Government on behalf of the Imperial authorities, and -adds: "Probably some factory directors and suppliers still consider the sale a sacrifice and that more could have been obtained in the open mar- j ket. The point to settle is, had the exporter an 'open' market? Looked at from this standpoint the arrangement was advantageous to the vendors; it provided a handsome and assured return at a remunerative figure, placing the responsibility of arranging transport on the purchaser, and the buyer was benefited inasmuch as it secured an ample supply to meet requirements at a less price than could be obtained by purchasing the same article landed in the United Kingdom." THE FUTURE. With respect to the future of the industry the ■ report says: "No doubt many to-day engaged in the industry

' have considered and ara still considering what effect the present war will have on dairying when we return to 1 post-war conditions. Will the demand for dairy produce be as great then as now? Will the range of values be as high as those ruling? Will dairying be as payable and prosperous an occupation then as in the past? Probably the main factor in determining the possibilities of the future lies in the fact that prior to the war Continental herds were unable to supply the growing demand for beef as a staple article of food. The result of the war is that the herds of the Central Powers,-Bal-kan States and Russia have been depleted. It will take some years to restore the balance lost and re-stook farms; and those Continental countries which have been our competitors in the United Kingdom in the dairy produce trade will be handicapped. There will, after the war, be a stronger demand for beef and dairy produce as articles of food, and the demand for the former will hinder the rapid development of dairy herds. With such a favorable outlook, if the war ends as we believe it will, then ;svith confidence the dairy farmer can improve and increase his herd, feeling assured that dairy pro- . duce for some yeara to come will find : a profitable market at prices, not perhaps as high as they are to-day, but on a basis that will amply reward his industry and toil."