BUTTER AND CHEESE.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1282, 17 August 1922, Page 4

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

ANNUAL STATISTICS.

iS!OME INTERESTING FIGURES

The annual list of creameries, factories, private dairies, and packing houses, published by the Agricultural Department, gives the names of the factories, the quantity of 'butter and cheese entered for export by each, and the number of suppliers to each .factory. The figures are as at 30th April, 1922, and on that date there ..were 156 creameries, as against 153 in 1920, 320 cheese factories against 384 5n 1920; 39 factories with dual .plants, against nil in 1920; 2 private dairies (butter) against 7, and 11 packing houses (milled* butter) against 28, making a total ol 538, against 573 in 1920. The main decline is in the nuriiber of cheese factories, for fifteen of these appear to have completely gone out of business since 1920. The Auckland district forwarded the largest quantity of butter for export, and Taranaki is the chief contributor of cheese, Wellington being next, and Otago and 'Southland third. , . The 'figures for both butter and cheese compare as under: (No. Qf

The butter and cheese, roughly, may be valued at £9,000,000 f.o.b. shipping port. In the 'North Island the milk and cream forwarcLed by 27,158 suppliers resulted in 37,876 tons of butter being forwarded for export, 'and from the South Island only 5723 tons 'were forwarded for 15.124 suppliers. In respect to cheese, the North Island sent forward 47,425 tons for 7429 suppliers and the South Island 14,937 tons for 5555 suppliers. The butter and cheese per supplier is as under: Butter. Tons per £ supplier. North Island 1.4 South Island 0:38 All New Zealand ...... 1.03 % v Cheese. , Tons per supplier .Ntfrth Island 6.38 South Island 2.70 All New Zealand 4.80. Dairying seems to be a side line with South Island farmers, who appear to favour mixed farming. The record of the iNorth Island is an exceptionally good one, considering the drudgery, attached to dairy farming. The dairy farmer; like the sheep flarmer, must accept export values that is,, the value in the world's (markets —in competition with the butter and cheese of other countries. When he wants to buy commodities and services he -is obliged to pay the artificial price fixed 'by customs tariff and4he Arbitration Court, and who can wonder if be becomes restive under such treatment?

Butter ... Oheese ... Tons. .. 43.599 .. 62,362 suppliers. 42.282 12,984 Totals ... .. 105,961 " 52,266