THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 30 October 1890, Page 7

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

In concluding our review of the dairying industry, in connection with the report of the Government dairy inßtruotor on the oxport of New Zealand butter to Great Britain, we would like to emphasise the immediate need for certain important adjuncts to the dairying Byslem of the colony. As tho manufacture of butter is at tho present time conducted there is but little opportunity to put to the teat the capabilities of the colony as a factor in the production of butver. There can bo no two opinions as to how butter should ba made for export. In the export trade ordinary farmhouse butter can have no place, as uniformity in quality is tha first desideratum. While, therefore, the individual dairy farmer might undertake to supply the local market, the export butter trade must be conducted on the factory system.

The desire of some farmers to conduct a dairy factory business on their own farm is commendable for the display of enterprise which it indicates ; but it iB none the less certain that the future of our buttar export trade depends mainly on ths establishment of a wellorganised factory system of manufacture. Unfortunately, as we have already indicated, the absence of expert management is in the meautime telling against the factories in the production of both butter and cheese. To remove this defect, Mr Sawera recommends travelling instruction instead of the Danish syßtom of itinerant dairy schools, as better adapted to the circumstances of the colony. The demand for travelliug instruction is apparent in the call made for the services of the Government dairy instructor in boLh North and South Islands ; and we are pleased to note that the Government have under consideration the advisability of appointing an assistant lo Mr Sawers. Aa that gentleman's services will always be required to organise the whole service, it would be batter to appoint a couple of thoroughly expert travelling instructors, thu3 leaving Mr Sawera free to inspect ftnd Bup3» vise generally the dairy faciories of the colony and their appendages. The question of immediate expen?e should not debar the authorities from performing their duty to tho colony, if thera is any hopo of such expenditure producing an adequate return. That there is such a hope we think requires no furthtr attempt to demonstrate. The rise and progress of the butter export trade in Denmark affords a good

illustration of what a little fostering oan do. Prior to 1860 the manufacture of butter waß so little understood in that country that only very low prices wore realised for the butter exported The Government took the matter in hand, and by the establishment of dairy bcoools, Borne of which were itinerant, and by othor means of instruction, so thoroughly organisad tho whole service that the annual value of the export trade has been raised from £420,0C0 to £2,000,000, while the ohnrge to the Treasury has averaged about £11,000 a year— -a obarge which represents money spent to groat advantage to tho State. Any httle asgiat&uce there* foi-o given to the dairying industry by tho Government at the prcßont stato of its progress in this colony would speedily repay the oatlay. la addition to travelling instructors there should be at least one model dairy sohool established, not only for its eduoational value, as Mr Sawers points out, but also to prove that butter Ban be made and sent Home as a reliable export. As tho majority of the dairy factories are in the South. Gore should be a good centre for the establishment of such a model dairying school. Perhaps a Government subsidy might induce a company to set a model sohool agoing; but if not there is no reason why such a model faotory should not be self-sup porting. For one thing, the cool storage, which would constitute a most important part of the model dairy factory, could be made to return a considerable revenue, as it could be utilised by all the factories producing butter within a certain radius, and these factories would be quite willing to pay a remunerative figure for such a convenience. And again, the high prißa which it is reasonable to presume butter and cheese made in such a faotory under the immediate control of thoroughly expert management would command in the Homo and Australian markets would ensure the institution being self-support-ing, In this dairying sohool the future manaeera of dairy factories would receive a thorough training in all that pertains to the manufacture of a first-class dairying product, fit to compote in the world's market. We would Bfcrongly impress upon the Government the necessity for making a move in the direo tion indicated. . Perhaps the most pressing want of the dairying industry at the present time is cool storage at the ohief ports of shipment. Next to proper cool obambers in the ships oarryiDg exported buttar and cheese certainly oomes cool storage while awaiting shipment. Butter cannot bo carried through the tropics as ordinary cargo with any prospect of Jts arriving in the Home market in good condition ; neither can it be stored for any tima as ordinary merchandise while awaiting shipment. The recotnmendat : on of the Government dairy instructor, backed up by the Industries Committea of the House of Representatives, should therefore be given effect to" at the earliest opportunity. It is a pity, as a matter of fact, that this recommendation has not taken immediate effect, and that at least a couple of suitable 0001 . storage chambara ate not even now in course of erection, one preferably at Wellington and the other at Dunedin, to meet the requirements of the approaching season. This question of cool storage is a most important one ; but whether the erection of suitable cool chambers should be left to tho dairying associations or to the Government ia not quite certain. However, we th'nk the Government should take the initiative, as it is quite evident that unless the whole industry is organised from without, years of resultlesa experimenting from within will pass before any distinct forward move iB made. The fees charged for storage would nearly, if not quite, make these necessary adjunctH to the dairying industry self-supporting. With a model Jairy sohool and cool chamber at Gore and cool Btorage chambers at Dunedin and Wellington, along with special cool oars on the railways, the necessary facilities for the shora handling of dairy produce would be provided in the meantime. The cool storage could be augmented as the dairy export trade increased. To encourage this splendid colonial industry further the tariff on the railways should be reduced by half. While we do not advocate free carriage on our railways, still we hold the opinion that there are certain classes of goods which it will pay the colony to carry, even if the tariff does not pay the cost of handling such goods. Dairy produce is included amoDg goods of this class. The indirect gain consequent upon the establishment of the dairying industry on a sound basis would reooup the Government tenfold for the slight concession made. The question of cool chambers on board ship specially adapted for the carriage of dairy produce is also all-important to the success of the industry in New Zealand. But before this oan be secured, strong dairying aßsociationa must be formed throughout the colony and arrangements made to ship at stated times and in large quantities. As the dairy export trade has been conducted in the past there has not been sufficient inducement to cause the shipping companies to fit up cool chambers in their vessels for dairy produce; but if the whole product of the colony designed for export could be collected at a few centres and snipped at stated periods, the necessary cool chambers on board ship would soon bg available, for the settled demand would call forth the supply. We are pleased to bs able to note that tho initiative has been taken by tho formation of a good strong association which bids fair to include all of the Southern dairy factories at no distant date, and that a move in a similar direction has been made in the North Island. We scarcely need point out in detail the advantages of Buch combination on the part of the dairy factories. The first and ohief requisite of the London market is the receipt of first-class butter of reliable quality at stated periods, and thiß can only be assured by the factories operating together in strong associations. In initiating thene associations Mr Sowers h»s already dons the colony come good service, and we hope to see immediate good result from their combined operations. These are, then, the chief considerations affecting the success of the dairying industry in tho colony. There «re many minor considerations which require attention, but the work of complete organisation of any service must necessarily progress slowly. It is nevertheless an imperative duty which the Government owes to the people to take immediate action to give the dairying industry a fair start on the highway to success. No one questions tho importance of the industry, which has already attaiued a small place in the world's market; but with the magnificent natural facilities for raising tho industry to a position of very groat importance, we "sac no reason why dairy produce should not constitute one cf our staple products. The demand in the English market is practically unlimited, po that there is no fear of a glut at auy season of the year. The first shipment of cHwiee to Great Britain from Amarica arrived in 1830, and in less than 20 years the quantity hapoitr-d ncr airoain reached 15,000,0001b. In 1851 the frst cheese factory wa<i built in tho United St&tes, and seven or eight years afterwards tha fmt Camdian factory v/aa Luilfc. In 1864 tho exportation of cheeso from Canada commenced ; ia five yeara

it rose to 4,000,0001b, and rapidly increased till it reached the quantity of 36,00d,G001b, or 16,000 ton^of cheese annually sent to Britain. The total imports of cheese from all sources amount to about 98,000 tons, whila the annual Home production is 4 estimated at 126,000 tons. The total importation of butter exceeds that Of cheese in .weight and more than twice the value. The figures are given" for 1382.. tfrom very small beginnings the New Zealand export of dairy produce has gradually crept up until the yearly export atanda. acoording to latest teturnS, at 4,108 3841b of cheese aud 3,359,4401b 6f butter for 1088 ; while tile figures fo? 1889 are 2,974,4961b of cheese and 4,250',0601b 6'f butter. Since 1880 the export of choose has risen yearly, but there is a falling off of 1,133,8881b for 1889 as compared with the previous year, whilo there is an increase of the butter exported to the extent of 891,fi201b, whioh more than balances the decrease in the export of cheese. Having attained these respsotablu dim&tision9 in so short a time, and in tho faoe of considerable difficulty 1 , tflef c cbonld bo every encouragement to foster the industry till slieb time as it fairly tou'dhes bottom, That the dairying industry in New Zealand is capable of beooming one of the best colonial enterprises the people of this colony have embarked in we feel no hesitation in affirming, and we hope to see some ptactical moves made in the direotion of placing the industry in the position its importance merits.