THE DAIRYING SEASON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19437, 24 October 1925, Page 23 (Supplement)

THE DAIRYING SEASON

DECREASE IN THE OUTPUT EFFECT OF TARDY SPRING A review of the current dairying season, with reference to production, the effect of the unfavourable spring and advance payments, was given by Mr W. Goodfellow, managing-director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, at Hamilton on Thursday. Mr Goodfellow said that so far the 1925-26 dairying season hUd been one of the most backward he had ever experienced. Not only had the South Auckland /province suffered from the adverse conditions, but the whole of New Zealand had ben affected. Notwithstanding this fact the decrease in production had not been so great as might have been expected. The output . of butter manufactured by his company for the four months ended September 30 had been 3578 tons, compared with 3617 tons for the corresponling period of 1924, a decrease of 39 tons, or 1.14 per cent. The output of cheese for the first throe months of the season amounted to 244 tons, compared with 184 tons • for a similar period of last year, showing an increase of 32.8 per cent. For the month of September, 1925, the quantity of butter made by the company was 1839 tons, compared with 1934 tons for September, 1924. These figures showed a shrinkage in the output of 95 tons, or 4.9 per cent., and demonstrated how seriously the continuous wet weather experienced last month had affected the supply. The cheese figures for September were not yet available.

More -Cows Being Milked Continuing, Mr Goodfellow said the increase in the production of cheese this sdason w r as undoubtedly due to the high prices that were returned to the suppliers of cheese factories during the last year. Under normal conditions there would have been a great natural increase in production this season, due to a larger number of cow? being milked. But for this fact the lad verse weather conditions would have been reflected to a much greater extent in the quantity of butter-fat produc. Figures supplied by the Auckland Freezing Company showed that th( dairy produce in the Auckland pro vineo during September, 1925, totalled 111,221 boxes of butter, compared witt J 23.341 boxes for September, 1924, and 9565 edates of cheese compared witl 6524. The output of butter showed a decrease of approximately 10 pei cent., while that of choose had increas ed by approximately 45 per cent. The pronounced setback given t< production by the late spring "was wel illustrated by the following figure: showing the returns for the week end ed October 7. During that week thi quantity of produce which passei through tho Auckland grading store: was 33,119 boxes of butter *and 324 crates of cheese, compared with 40,211 boxes of butter land 2746 crate: of cheese for the corresponding period last year. These figures repro sented a decrease of 17 per cent, in th< production of butter and an increase o 25 per cent, in the production o

Tho figures for New Zealand showed that for the month of September 3976 tons of butter and 3708 tons of cheese , were graded by the Dominion stores, ' tho figures for tho same month Hast year being 4895 tons of butter and 2728 tons of cheese. Australian Production Down , Proceeding, Mr Goodfellow said advices received from Australia indicated that on account of the lato spring and dry weather conditions production was not up to that of last year. The weather conditions in Victoria had lately improved, but the weekly receipts of butter in Melbourne showed that dur- I ing the last month or so there were quite 100 tons less than during the same period last year. It was therefore evident that the total production of butter in Australia Und New Zealand during the current dairying season would be substantially less than it had been in previous years. It was also worthy of note than the stocks of produce held in Europe, the United States and Canada were much lighter than usual, and it was confidently expected that the early shipments of dairy produce from New Zealand would return very satisfactory prices to the | producers. Referring to the-question of ad-1 vancc payments, Mr Goodfellow said the directors of the New Zealand Dairy Company had decided to pay Is 6d per lb. butter-fat for superfine quality in both tho butter and cheese departments. In explanation of this liberal advance, ho said the whole of tho butter manufactured during the months of August and September had been shipped by the steamer Ruahine. Of the total of 135.643 boxes of butter carried by that vessel, the Now Zealand Dairy Company owned 78,600 boxes. This butter was'"due to arrive in England toward the end of November. and would be disposed of in good time for the London Christmas titide. The decision of the banks to curtail advances against dairy produce held in store had now been withdrawn in view of the improved outlook with regard to the shipping strike, and the hard sea son producers were experiencing. Tho directors of his company felt, that it was their dutv to assist suppliers as great an extent as possible, and for this reason they had decided to make the substantial advance payment on October 20.