DAIRY HERDS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 276, 20 October 1938, Page 5

DAIRY HERDS.

FIGURES FOR DOMINION. The preliminary live stock returns for the year ending January 31—which apparently are somewhat belated in making their appearance, seeing that more than eight months have elapsed since their collection—show that the number of dairy cows in the Dominion has declined since last return by 43,764 head. Measured by butterfat production this decline, on an average 2201 b. a cow, represents a decline at current prices of nearly £6OO 000. This is not a big sum in relation to the average export of £15,000,000 to £17,000,000, and it may have some reactive benefit in a lessening of the oversupply in England of New Zealand butter, and a correspondingly better price, but, of course, the extent of this is ruled by the exports of other countries. The main point about the decline- is that it set in within the last few years. Taking the figures ot 1934 a comparison of that year and the present is as follows, the figures comprising cows in milk, and excluding dry dairy cows; —- 1934 1938

The arresting feature of the table is the marked reduction in the four years in the South Island, particularly of Southland, the three provinces of Canterbury, Otago and Southland accounting for 45,600 of the Dominion total of 75,000 and about 22 per cent in this island. But the decline has not been confined to the southern provinces. Taranaki numbers have declined by more than 25.000 and ’Wellington bv more than 15,000, but Auckland province has steadily forged ahead, the figures being close on 27.000 head better than four years ago. Whilst there is some chance of the northern expansion being continued if some of the deteriorated country in South Auckland is ever brought into production or the estates acquired by the Government subdivided it would seem that dairying has reached its pca'k in most of the other provinces, and that a steady replacement with sheep and beef cattle is taking place (comments an observer). The number of “all” cattle, as a matter of fact, has increased, notwithstanding the dairy decrease since last season of more than 42,000. Cattle now number 4,468,367, as against 4,352,136 last year.

North Auckland . ... 339 308 356,551 Auckland ... 566.972 576,444 Gisborne ... 57.044 48.388 Hawke’s Bay — ... 62 380 61 233 Taranaki ... 248.131 222,536 Wellington ... 251,237 236.097 Nelson ... 32,590 30,752 Marlborough ... 17,301 13,836 Westland ... 14.589 13.983 Canterbury ... 83.205 70,231 Otago ... 61.255 45,547 Southland 82,390 65,438 1.816.402 1,741,036