DROP IN PRODUCTION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19793, 22 November 1938, Page 15

DROP IN PRODUCTION

GISBORNE DAIRY OUTPUT UNFAVOURABLE SEASON The drop in dairy production in the Gisborne district continues, there having been a surprisingly heavy fall in comparison with the output of the early part of the past season. Towards the end of October and at the beginning of the present month there were hopes of a recovery, following the light rains, which freshened the pastures considerably. Prior to that the ground had baked hard under the influence of high temperatures and strong winds, and pasture growth was at a standstill until freshened by the rains of a few weeks ago.

At present, however, the ground is nearly as dry as it was during October, except that the surface is not so hard, the rains of a few weeks ago having helped considerably in loosening the surface. Production, which commenced to rise rapidly at the beginning of the present month, has suffered a further check, and the seasonal increase is much slower than at this time last year.

Up to the present, Gisborne's dairy production is from 30 to 40 per cent lower than for the corresponding months last year, the figures for which were lower than those of the previous year, so that Gisborne's dairy output "for the season to date must bo only about half of that of two years ago, up to a corresponding date.