BIG DAIRYING CONCERN.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1920, Page 8

BIG DAIRYING CONCERN.

the market prospects. A NOTE OF WARNING. At the annual meeting of the N.Z. Cooperative Dairy Association at Hamilton last week, the attendance was a record one - , ,• x Mr. C. Motion, chairman of directors, said: "The turnover for the past year has exceeded two millions sterling, which figure is considerably in excess of that,of any other dairying concern in the southern hemisphere. I have no hesitation in saying that the outlook for ti ie dairy farmer for the next year or two is exceedingly bright. I think it mv duty, however, to sound a note of warning regarding the high land values rulin" in the South Auckland province. If the prices for dairy produce hold, the probability is that the majority of those who have recently purchased at' extremely high prices will be all right, but if tliero should be a decline in prices, I am satisfied that many will lose their .farms and much hardship will be the result. We have a wonderful country, and the finest dairying climate in the world, but notwithstanding these great natural advantages, it is highly desirable that the price of our farm land should not be forced up to an excessive figure, otherwise our producers will have to work exceedingly hard to make both ends meet. The' advance prices for the coming season have been fixed by the South Auckland Dairy Association for the month of August, butter Is 6d, cheese Is 9d, dried ,milk 2s, but just as soon as the disposal of the butter has been settled will the price of butter and cheese be raised to 2s per lb. ! -The total for the season, if nothing unforeseen occurs, will probably be 2s 7M for butter, 2s 8d and 2s lOd for cheese, and 3d for casein.

Mr- VYm. Goodfellow said the turnover this year exceeded £2,000,000, and next year it would be doubled. A number of suppliers had asked why the company should worry itself about further ■amalgamations. Their object was to consolidate the dairying industry in the Auckland province. Australia had sold tier butter to the Imperial Government at 2405, and there were many people who thought, when this deal was put through, that the 'New Zealand produce was ,in the pocket of the Food Controller of Great Britain also, at a similar price. Fortunately their company 'was strong enough to maintain a firm attitude, and they had now been promised 2SOs for their butter, though the conditions requested by the New Zealand butter producers for a free market after March 31 next had n£t yet been granted. There was a strong body in Kngiand, known as the Consumers' Council, urging the Imperial Government to permanently control overseas butter. If this principle was established, it might | prove to he disastrous to New Zealand j producers, and such control would unj doubtedly spread to cheese, meat, and other products.