DAIRY INDUSTRY ABROAD

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 20

DAIRY INDUSTRY ABROAD

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES . VISITED HIGH COST OF LAND ON CONTINENT Interesting comparisons of dairying in various European countries with the New Zealand system were given in an address at the annual meeting of the Farmers' Dairy Federation, Ltd., yesterday by Mr C. Bumard, managing editor of The New Zealand Dairy Exporter, who recently returned to New Zealand from a visit to Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, where he studied dairying conditions. “In every country I visited the cost of land was extremely high,” said Mr Burnard. “I had been under the impression that the cost of land in New Zealand was higher than elsewhere, but I found I was wrong. Of course, in Great Britain the price of land was much lower than in the Continental countries. Then the high cost of wintering cattle was common to all the countries. In these countries the cost of concentrates for winter feeding ranged from £8 to £l2 a cow and this made me realize what advantages we have in New Zealand in our won-, derful climate. Here we are farming our .climate.”

On the Continent the women did a great deal of the farm work and the standard of living among the farmers was very low. Almosk universally the farmers ate margarine and sold their butter and in some countries a special low-grade cheese was made exclusively for farmers. Land had been held by families over a period of centuries and he had been impressed with the tinielessness of agriculture in these countries.

The weather varied greatly between the southern latitudes of Germany and the northern parts of Finland. In the north of- the latter country the winter lasted for about eight months and special varieties of grasses and crops had been developed to mature in the

short summer. In Finland there was no wind and during the summer there was continuous daylight, with the result that crops grew for 24 hours a day. PRICES SUBSIDIZED In Holland the system of farming and transport of produce was extremely wasteful in time and energy from a New Zealand point of view, but labour was very cheap. Butter prices were subsidized on the local market and were fixed at 2/8 per lb when Mr Burnard was in the country. Rents of farm land were extremely high and on one property where he studied returns and costs the rent was £5 an acre a year. On this farm the farmer paid out £305 in one year and earned £3BO, leaving £75 to feed and clothe his family and feed the hired hand. In one district the average return from the land was £l6 15/- an acre, from which had to be deducted £9 18/costs, £3 15/- rent and 15/- interest on capital invested in the farm, leaving £2 2/6 an acre for the farmer. In Germany were to be seen perfect crops over all parts of the country, representing a high standard of production. The country was highly organized and although the fanner had a poor time he was regarded as an essential section of the community. A guaranteed price operated in Germany, but it was fixed in a different way from that in New Zealand. One version he had been told was that a committee from the Government, the merchants and the farmers fixed the price. The Government told the merchants what the price would be and the Government and the merchants told the farmers. The fanners were under rigid control and had to do exactly as told by inspectors. They had to take all their milk to the factory, but were allowed to buy back a small quantity for their own use. Crop growing and all farming activities were done by dictation under a wonderful system. CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT Leaving Germany and going to Denmark Mr Burnard said he had immediately noticed a lifting of the great sense of strain which existed in Germany. The Danes had developed their, small country to a remarkable extent by co-operative effort. The Danish farmers insisted in controlling their own affairs and would not submit _to Government dictation. The education system and all farming activities were very highly organized on a co-opera-tive basis.

J In one part of Sweden it was estimated that grass provided 34 per cent, of the fodder of cattle; roots, 9 per cent; hay, 23 per cent.; barley meal, 12.1 per cent.; and concentrates, 13 per cent. Here the cost of feeding cattle . was £7 10/- a cow, but in no part of ' Europe was the cost much below £8 a cow. ; In Finland, the farmer’s return was ’ very low. Because of the cold climate the farmer spent almost his whole year in growing enough to keep himself and • his family with a little left over to sell. The standard of living was particularly ; low in this country and the many women had to bear a big share of the I arduous farm work.