THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19604, 5 April 1927, Page 8

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

A record of expansion such as no other branch of industry in New Zealand can boast stands to the credit of the Auckland dairyfarmers. What their achievement has been in enlarging the physical volume of production was indicated by returns published - yesterday of butter and cheese received at the Auckland grading stores during the nine months of the season to March 31. These refer almost entirely to produce intended for export, only a small portion being destined for domestic consumption, so that the quantities stated do not represent the whole output. The grading store has handled in the nine months butter and cheese equivalent to over 84,000,0001b. of butter-fat, which exceeds by 11,000,0001b. the total , for the corresponding period of last season. The significance of that expansion is better illustrated by the ,fact that the production for the nine months exceeds the total for the whole of last season. The returns for the period compare as follows with the complete figures for previous seasons: — Butter. Cheese. Butter-fat. Boxes. Crates. Pounds. 1922-23 1,459,679 104,126 74,405,207 1923-24 1,445,365 154,851 77,546,600 1924-25 1,656,621 133,441 85,365,795 1925-26 ..■- 1,571,502 162,742 83,162,711 1926-27* .. 1,606,104 148,204 84,379,128 *Nine'months ended March 31. The record of 1924-25 was achieved with the assistance of highly favoux*able weather conditions, while less favourable conditions affected the following year's output. External influences have been exceptionally beneficial during the current season, and with this advantage the industry has been able to secure the full benefit of its efforts to improve both herds and pastures. Every month throughout the period has shown an increased delivery of butter, and since the first three months there has been a similar expansion in cheese. There is no doubt that by the end of the year the butterfat production will show a great increase over the previous record of 1924-25; not only will the butter return be higher than in that year, but the cheese output will also exceed the previous record of 165,000 crates in 1919-20. That year's whole production for export was equivalent to 33,000,0001b. of butter-fat. It now seems probable that the current season will produce threefold that quantity. Undoubtedly dairying in the Auckland Province owes much to the wonderful climate, but the rapidity and the steadiness with which it has been developed are due to the industry and the intelligence with which the farmers have striven to apply scientific methods to the care and improvement of their herds and the maintenance of pastures. They may justly point with pride to the industry's impressive record and claim that they at least have not failed to do their part in enlarging the Dominion's production.