THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1489, 11 July 1912, Page 8

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

> 'AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT'S , REVIEW. The past year vas the most remarkable in the hHtory'-'of the dairy industry in this country, says the late. Minister for Agriculture in the Department's report; ■\vhick lias jvist been presented to lavliariient. 'l'he one drawback, the report adds, was the unprcpitious weather ot spring, and early summer, which adversely atl'ccted the volume of production. •With improved climahc conditions . in tlio latter .part of the sea'ou production was prolonged, and the good recovery made up to a great extent fc>r t.lu> snortago in the flush of the year. However, the volume of the milk supply was little Mow that of last year. Prices, principally for consigning factories, have been phenomenal, records having been established by both butler ?ml cheese companies. The price received for outright sale by a, Taranaki cooperative buttoy companyfor its seasons output, llid., ra* never before been reached tor sucii a transaction,.and-this pricc was* exceeded by the consigning factories in the past •season. In previous seasons as lugh a price has been reached on the London market, but the-exceptional value then ruled but for a few weeks at tlio most. This year, however, the record prices have 'been maintained for months. 11l cheeso- the market values have also been on a-recunl basis, and here again the consigning- 1 factories have done much, better than those which sold their outputs. •V notable circumstance of , tlie season has been tlie better appreciation of byproducts. Farmers are coming to realise that valuable residual nnitoMals have been practically,wasted or have.not lieen utilised to the best advantage.' the most important fact in this connection is that suppliers to cheese factories have touml that in adopting the ■ ueeessflTj" principle of v;liey pasteurisation, as a means ot preventing the spread of bovine tuberculosis, they have thereby mad« tlio residual product a much more valuable feeding product. The manufacture of casein front skim-milk is engaging the attention of co-operative butter companies. If established on a sound foundation this business promises to prove successful, and to materially add to tlio profits from milk production. At present the demand for the product is good, but so far only one company is inanufacturiiipt.it in New Zealand. Realising the possibilities in the business, ' the Government authorised the dispatch of an officer to the Continent to secure tlio latest of casein I manufacture, fl'id to accjuirc information as to the possibilities of a regular niarTlic appointment of a London officer of the Dairy ' Produce Division has been amply justified. The reports wliicn have reached the Government, from this om- : cial by every weekly mail show that he is doing excellent work on behalf of our producers of buttor and cheese. It is gratifying to know that herdtesting work, one of the .first subjects, to receive the Hon. T. Mackenzie s attention v/hen called upon to «mtrol the Department of Agriculture, is being taken •up enthusiastically now that farmers are realising its great benefits. That it is necessary to test the individual cow regularly throughout tho season has quite passed beyond the '. theoretical 6tage. Dairy farmers in general; owing to ,the. model herd testing associations established by the Department, are realising the practical need of it. It is well to know that there'is also a growing appreciation of the importance oi the purebred bull, preferably with ancestors of proved milking capacity. Tlie grading of our butter and cheese continues to be carried out in a highly satisfactory manner. A notable feature of tho year's work reported by the grading officials "is-that thero; has been a great improvement in the flavour and uniformitv of the make of the butter graded for export. ' With very few exceptions the dairy their', cream' for ljutter' makiiiL', 'and-the process' is' being attended with splendid results. '.The quality .of. the export cheese has also': shown .an improvement, especially in. flavour. . ,

"The weakness of the inHustryf.cbntinhes to be tho wuut of -a clean and uniform

milk supply. While many of 'our dairy fanners —in aome caws the mnjority of tho suppliers, to'particular factories—are delivering thoir;milk in a. very Kiti.sfactorv slate, others are not taking the earo of it they should; ami are thus lowering the milk of their more careful neighbours to the level of their own. lv.lucaliojial work is the only means ot bringing About the desired change.