Top Production Held By Kaitaia Dairymen

Northern Advocate, 14 January 1948, Page 2

Top Production Held By Kaitaia Dairymen

KAITAIA, Wed. (Sp.).—The remarkable extension of the peak output period of the Kaitaia Coop. Dairy Company’s butter factory at Awanui this season was commented on by the factory manager (Mr W. R. Craig) yesterday.

Favourable autumn and winter conditions of 1947, combined with beneficial summer rainfall, had made the Kaitaia dairy season, in company with other Northland factories, a record to date, Mr Craig said. The previous best season in the company’s history had been 1940-41, with a total output -of some 2500 tons of butter and a December output of 391.4 tons. PEAK PROLONGED December, 1947, had brought 450.15 tons production, which showed an increase of 13.57 per cent on the-Decem-ber, 1946, figure and a seasonal increase to date over 1946-47 of 16.45 per cent. Normally the daily manufacturing peak figure was reached about December 20, Mr Craig said. This season the highest output had been reached on November 20 but had been maintained for over a month. Normally the output began to decline soon,after the peak, but this year

dairymen would reap the benefit of at least one month’s extra top production.

A conservative estimate would give the 1947-48 season an output of at least 250 tons in excess of 1940-41, when more cows were being milked in the company’s area. Daily output for the past month had been held at about 70 boxes of butter. BOUNTIFUL HAY RESERVES To many farmers the excess of pasture feed had become a problem. Shortage of twine prevented much from being baled for hay, although the amount of' hay being saved in the Far North this summer was well in advance of previous years. Farmers were doing their best to reap the bountiful harvest but there was a limit to the amount of hay which could be utilised. Fine weather this week has brought renewed haymaking activity in the Far North. Baling has established itself as the most satisfactory method of "preserving hay crops and considerable resources of machinery are being used. Most spectacular is the big plant operating in the Waiharara district which handles crops in the field without the usual stacking process. This is expected to be filling contracts in the Kaitaia area shortly. ' It is estimated that only 25 per cent of the hay to be saved in the Far North this season has been harvested to date.