NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2161, 29 May 1914, Page 10

NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION

. ANNUAL REPORT. / DOMINION'S BUTTER & ■ CHEESE. The twentieth, annual report of tlio National Dairy Association . congratulates members on the'year's operations, "which compare more, than favourably with any of previous / year.' The profit l and loss account is new in credit to the extent of •E2709 153. "A., rm increase of JE395 7s. on tho year's working. The stock on hand is less in value than Usual, but is iii good order, and saleable. Goods alloat «t the end of, April are'also less than formerly. Indent orders for\l~he coming senson havo greatly increased in many lines and this part of the business is' developing each year.. Marino insurance for the year is about .£IOO,OOO below the" amount of last year. Tho membership of tho association stood at 150 at the end of tho financial year'as (against 138 for the preceding year. This is a'record for tho association..; ....:.'.:' ...,.,. ;...•,<......;. Future of this' Dairy Intiustry.. ■ . Tho report goes on" to slate that "tie'future of the butter. and cheese-industry ia assured judging'by the ■ growth of the yearly applications lor 'the registrations of new. factories. In this respect 32 applications liad been granted its' against S5 last. year. The trend is still towards tho manufacture of clieese. . . ' . . . . A retrospectlof .tho.lqSf:diliryiflg..season would bo incomplctsnvrtliont;TefMenc_e;tp_ the remarkable' spring" "a'riir~summe'F"cxperienced throughout New Zealand. The early spring and continual genial weather up to tho end of Deoehißer , was re- , sponsible for.',an exuberant'/ffroWth .of grass. Naturally tho lack of sufficient sunshine during this period produced/.a. ipasture wanting in body and substance.,From such J conditions an abnormal'.flow' of milk was.[obtained producing a,father lower average lest as compared with previous years'.■; When, enrly iiv 1911, climatic conditions changed, the pastures were quickly' affected. The: supply, of. milk rapidly,'decreased,, and,, though the autumn had "-in. some respects been 'favourable, the "season had not fulfilled . earlier expectations.- •.

The Export Figures. The butler;' Exported to all countries for llio year increased by 9.450 per cent., and cheese by 12.127 per cent. . Whilst nearly all tho North Island ports show increases in cheese, the v'aggregate quantity -from the South Island ports is not equal to. that of last year. , " Evidently the .'industry-is taking a, firjnerl hold of'the northern portion of tliG; Dominion. The standard of quality has: also..been generally ■.maintained. , To', , ; withstand the "keen- competition of margarine, the -duly ;J]oper;;pf. pb* 'tainiug high .values lies .in exporting, only a superfine article. AYith.re'gnrd;tp,che'e.st) the. quality 'for the past-.season-was a decided advanco'on tha't of. the, former." The', attached table'gives, the export of butter from tl/e undermentioned- countries for the past thrie , "years:—".;- ;- *■-'.','-, ... .. ■ : yy\ 1911-12.- 19]2^13.;' : .i913-14T .w!'i Tons. . •"toiis.'" 'tons? Argentine XXI.. 3,321) 1,792 3,161 Australia ;:>:•::.:... 32,246 25.39:1, 24,364 Kew Zealaud-;..'.'..; 17.U7 \ 18,260 19,296 Note of Disappointment; " I'he outstanding .feature of. the ...year, states'the report-was the prices realised for New,, Zealand "dairy .produce in the markets of .the :United Kingdom. From the shippers' 'standpoint tho-results have been profoundly disappointing. .It has boon laid.down as a sound principle-and necepted-by mtmy bavin* a full knowledge of the trade, that-provided half the Dominion produce is-sold'-at a satisfactory figure, fiO.b., the balance if consigned would return cmial if not'better net results. Practically this system was tried ' in connection with cheese last year, n.i probably half was sold, and has proved a failure. The wport >?oos'on to quote figures explanatory of the position.

Competition of Margarine. Reference is made to the competition jf , ' margarine. 'Phis article, says the report, is' noil' extensively advertised, and is forced., upoui..the.notice of the public nnd, freely offered .for. sale.. A.fovr" ye!)rs njoit tos Ttppt in Hip backjrrpund. but now it .'is beiiW'pushed ,for\yard ,and attention directed to Us cheapness and suitability as' a fcod. ■Recently the manufacturers of , niarjarlni* obtained a pronouncement from a leidiii'* scientist that margarine contained all the constituents of ■butter. The result was that many lnrge contract* hitherto filled with butter, are now satisfied to substitute margarine instead. Its comparative cheapness nn;l. general gef.-un render,it a'ser.ions'.nieuaco to the sale of genuine butter. •■•■ • ••' . The report goeV'ou.fo.deoKin' a'comnre. hensive manner with New Zealand liiitlw end chepsp trad? iir'coinpiu'ison with the Test of the world. V:; l . . ...■■' .' ; The Strike Losses.; The strike of 1013 is referred tn as havIng had'a disastrous effect nil the shipments of dairy produce, and the report remarks that it is hoped that the tini" is far distant when-the experience of 191.1 will be repeated;,-• . • ,