CO-OPERATIVE FARMING IN IRELAND

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1696, 31 August 1904, Page 74

CO-OPERATIVE FARMING IN IRELAND

Mr Wm. Ashcroft, manager of the Limavady Creamery, in the course of a recent address on this subject', said: — Co-operative dairying is an industry tbe Irish farmer cannot conveniently look upon with an air of indifference or scientific curiosity; instead, he must be brought to an intelligent realisation of its paramount importance to him—what it has done since it was introduced into Ireland about sixteen years ago, what it is doing to bring Irish butter to its natural place on the markets, both at home and abroad, and what it will do when universally adopted—these things should form the mental standpoint from which thoughtful farmers should study co-operative dairying and its economical importance. You" are perfectly aware that a few years ago Danish butter was considered far superior to Irish butter, and time has demonstrated the veraciousness of this opinion. We were compelled by the overwhelming popularity that Danish butter had attained on the market to admit that we were considerably behind the times in the production of a

butter that would sell advantageously, as well as meet the somewhat fastidious tastes and 1 requirements of the cou- * Burners. Through time the unpropitdousness of our system of dairying became painfully evident, and, inasmuch as dairying was one of our own national industries, it behoved us to ascertain without delay why it was that the , Danes superseded us in all principal markets. ' As a result of inquiries and investigations the success of Denmark’s dairying industry was attributed to. the establishment of co-operative dairies. In these circumstances Ireland’s only remedy for her depreciated position on the markets was to establish co-opera-tive dairies, and copy as closely as possible the methods of manufacture employed by those who held premier place on the principal markets. Uniformity in flavour, in appearance, and consistency were the characteristics of Danish butter. It was obvious then, that •these characteristics could not be secured for Irish butter without the establishment of co-operative dairies as a uniform butter was more likely to be attained by manufacturing the article in dairies which would manipulate the milk supplied by a larger number of farmers better than if each of these farmers made. butter from the milk produced on his own farm. In view of these exaggerated statements, is not the existence oi co-operative dairies entirely justified, as well as being an epitome of national progress and enlightenment? Through co-operative dairies Denmark got a cove table name for her butter. Whether it was all her own is a detail. Russia has 10,000,000 oonvs, Denmark has 1,050,000: fully one-half of the butter imported into Great Britain annually comes*from Denmark. (It is said Denmark in turn imports considerable quantities of butter from Russia). I merely mention this to make it sufficiently clear that co-opera-tive dairies have made an excellent name and reputation for Danish butter, and when I tell you that the annual output of Irish co-operative dairies is £1,500,000 you "will understand that the same system has already done much to win back cur natural place on the market., as well as being a potent agent for the diffusion of practical and scientific knowledge. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in getting farmers to recognise this; they think because their wives can make good butter (I haven’t the slightest doubt but it is excellent blitter) that they have no n-cessity to send their milk to a. dairy. Now. this is a pernicious idea. Suppose this farmer, who can get his butter properly manufactured on his own farm, sends it to the market, his neighbour makes a different quality, and so on, until this farmer’s whole district is under the same erroneous idea. In conclusion, Mr Ashcroft appealed to the farmers to uphold Irish butter.