NEW ZEALAND DAIRYING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND DAIRYING

DIRECTOR REVIEWS SEASON > A NOTE OF OPTIMISM RECORD PRODUCTION AND QUALITY {Special to the Herald.} V ROTORUA, this day. "A 'banner' season both for production and for high quality," was the description of the present dairy season by Mr. W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, when" addressing the National Dairy Association's conference to-day. Dealing with the statistical position he showed that the position was not nearly.as bad as recent pessimistic utterances indicated. "The season 1926-27 has been of more than usual interest to those connected with the dairy industry," said. Mr. Singleton, "for the grading returns show that it has been a • bauner' season for production. It has also been a 'banner' season for the high quality of the butter and cheese exported.

"It is true that the Customs figures denote a falling off in the total value of the exports of butter and cheese r.f seme £390,000 from those for -the previous financial but it is also true that the stocks in store in New Zealand on March 31 of this year exceeded those of last year, so that the difference between -this find tho previous season's value will be reduced by this factor. On the other hand, there have been reclamations on some of the previous season's exports, and doubtless other quantities exported did not reach the values which the Customs figures indicated. It will be recalled that there were some 600,000 to 7000,000 boxes of last season's butter on hand at the beginning of this season. The total returns from' this season's dairy produce, therefore, are likely to more closely approximate actual returns from the preceding season's exports than many appeared to expect; "Despite the fact that : Denmark has been getting a higher price for her butter than has New Zealand, the Danes have" been experiencing -a greater falling off in revenue", than have New. Zealand producers. Their figures for 1926 as compared with 1925 showed a reduction of £8,259,000." ' FAVORABLE SEASON"* • ' Dealing with quantity production, Mr. Singleton said that the total production of dairy produee- "was increasing more rapidly than .our export figures showed, because the.population was increasing and the consumption of dairy products per head was also increasing. Climatic conditions during the. present season had favored production, and in addition it appeared that the proportion of dry cows in the herds was decreasing. Whereas in 1917 there were 12 dry cows in every 100, this year only nine were dry in every 100. This reduction of 25 per cent. in the proportion of dry cows would have its' influence on the output of the Dominion. * .

BETTER MANAGED FARMS Continuing, Mr. Singleton showed that there had been a striking increase in the per capita production on the Dominion's dairy farms during reconl years. In the season 1920-21 the per capita production was L'.IlM lbs. of butter-fat, bul this season it had risen to ;522Slbs—an increase of '.'-.I- per cent. "These figures,'.' he continued, "show thai there is no general disposition amongst the people engaged hi the production of milk and cream to follow the 'go-slow' policy. The increase per capita doubtless has been favorably influenced by the extension of milking by machinery. It has also been similarly influenced by the improvement in yield of the average dairy cow." Mr. Singleton then quoted figures to show that there had been a corresponding increase in efficiency in dairy factories since the 1920-21 season. The per capita, output in that year, reckoned in terms of butter-fat, was 45,7361b5., but this year it had risen to 63,9911 hs —an increase of 39.9 per cent. As the total number of employees in factory and administrative work showed an increase, the increased output per capita has not been an adverse factor in the present unemployment. "'BETTER QUALITY','

"New Zealand dairymen have spcialised in their vocation to a marked degree," continued Mr. Singleton. "It is probably due to this fact that they have not been slow to realise the demand which the international trade in dairy produce, now intensified by keener competition, is making from the viewpoint of quality. In both butter and cheese this has been New Zealand's best season for quality. In my judgment there has been no one season during the 26 years I have been in New Zealand in \rhieh so much improvement in quality has been attained. Many factors have operated in the improvement, so gladly acknowledged, and it is generally recognised that the differential advances for the three grades of butter and cheese as paid by the Dairy Produce Board has been a" potent force in this direction.

"The differential payments required by the new regulations with respect to' the payment for the three grades of cream have likewise inspired suppliers to produce cleaner and sweeter cream. Many dairy- factories haye been assisted by a farm dairy instructor and there has be.en a tendency for supplies of cream to be transported a lesser distance. These factories have operated in the direction of sweeter creams; creams that required less of the neutralising agent, and which made butters evidencing more butter aroma and less of the chemical fir soda, flavor complaints which have this season been conspicuous by their absence.

"The extension of the system of pasteurising milk for cheese-making, to include some 86, per cent, of our manufacture, has had the effect of causing importers to note the absence of unclean flavors and the uniformly good flavor of the major portion of our output. High, strong and unclean flavors are riot now desired by the trade. There is still room for improvement in the flavor of a number of our cheese, and room for further improvement in the body and texture.''

EXCESSIVE CREAM TRANSPORT After dealing more fully with points in cheese manufacture, Mr. Singleton spoke regarding the excessive cost of cream transport in certain districts, stating that there were some .districts where competition had induced or forced dairy companies to take action by way of defending their interests. ' lie wanted to stress the point that in d number of districts something should be done by way of co-operation towards reducing' the costs of cream delivery. Where factories were situated close together the question plight be considered as to whether one lorry might not take the cream on its route and deliver it to the respective factories to which it belonged. "In general summing up," concluded Mr. Singleton, "it would appear from available statistics that the dairy farmer is making a successful effort towards reducing the cost of producing butter-fat, and that dairy companies are reducing manufacturing and administrative expenses. Any endeavor along this line, compatible of course with maintenance of e.fliciencv, is much to be commended. "The excess of the Value of imports over exports, the appreciation of money to a closer proximity to the gold standard, together with the consequent lowering of prices for dairy and other products, are creating a position calculated to cause dairy suppliers and shareholders to survey ways and means of reducing costs of cream transport, The increased output and the improved quality of the season's production would suggest that we are gaining ground. There is pressing, need, however, for sustained effort towards continued efficiency and economy in all branches of our dairy industry."