DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Wairarapa Age, 4 July 1929, Page 3

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS REVIEWED. SAVINGS MADE BY CONTROL BOARD. ADDRESS BY MR. W. A. lORNS. At W'h-angarcl last week, Mr. W. A. lorns, chairman of the Dairy Produce Board, addressed over 300 delegates at the annual conference of the National Dairy Association. Congratulating the industry on its progress, Mr.. lorns said he visualised the time, within a few years, when the Dominion would export 100,000 tons of butter and 100,000 tons of chee.se per annum. Top-dressing and herd testing had played a great part in swelling the production. Critics who railed against the board should retmember that prices in the past iseason had remained fairly stable in spite of increased production and such unforeseen contingencies as the very bad winter in England and the diversion of -large quantities of European dairy produce to the United Kingdom. Indications for the coming season were hopeful, for 8 5-8 d per lb. had been offered for cheese up to Christmaa while Canadian buyers had offered Is 5d per lb. for butter up to the end of next February. The board had successfully aimed at the wider distribution of New Zealand produce and hoped to persuade shipping companies to establish more frequent services to the west coast ports of Britain. The world growth of population and wealth was keeping -ahead of the world dairy production and if New Zealand exported only the best quality butter and cheese the producers would always get the highest values allowed by the laws of -supply and demand. The best of New Zealand butter and cheese could not bo beaten, said Mr. lorns>, but in some cases the rush for yield by factories had affected quality, although standardisation had slowed this tendency in cheese. The board had put herd testing and calf marking on a Dominion and a more standardised basis. In regard to the Dominion group herd testing federation it had been decided to recommend the Government to appoint Dr. C. J. Reakes, direetorgeneral of agriculture; Mr. W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division; and Messrs. Dynes Fulton (Hamilton); G. H. Bell (Taranaki), G. A. Herron (Southland), P. W. Hill (Northern Wairoa) and the chairman of the Dairy Board a central herd-testing executive.

LOWER INSURANCE RATES. When lit was considered it took 100 steamers a year to transport New Zealand’s produce it became obvious there must be some unavoidable delays, but the board had done fairly well and was now seeking a better service rather than still lower charges. Nearly every ship was closely inspected on arrival in England and that, together with the inspection system at this end, was producing splendid results. Reductions effected by the board in marine insurance now amounted to more than the levies paid by all cheese companies and from August next insurance rates would be further reduced to save another £5OOO or £6OOO a year to the industry. The fact that this was conditional on the present system of the board’s inspection at New Zealand ports being continued proved the value of the system. This further reduction in insurance rates had been -secured in face of the fact that one other important primary industry this year would have to face a 40 per cent, increase in marine insurance rates. SAVINGS ALREADY EFFECTED.

Since its inception the board had saved the butter factories with an output of 500 tons a sum of just on £l3OO a year, while all such a factory paid in levy was £146. Saving in freight alone was £lOOO a year. A cheese factory of the same size saved £1246 a year for a levy of £72, and these figures did not include the further pending reduction in marine insurance.

The board was spending £16,506 this year in publicity, but before seeking more money for advertising it desired to get down to a common policy and was now consolidating its position in England. It exhibited, at all shows and carnivals at Home? .supplied retailers with posters and had placards on trams and delivery vans in cities. FINANCES OF THE BOARD. Speaking of finance, Mr. lorns said the board ended last year with a reserve of £42,060. This year the reserve would be about £32,000. Last year the levy was £32,000 and this year it would be almost £35,000. It was likely a further grant of £BOO would be needed for dairy research at Massey College, Hawera and Hamilton. Research was such an excellent thing it made one wonder how the Dominion had increased dairy exports to over £20,000,000 a year without research except in very recent years. Mr. lorns was loudly applauded. A motion of thanks to the speaker and confidence in the board and its policy was carried by a very large majority, an amendment by a few advocates of absolute control who desired elimination of the word confidence from the motion being defeated.