THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18174, 21 August 1922, Page 8

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

MARKETING PROBLEMS. VIEWS OF TRADE VISITOR. NO CONTROL POSSIBLE. Tax TEUSGBAI'H. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. "The New Zealand dairy farmer wants to clear his mind ol the illusion thafT this is .the only country shipping butter to Great Britain, and that he can control and make prices independent of any other countries,/' was the candid opihion expressed by Mr. W, A. Robinson, managing director of the Anglo-Con-tinentai Produce Company, London, prior to his departure for Sydney yesterday after a six weeks' tour of the North Island. ' , . "I have noticed in the papers, several reports regarding the marketing of JS'£w Zealand butter in England, he eaid "and I can assure you that it is marketed to the best m the same manner as Danish, Canadian, South Afrioan, Australian, and Argentine butter, 'and in accordance with the law of supply and demand. No country can make prices for _ its own products without regard to the that other dairy producing. are accepting. Denmark is within half an hour's telegraphio communication of- London, and she P la^. e , dairy produce on the British and most distant European markets within 24 and 72 hows respectively. "Yet Denmark has never been able to control markets or prices, ae she realises that she must sell week by week at whatever price is obtainable, such price being governed by the quantity available or the shortage in any commodity. If there is a surplus, retail prices hive to be reduced to inoreaee consumption; if a shortage, ptioes axe raised to curtail it. These ire element-airy principles of trading: but they seem to be entirely overlooked by critics in New Zealand. Dairy OommlMiwer in I*>adon. "I would advocate that the New 264* land Government should 6end a resident dairy commissioner to London, for the purpose of reporting; daily and weekly on markets, as well as on complaint* regarding quality or packing. Denmark naa such a commissioner in London, and there is no doubt hd has helped greatly in popularising Danish products. Much has already been dona by-the London merchant® in advertising Nw Zealand butter, and propaganda in ita favour has been going on in the press of the United Kingdom in the la«t six months. "I motored many thousands of miles in the North Island, and I can say without hesitation that yours is the finest dairying country iia the world. But, believe me, you are not making the most of it. Your herds aro too irregular. Many of your cows are eating food that should be consumed by better animals. Your butter-fat output is about 1601b. per cow: it iihould be 15401b. You ought to be able to double your output oi cheese as well. And, if you take things together with the natural increase that is bound to come with the opening up ol new lands, your next ten years of progress should witness four times the present output in your national industry. "The quality of your butter and cheese, taking the whole oouatry over, is of a uniform standard; :moro so than that oi any country with the exception of Den* m/2; and it is even quite equal to that country. To get at the head of the butter market —and you can do it—you mue.t improve your quality. In Canada there are district* that turn out cheese quite as good as yours, but, on the average, it is not up to your standard. One fault I have to find with your cheese is that it is not sufficiently pressed. Instead of keeping it in the press for 16 to 24 hours, you should press it for 48 hours _at least. If you did that you would avoid the openness of the texture that is observable when your cheese is cut in two. Farmers and I;he Dairy Pool. "I am glad to see that prices on the Home market are remaining firm; but do not be 100 sanguine of their continuance," said Mr,, Robinson, in jrejply to a question regarding the recent nee. "Ireland is under aras, and a big source of summer supply is therefor© cut off. Many of the Irish dlairy farmers are stilt sending their milk to the factories, but they are uitable to Bhip to England, and the result of the shortage is seen in the recent rise in Danish and New Zealand. The price ia now up to 236s per cwt., an abnormal figure, brought about entirely by the shortages, the outlook in Ireland seems serious enough, I feel sure they will have settled their troubles by next season, and will be able to continue their butter shipments. "One word more," said Mr. Robinson. "It would appear from statements that were published abcut the time I was arriving here, and rinco, that the whole of the North Island! dairy farmers were in favour of the creation of a pool for the marketing of butter. I visited a very large number of factories, and I certainly got the impression that the bulk of the farmers "were not in favour of such e, policy; rather were they firmly convinced that it was neither desirable nor practicable." NEW SEASON'S OUTLOOK. ACTIVITIES NEAR AUCKLAND. PUKEKOHE AND WARKWORTH ' The prospects for the hew dairying season in the districts comparatively close to Auckland are saicl to be excellent, and farmers are looking forward to a record output; The Hebaid's Pukekoh© correspondent writes as follows regarding the dairying industry in that district The butter factory here is said to bo the largest in New Zealand, having had an output last year of oyer 2300 tons, representing in value nearly £500,000. The coming season promises to be a good one. *• The cattle are ini excellent condition, and no diseases to any extent have occurred. Calving is now in progress, and reports go to show a rarely small percentage of losses, which, at this stage, were marked last season. On the whole the growth of feed has been well maintained, although frosts have checked it somewhat. A few good rains and ordinary spring weather should secute an ample supply ot feed for the coming season. During this and recent years there has been % growing tendency toward breeding a better class of cattle; and the dairy farmer is realising more and more the value of scientific methods,, the result!! ol! which should become more apparent in an increased output this season. Our Warkworth correspondent states that dairying activities in that district have recently shown, a decided expansion. Herds have been enlarged, and the quality of the stock improved. Some ot the suppliers are already carting cream. \ In fact, in Warkworth itself the suppliers to the Glynn factory at Pukapuka have been supplying all the winter. Holstelns I and Jerseys are principally favoured by [.the dairy farmer, some good stock of both breeds having been imported into the district for tho coming season. There has been a good deal of ■prtJimihary canvassing toward getting a co-operative factory going in Warkworth,, but the Tactory will not operate this seats,on.- |