PROBLEMS FACING DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17862, 2 June 1926, Page 13

PROBLEMS FACING DAIRY INDUSTRY.

NEED FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STRESSED. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, June 1. With a view to securing assistance from the Government in the establishing of a laboratory for dairy research in the South Island, a deputation, representing the South Island Dairy Association, waited on the Minister of Agriculture, the lion O. J. Hawken, tonight. Mr J. If. Middleton, chairman of directors. was the principal spokesman, fie said the time to bring up this matter was opportune, in view of the report by Sir Frank Heath, and he thought that possibly they might get a little bit further in their efforts. It ..was not the first time that they had stressed the urgency of having a laboratory in the South Island to deal chiefly with dairying problems, of which there was quite a sufficient number to keep experts busy. Last year, for instance, there had been a serious problem that had beaten the cheese-makers. Something had gone wrong with the starter milk, and there had been a great deal of waste. “ Another troublous point,” said Mr Middleton, “concerns waste products, that are in most cases poured down a natural watercourse, causing pollution, and 75 per cent of the factories are in such a position that if some cantankerous person applies for an injunction he can put them' out of action. It is beyond them to know what to do with their waste products, but science might be able to overcome that difficulty. We feel that it is essential for the welfare of the industry that something should be done, and we particularly want to stress the need of this island.”

Mr G. A. Lamb (secretary of the association) made reference to the trouble several Southland factories had experienced with their cheese. One factory had discovered that its cheese was going second grade, but could pot discover what the trouble was. The same thing happened in Wyndham. Mr Hawken: It cost a good deal of money, didn’t it? Mr Lamb: Oh, yes; it cost Southland a lot of money through the loss in the grading. It was found that only certain vats were affected. The trouble disappeared as mysteriously as it came. “ You know we are about to start, or are thinking of starting, an Agricultural College,” said Mr* .Hawlcen in reply, “ and attached to that will probably be a Dairy Institute, in which research will be carried out. Sir Frank Heath has remarked how extraordinary it is that New Zealand has carried out the dairying industry, without scientific research, and I fully appreciate that you are a long distance from Wellington, and many of these troubles have to be investigated on the spot.” He Said that a laboratory had been started in Hawera last year, and it. had been most successful in investigating such .problems as gassy milk, bad starter, etc., and in finding the causes of these troubles.it had helped the factory managers out of difficulties. It was now making a. pure starter which was being

supplied to the factories. “ I am sure that these laboratories will have to be established,” he said, “ but how and where I cannot say.” Mr Hawken added that the Hawera laboratory carried on itself, though the Government gave it £IOOO for a start, and the laboratory had engaged a scientist. He understood that they paid £6OO a year, while appliances also cost a good deal of money. “ I don’t like to say that we will help you at the moment,” said the Minister, “ but we will have to work out an organised plan, and for that reason I cannot name any sum. However, we have the thing in band, and wc appreciate your difficulties.” Mr Middleton said that it was felt that because; of the industries involved it was up to the Government to establislv a laboratory. : The Minister: I think that long ago the industry should have gone in for the thing itself. I can assure you that the Government will help. Mr Waite : Will it help as much as it helped Hawera ? • “ Well, I must find out if it is on the right lines,” MrTlawken replied. “It’s an intricate problem. It has to be an organised thing and must dOve-tail into the Vv-olrk the Department is doing at the present time.” ' The subject of the pollution of streams was dealt with. The Minister was of opinion that this, too, should come to a scientific investigation. “ I am satisfied,” he remarked, “ that the pollution of streams will not be allowed very long by the people of this country. I know how a stream can be polluted by waste matter. It’s not an easy problem.” Mr Middleton: Does the Hawera laboratory confine itself only to dairy problems? There are the questions of mammitis and contagious abortion, for instance. They have occasioned enormous losses. Mr Hawken: Mammitis has been investigated in Hawera, and I understand quite satisfactorily. You ne£d research officers of your own. He added that a tremendous amount of re search work was done by the Department of Agriculture. “ But from the report of Dr Reakes the results are entirely negative in regard to niammitis,” remarked Mr Middleton. “ One of the great causes of this disease spreading so widely is the absolutely free trade of diseased stock. I know several people who bought into diseased stock and got so disgusted that they pulled out.” “ Well, that’s a matter for the farmers,” Mr Hawken said. “It would be an enormous expense for the Government. If the farmer likes to buy cows without knowing where they came from it’s largely his own fault.”