DAIRY INDUSTRY

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3180, 21 May 1932, Page 6

DAIRY INDUSTRY

FODDER CONSERVATION. New Zealand dairy farmers are not so "up against it" as their fellow dairymen in Australia as regards conservation of foodstuffs for their cattle, for the reason that this Dominion is not susceptible to drought" conditions over a long period. However, the following suggestion, as published in the current number of the Brisbane Courier, is interesting:— A novel suggestion was put forward by the Leader of the Country Party (Dr Earle Page) at Kingaroy when he suggested that butter factories should buy fodder in flush times and store it against dry times. This would be issued to suppliers as they needed it, and the factory would secure its remuneration- out of the suppliers' cheques. Dr Page was urging the initiation and the operation of a comprehensive scheme of fodder conservation against dry winters and occasionally droughts, to permit the maintenance of butter production at constant levels. He said that the dry spell which ended recently, and which covered 3 or 4 months, resulted in an actual monetary loss of £1,500,000 worth of butter in comparison with a similar period of last year. ■lf the efforts of individual farmers were backed up by such a scheme not only would prices be stabilised, but there would be assured out-, put all the year round and a continuous London market. Dr Page said that the butter industry offered great scope for further expansion. At present it suffered on the overseas market from irregularity of contact with customers and seasonal and climatic fluctuations in its output. If the right methods were used at Ottawa and a reciprocal tariff policy was put into operation, the opportunity would be afforded for a big expansion of the industry. If prices for butter remained low, then there was going to be greater consumption overseas, as there already had been here. To enable this objective to be attained it was necessary to assure British customers that we could supply butter all the year round.