DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 287, 7 November 1925, Page 4

DAIRYING INDUSTRY

IN OTHER COUNTRIES. ADVICE TO NEW ZEALAND FARMERS.

(By C. DAHL.)

In times past a very great deal lias been said and written in connection with the production and marketing o! our stable products, such as butter and cheese, and I feel that a great deal is yet to lie said in order to place this business on a sound looting. In tlie first instance if we analyse the competition there is now, and which shortly will lie greatly increased, of imports from the varibus other countries of dairy products,' we shall at once see that we arc face to face with matter of very great importance,, and we require to devise ways and means whereby we may be able to meet in a fair way this competition. To advocate a protective duty on our food stuffs, I fear, would not meet with favour in Great Britain. Besides there is no necessity for such measure as the natural advantages we have here are so great that if we go the right way to work we ought to he able to produce these products, both as to quality, quantity and price better than .any other country in the world. I know of no other place where theije arc better facilities, both as to climate and with the excellent pastures we could and should have, one would think that the New Zealand dairy farmer would soon become wealthy, that is if we compare his lot with those in the same line of business residing in the North of Europe and Lhe Continent, who of necessity must keep his cows in for more than eight months of the year, when they have to be fed on fodder partly grown during the short summer months and fodder purchased at often a very high price from America and other countries. Yet, when we see cultivation of the land, about which 1 will later make a few remarks, one will at once see where the difference coins in.

Now, as to the comparative qualities between New Zealand and Danish butter, of which we have heard a great deal, we are at times amazed to see the Danish butter being quoted at a much higher price, and at other times we see very little difference, only a few shillings. Under such conditions one is apt to think it is the quality of New Zealand butter that has so much improved so as to 4ie equal to Danish. Such is not the case; it is simply a question of the difference of supplies and demand. It is useless at the present time to think we can greatly affect the business now being carried on in connection with Danish dairy products; that day may come, but we will first have to educate the people in England to the fact that our butter is made under the very best possible conditions. Then we wnt have to endeavour to cultivate a flavour which is acceptable og the British market in a somewhat similar manner to what the Danes are doing. Before wc can do that we have a long way to go and a good deal to learn. Very much more, can be said on the point of advertising and introducing New Zealand butter on the i nglish market. This is ■important, but 1. feel it would he somewhat out of place to go into details in this direction, as shortly the Control Board will no doubt deal with it. If it is worth while pushing an article which you honestly know is genuine and urst-class, you must use the best anil most suitable means of doing so. 1 am very much in favour of an advertising campaign being made in Great Britain in order to make our butter and cheese better known; it is a remarkable fact that hardly in any shop you find New Zealand butter specially and prominently brought before the people, which gives one the impression ilmb sufficient inducement is not offered in collection with the selling of our butter. Wc know perfectly well that the shop-keeper preiers to sell an article which is already well-known and advertised, and does not require much pushing, in preference to an article of winch lie lias to tell the people its various advantages both as to quality, purity, etc. ; that it is New Zealand made, and whatever else he lias to say. This ..all takes time, therefore, the first thing that must he ] done is to grant the shop-keeper sueli extra advertising that it will pay him to give special attention to it. This could he done in various ways, but one special item of assistance would be, as already mentioned, through the medium of advertising, which would go a long way not only in selling our butter, hut in bringing it more prominently before the people. I believe the British Government is setting apart something like one million pounds sterling, for the express purpose of assisting the Dominion to advertise their various products, and there is no reason why New Zealand should not have part of this amount alloted so as to help the business. Ad-! vertising may seem a small matter, j but J am certain it is very important I and should not he lost sight of. The | dairy farmer would he well advised n j lie, through his various organisations, would assist in this propaganda work, it would pay him handsomely, because the time lias arrived when greater care must lie taken to retain our connections on account of so many competitors coming on the market. There can lie no doubt that a very great deal of New Zealand butter is used for blending purposes, possibly with butter from other countries; and then sold under some other brand. J am, of course, well aware a very considerable _ quantity of New Zealand butter is sold in the Midland Counties, but surely with our excellent dairy products we should he in a good position to meet competition. We are entitled to a fair share of Britain’s retail business, hut before we can obtain it wc must, in some way or other, make our dairy products known, so that in all respects wc shall get a better bearing than we are having now. One will remember, when first margarine appeared on the market, that people looked upon it with very great distrust, and yet by careful advertising in different .forms, it found its way into the favour of the people, and to-day enormous sales are made. And still the propaganda work is going on; wc must do the same.- If we are to gain the confidence of the British householder it is of the utmost necessity that we not only maintain a high standard, but that we seek to improve the quality of our products, which, during the last few years, has not altogether been what is required v The New Zealand farmer must not think he can rest on his oars in the belief that the quality sent in the past will suffice; no, he must still be on the move, and while I know very well that we.have excellent practical butter makers amongst us, yet it is necessary for the New Zealand Government to come to the assistance of the producers with dairy schools and laboratories in order that our young men can be properly trained and get a thorough knowledge of the profession, because the making of dairy products, as well as general farming, has certainly become a profession * in every sense of the word, and it is certain that, in a very few years, un-

less wo are very careful, it will take us all our time to retain the place we now hold on the British market. When one carefully inquires from large firms of standing who have for many years handled New Zealand produce, especially butter, wo learn a good deal which 1 fear may never bo known by tho producer. They tell us that wo must improve our quality and maintain it; that wo must achieve uniform quality, and be in a position to deliver’ first quality butter all the year round. Merchants will tell you that if they were in a position to guarantee fresh New Zealand butter all tho year round they would have a much better chance of getting higher prices. Of course it would mean milking all tho year round, but all other countries are doing tho same under much more unfavourable conditions. I know there would lie a great deal of opposition to this, yet one lias to look ahead, because our competitors are after us, and in this, as in other industries, wo must awaken to the fact that tho fittest will survive. Why should wo allow our competitors to beat us? As fur as dairy produce is concerned, wc ought to lie. ahead of all others, and make, the best use. of the excellent chances we have, in any case, for the next few years. You will bo surprised to hear that amongst butter merchants in London there is a great leaning towards New South Wales blitter, which is steadily improving and getting more and more of a uniform quality, and although we see it, as a rule, ranging a shilling or two under the New Zealand butter, yet it is very highly spoken of. Then there is the Danish buLtor, which is of course, of a high quality, and let mo say litre that it will lie difficult to interfere very much with these supplies. Many people will tell you flint they know New Zealand' butter is very good, but they have for many years been accustomed to the lluvoiir of Danish butter; even if it costs a little more they picter to have it. This you hear- over and over again, and 1 wish to point out that butter supplies from Denmark will, within tho next five or six years, increase at least 10 per cent, on account of some land which hitherto has been held in large estates being cut up, which all helps to advance competition.' Then tho fact must lie taken into consideration that it only takes 30 hours to land Danish butter on the English market, consequently it is absolutely fresh; besides tliis the culture used for making Danish butter is such that it gives a very excellent fresh, nutty flavo.ir, but when it comes to the question of keeping it for 3 or 4 months it would be quite unsuitable, but for immediate use it is very good indeed. In the South of Sweden, which is very fertile, the people have gone in-for dairying to a very great extent, and factories are well equipped. Then there is Finland, a country not well known, but which already produces yearly export from 8000 to 10,000 tons of very fine butter. Nothing is being spared in connection with the equipment of dairy factories in Finland ; in fact, neither in Denmark nor Now Zealand have I seen better equipped concerns than I saw there. The plant and machinery is the very best money can buy, and two of these large factories arc equipped with up-to-date -laboratories, staffed by the best experts, and with a duly qualified professor at the head of them. • In those laboratories not only milk products are dealt with, but being purely a co-operative concern, the fanners are educated in the use of the right fertilizers for the various soils, also as to the right seed to use, all being carefully selected and tried before sale to the farmer. 'To see ■ what is being done in other countries in connection with tho production of butter and cheese is indeed food for reflection. Merchants in Tooley Street will tell you that Finish butter is of a very high grade, and conies to hand regularly in uniform quality.

Then we have Siberian butter, which is also coming in pretty largely now, and the quality is improving, also butter from the Baltic States, where they are. getting the very best machinery and men to deal with their milk produce, and, therefore, funking great headway. There can he no doubt that this butter is mostly used for blending with blitter of a higher quality from other parts. Now tho Argentine .is again sending large quantities of butter Home, and as it is only a question of 15 days’ run, it all helps to make competition with Now Zealand gutter very keen. From these various countries we may expect within the next few years a very large quantity of blitter, and' the result of this will, 1 predict, affect the New Zealand market.

Land in Denmark and Holland is very highly cultivated, and it is very interesting to see, especially during the months of July and August, how every square foot of land is taken up and made use. of. There is no waste, as so much depends on growing sufficient fodder for the cattle for the winter. Tho land, of course, is well looked after. Suitable fertilizers are continually used, and as the land is nearly all in small holdings, it can easily ho uuderstoood that everything that can possibly be done to facilitate cultivation is attended to. Tho fields come right up to the main roads; as a rule there are no fences, all tho cattle being tethered and none are allowed to wander loose. Now, lhe success of dairying ill Denmark is undoubtedly the. co-operative system which is worked to perfection ill that country. The first co-operative dairy factory was started there in ISio, and in 1881 two more were opened, followed by others in 1890. Gradually these co-operative concerns dealing vth butter, cheese, pork, poultry and eggs have been worked on lines which have given universal satisfaction to tho farmer, and there is no doubt they have been a very great success. Denmark is only one-sixth the size of England, but it is amazing the amount it produces. In 1800 tho Danish farmers were almost on the verge of bankruptcy. They were certainly farming their land, but only growing corn. Since they changed to dairying they have met with great success. The 1500 dairy factories in Denmark sell nearly all their butter through their co-op. associations, and accept in all eases, without comment, the price received by them. If wc improve iho cultivation of our land and bring it up to the standard of Denmark, there can bo no doubt that a 50-acre farm would yield just as much as a 100-acre farm is doing at the present time in New Zealand. The cattle being in so much during the year enables the Danish farmer to save a lery great deal of manure, which is of great value to him. They have largo concrete bins outside the cowsheds where it is all collected and the quantity that is gathered during the year is very considerable. Then fertilizers of various kinds suitable for the land aro used, and every care is exercised to make the best of it.

Tho growing of beet-root for sugar is in some parts of the country a great industry and has been tor years. Now, as far as farm lab,our is concerned it is fairly plentiful and wages arc very fair; milking that formerly was done by women is now mostly done by men. Milking machines aro certainly used in some places with success, but to a very great extent hand milking is preferred. For tho city milk supply there are special farms set apart owned by the co-operative companies. Tlio cows aro all under Gov-

ernment supervision and great caro is taken in seeing that tho milk is absolutely pure. For feeding cattle during the winter a very great deal of oil cake, maize and other valuable fodders are- imported. In tho summer tho cows aro fed in the stalls morning and night and turned out during the day. The careful feeding of cattle gives excellent results. Roots given to cattle are always cut lip with machinery, and almost on every farm in Denmark the machines are worked by electricity. Herd testing is done very systematically, and Denmark fully realises that it docs not pay to feed cows that only give, a moderate return, while by selecting the best stock they can get, a much better result is obtained. They aim at over 300!bs butter fat to tho cow as tho average, and they, of course, are out to get a good strain. Then, again, when a cow has served her usefulness, say for 9 or 10 years, sho realises a fair price for the butchers, and is disposed of. The Danish red cow, which is mostly used, is a rather large-framed animal and is very hardy. As a rule tliero is not much sickness amongst herds, although, of course, at times the usual diseases among cattle appear, but every effort is made, with the assistance of' the Government, to eradicate it. Very often two or three dairy factories combine in purchasing at a high price tho best bulls obtainable, and thus they arc continually seeking to improve their stock, especially in connection with their milking strain. As remarked before, tho Danish red cow is known all over the world, but in Jutland it seems that of late years the Friesian cattle have made great headway. There are also Jersey grades to be found, but the climate is rather too severe for them and, taking it right through, 1 do not think that they can improve upon the old Danish breed which has served the farmer so well. As to the price of land in Denmark, you may put it down for good first-class land from .£OS to £75 per acre. It would bo impossible at too high a land value, for the, Danish farmer to make a success of dairying, but what adds to his income is not only butter 'and cheese, but also bacon, pork, eggs, etc. 1 visited some of the largo bacon factories, and one is re-illy surprised to see the constant supplies of bacon pigs arriving from day to day. \Yhcre they come from seems a mystery, but still they como. They arc sent to England in a partly cured condition and the filial curing takes place there. The pork business should be a very important one for New Zealand, and I hope to seo the day when this industry, as in Denmark, will become a very big thing and thus greatly increase the revenue of farmers in .this country. We must not, however, lose sight of the fact that on account of New Zealand being somewhat isolated and the transit of dairy products often delayed, we arc placed at a certain disadvantage, but no doubt that condition will, in time, be improved. The various labour troubles which seem to occur at intervals make it soraowliat difficult to obtain regular shipping. Still, other countries have, to a certain extent, to contend with similar conditions.

Now, the question of delivering milk and cream to dairy factories in this Dominion is of very great importance, and tho work should be done under conditions which will enable tho lmt-ter-makcr to turn out a really good article. Wo hear at Homo various complaints about our butter, and at times there may be reason for it. These complaints should be of interest to the farmer, because it is from the very commencement that care should be taken in delivery of the raw material. It is absolutely essential that this matter should be fairly and squarely considered. The British merchant demands blitter of a uniform quality, with a gpod flavour, free from preservatives and other ingredients, and lie demands a regular supply all the year round. He seriously objects to stale butter, and bv that ho means butter sent Homo and kept in store for month after month in tho hope of realising higher prices. It is absolutely unwise to do this; wo cannot afford to sacrifice quality. Butter which has been kept in cool storage for months will undoubtedly deteriorate more or less. The British butter merchant docs not now depend altogether on butter from tho Australasian Dominions. There arc other avenues open for him, enabling him to buy to advantage elsewhere, and every effort is being made by other countries to cater for tho requirements of tho British consumer.

There is no reason why we should not lie the greatest supplier of dairy products to Great Britain, but let mo most solemnly emphasise the fact that we must use every endeavour to send Homo produce of the very best quality. We must bo very careful to treat the people of Great Britain, who are our only customers, on absolutely lair and straight lines; that is to say, we must not exhibit a desire to extract the fast pound-of-flesli- in connection with the price, because it must be remembered that, apart from Great Britain, our market would be next to nothing. Thre are, of course, other countries buying New Zealand butter through London, but they again demand the very best quality and are opposed to preservatives. The value of eggs exported from Denmark last year amounted to £7,500,000, therefore the poultry business, it can easily be understood, is on a large scale and they are continually seeking to improve their stock. At the present time the eggs produced in Denmark are very largo; it only takes 7-J eggs to one pound in weight, whereas in many other places it is reckoned from nine to ten. 1 his, in itself, is a large business. Now, dealing with the competition which will, within the next few years, greatly affect our butter trade, I may say that Russia is already producing a very great deal of butter. In the summer of 1927 it is estimated that Russia will be able to export three million boxes of butter, and this is only reckoned as a commencement. Then we have the Baltic States, which also will produce a very considerable amount. They have made a good start, laying down good plants and getting experts to manufacture their butter and cheese in such a manner that it will increase its output. Finland, too, which already exports upwards of 10,000 tons a year of very fine butter, is also increasing its output, and taking it all through, with so much suitable land available, we shall presently be face to face with competitors of no mean degree. One may ask what is the reason of these countries going in for dairying? In answer it must be said that it is the most profitable method of farming for men with limited means, inasmuch as they get their money regularly once a month, enabling them to make a living. Then the fact must be taken into consideration that in Russia, the Baltic States and Finland the women do 'almost the.whole of the milking and separating, and it can therefore be seen that production is not so very expensive there. Now, in the face of what has been said, would it not be wise for New Zealand farmers to be very careful, first of all, how he farms his land, and, secondly to seriously consider the often inflated value land is bought and sold at, for surely land cannot be worth more than it will produce. In the event of a falling market, or a slump in the prices, would it not hit very severely those who had bought their land at high values? Therefore, I consider the question of supply and demand for our dairy products well worthy of every farmer's consideration.

1 feel confident that if the New Zealand farmer will wako up to these pressing facts —first of all to cultivate his land in the best and most suitable manner, and then deliver his raw product to the dairy factory in a pure and wholesome condition, there is no reason why New Zealand should not be, in every sense of the word, tho dfiiry farm of Great Britain.