THE Kawhia Settler And RAGLAN ADVERTISER Friday, September 1, 1922 THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume XXI, Issue 1129, 1 September 1922, Page 2

THE Kawhia Settler And RAGLAN ADVERTISER Friday, September 1, 1922 THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

The opening of the milking season, following the annual meetings of dairy companies all over the Dominion, may have, to some extent, directed public attention to the growing importance of the dairying industry in this country. It was only a few years ago that the dairy produce of New Zealand was quite a negligible quantity, so far as exports were concerned; in fact, it was currently—and truthfully—stated tjiat the Dominion output was merely a “drop in the bucket” in its proportion to the yearly requirements of the Old Country. The position during the past decade has entirely changed. With the exception of Denmark, New Zealand now holds premier place in the list of exporters of dairy produce to the United Kingdom; while its popularity there may be gauged by uniformity of demand and values —at prices only exceeded by adjacent countries, and well above all overseas competitors. This gratifying result has had the effect of an enormous development of the industry in every part of the colony; until it has gradually assumed, and bids fair to maintain, an unquestioned lead among our primary products. During a few brief years exporting totals have advanced from the one million mark until the amount realised last year was nearly fifteen millions sterling, and the industry was admittedly the financial salvation of the country in its first year of slump. Nor is its relative position to be despised in districts not naturally adapted for dairying. Poor lands have been transformed into smiling pastures under its influence; rough country has been made arable ; unploughable areas have been artificially treated to grow grass. The whole outlook points to the prospect of New Zealand’s climate and soil so favourable for the purpose, tending to enormous advances in the industry, these possibilities being greatly facilitated by the natural resources of the country in an economic supply of power for manufacture and transport, unrivalled in any part of the world.