SUPPLIES RATIONED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19376, 14 July 1937, Page 14

SUPPLIES RATIONED

DUNEDIN MILK SHORTAGE AN EXCEPTIONAL SEASON FARMERS LEAVE DAIRYING! ’.' (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, last night. What are almost famine conditions exist in the milk distributing trade at the present time, and there is no prospect of any Improvement before the spring season when the main dairy heards return to profit. The private consumers of oiie company have had their cream supplies curtailed, the small amount that is offering being reserved for. bakers, pastrycooks and others who require cream for the carrying on of their business. It was stated that it would be at least two 'or three. weeks before the amount of milk necessary for a complete supply of cream would be available. Several of the smaller distributors have also been compelled to ration their cream deliveries, and some of the producer-retailers are finding it difficult to fill all their orders for either milk or cream. The main cause of the shortage is the phenomenally bad season that has been experienced in the southern districts of Otago this year. Another factor that has contributed to the present situation is the abandonment of dairying by a considerable number of producers who have decided that under the existing regulations governing wages and hours of farm workers, it is unprofitable to produce milk for city consumption. * It is suggested by people closely connected with the town supply that many more dariymen would go out of cows if other profitable branches of production were open to them. The difficulty with many of them has been that they have no alternative but to continue milking for the city trade.