DAIRYING AT WAIROA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17173, 1 February 1930, Page 11

DAIRYING AT WAIROA

FUTURE EXPANSION THIS SEASON’S INCREASE It appears as though there will be considerable expansion in lire dairying industry in the Wairoa >'ounty during the next few years. 3■ e present. season has provided a large quantity of additional luitiei.at lor the Wairoa Co-operative Dan,. Go’s, factory, the output of whicu is considerably ahead of what it was .it this time last year. Improved dairying methods have been mainly responsible for lee season’s increase, although the commencement of dairying operations among tlie Maoris at Mohalta has helped to no small extent, while it appears as though factors in (lie future expansion of the district will he subdivision of large holdings ami tec conversion of purely grazing areas into useful dairy farms in aduii.un to further improvements in far.a and herd management. MAORIS AT MOHAKA.

The start in the dairying business at Mohaka so far has not assumed very large proportions, although considerably greater supplies are expected ;next season. There are at present about 3(1 suppliers there, all except three of whom are Maoris, but their supplies are only small in comparison with what they should assume next season when the .Maori farmers should have their pastures in better heart. -Opinions dill'er 1 as to the advisability of t iioi'Mohnka men commencing dairyitig tlMs' season, one contention being that they should have waited another voar in order to give them time to prepare their land for a more profitable start next spring. However, the Wairoa dairy factory is receiving fair supplies from Mohaka, which is expected to contribute buttorfat for the manufacture of about 30 tons of butter during the whole season. 'l’he increase in the factory’s output this season is expected to be in the

•vicinity"of 80-tons. giving a total production of about 410-tons tor the season, compared with 330 tor the 1028-29 period. the actual Wairoa increase, apart from that attributed to Moliaka, should be in the vicinity of ">0 tons. This performance is all the more creditable when judged by the fact that fewer cows are supplying the factory than last season, the increase being due entirely to better fanning methods. Tl'KXl X<i PliO.M WOOL. The growing popularity of. herdtesting has provided a number of the farmers with the necessary knowledge; to . carry out an eilicient culling scheme, and many of these 1 culls have noI been replaced yet. The remaining members of the- herds have been provided with better pasturage and Potter treatment generally, with the result that the total buttorfat has risen with the milking of fewer cows. Top-dressing also has come more into favor, a definite start on a number of farms having been made last year. Liming of a number of the low-1 vind pastures also was carried out. ' The fertilisers in popular use last autumn and spring were superphosphate and basic slug, and further top-dressing is in view this your. . In addition to the increased yields expected as a result of better herd and pasture management, a number of additional suppliers should be sending cream to the Wairoa factory in the near future. There is talk .of the sub-division of one of. the district s important sheep stations, while men on land which in the past has been grazing sheep are expected to turn to dairying, as some of these are apparently losing their J'aith in the future of (be wool market. One such man, it is reported, already lias bought his requirements in the nature of heifers which are expected to come to profit next season. One of the farmers who expects to be changing over to mi lying next season hopes to milk a herd of about 70 and another man about <3O cows.