THE DAIRY BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 264, 6 October 1936, Page 5

THE DAIRY BOARD.

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. STATUS RADICALLY CHANGED. The twelfth annual report of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board, covering the period ended July 31, 1936, shows that the total net levy collected on butter and cheese exported amounted to £79,290 7s sd, and alter adding interest from investments amounting to £SOO 4s Od, gives a total revenue of £79,790 11s lid. The cost of management at the head office, Wellington, was £8826 10s 3d, and in London £9335 17s sd. Exchange on remittances to London for advertising and office expenses was £9458 4s lid. Expenditure on shipping supervision, shipping work at the branch offices in Auckland, New Plymouth, Lyttelton and Dunedin, Exporter, board meeting expenses, etc., absorbed £13,044 5s 9d. The payment towards the cost of research from the industry was £7400 against £4900 the previous year. The subsidy fo the Cawtliron Institute was reduced to £lO5, and after a similar payment next year disappears from the accounts. Advertising in Great Britain absorbed £28,548 9s 7d, bringing the total expenditure to £76,823 7s lid. The report deals at length with the radical chango in status of the board as the result of the advent of the Labour Government and its Primary Products Marketing Act. The board also recounts the plans it had laid for the improvement of export and local marketing of butter and cheese prior to these being upset by the change in Government. The purposes and powers of the Primary Products Marketing Act (already published) are also set out in detail. REVIEW OF PRODUCTION. It is many years since the Dominion has experienced a production season during which weather conditions have been so varied, the report proceeds. A severe winter was followed by a dry early spring, with lack of green feed in many districts. In the later spring and early summer there was plenty of rain, but cold weather militated against production increasing as it might have done. Storms and floods were experienced in several dairy districts, but in Otago and Southland there has been lack of rain for almost the whole of the season. The autumn, however, was phenomenal by reason of maintained production. Although cold spells were experienced early, the abundance of feed kept the production at a high level, and the sustained delivery of dairy produce to northern grading stores was most remarkable. Figures relating to production and quality are given as follow : NUMBER OF COWS MILKED.

INCREASES IN GRADINGS. Butter Cheese

The percentage increase on a butterfat basis, taking both butter and cheese, was:—1924- increased over 1923-1924 by 6.8 per cent. 1925- decreased below 1924-1925 by 5.6 per cent. 1926- increased over 1925-1926 by 10.47 per cent. 1927- increased over 1926-1927 by 2.59 per cent. 1928- increased over 1927-1928 by 10.88 per cent. 1929- increased over 1928-1929 by 10.4 per cent. 1930- increased over 1929-1930 by 2.502 per cent. 1931- increased over 1930-1931 by 5.285 per cent. 1932- increased over 1931-1932 by 20.354 per 'cent. 1933- increased over 1932-1933 by 7.834 per cent. 1934- decreased below 1933-1934 by 4.831 per cent. 1935- increased over 1934-1935 by 4.014 per cent. Dairy produce graded at all ports during" the season totalled: 5,814,925 boxes of creamery butter; 54,216 boxes of whey butter; and 118,975 crates of cheese. The percentage of finest creamery butter graded was 76.48 (4,447,318 boxes), and first 22.36 per cent. (1,299,991 boxes). The percentage of cheese graded 91 ponits and over was 96.65.

1921-22 1.015,325 1922-23 1,124,671 1923-24 1,184,977 1924-25 1,195,567 1925-26 1,181,441 1926-27 1,181,545 1927-28 1.242,729 1928-29 1.291,204 1929-30 1,389,541 1930-31 1,499,532 1931-32 1.582.664 1932-33 1,723,913 1933-34 1,816,402 1934-35 1.827,962 1935-36 1,850,000 esfc.

per cent. per cent 1924-25 Tncr. 13.6 Deer. 5.2 1925-26 Deer 10.9 Incr. 5.9 1926-27 Incr. 14.6 I ncr. 2.9 1927-28 1 ncr. 4.2 Deer. .73 1928-29 Incr. 9.27 Incr. 14.32 1929-30 Incr. 16.76 Incr. .74 1930-31 Incr 1.769 Incr. 2.265 1931-32 I ncr 7.4 Deer. 1.16 1932-33 Incr 22.63 Incr. 14.52 1933-34 Incr. 9.55 Incr. 2.66 1934-35 Deer 2.86 Deer 10.62 1935-36 Incr 7.69 Deer. 7.68