Once-A-Day Milking?

Northern Advocate, 14 March 1947, Page 2

Once-A-Day Milking?

Evening milking operations in the Bay of Islands district have been so hampered by electricity cuts during the past few days that farmers are considering milking their herds only once a day. This will mean a serious decline in production, and will cause the dairying

season in the district to end within two or three weeks. Mr S. W. Smith, M.P. for Hobson, said this in an interview at Dargaville yesterday.

He quoted instances of farmers commencing milking large herds to find the power cut off frorh 4.45 to 5.15 p.m. and from 5.45 to 6.15 p.m. Milking finished at about 3 p.m. in some cases. I Mr Smith stated he had received a I great number of complaints from farmi ers and as a result had forwarded a telegram to the Prime Minister. ■'The method adopted by the controlling authorities in cutting power for 30-minute intervals at unstated hours, but between 4 and 0 p.m. during evening milkings, is to have a very serious effect on production,” stated the telegram. “Farmers advise they will put their cows on once a day which means, the end of the dairying season in two or three weeks. They are aware of the desperate power shortage but they consider some method of reduction other than that of depriving the farmer of part of his livelihood and causing grave loss of butterfat production, can bo found.”