DAIRY PRODUCE YEAR

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 281, 26 August 1942, Page 4

DAIRY PRODUCE YEAR

Figures published in the Abstract of Statistics,' covering the production year, illustrate to what a great extent climatic conditions affect the primary industries, especially dairying. When compared with the aggregate exports for the preceding year, shipments of butter showed a decline of 548,000 cwt. and those of cheese an increase of 128,000 cwt. Quantities in stock were probably smaller as at June 30 last than they were a year earlier and the numbers of dairy cows in milk showed very little change. There were two prime factors in the position. One was that the 1940-41 production year was ideal, from the farmer’s point of view. The season started well, with ample feed and mild weather and the growth continued throughout. As a result the output reached record levels, butter showing an increase of 370,000 cwt. and cheese 756,000 cwt. Faced with a request for more cheese in the past season the industry entered upon the biggest reorganization scheme in its history, but conditions were unfavourable. A poor spring was followed, in some important dairying districts, by a prolonged dry spell. An analvsis of the figures shows that it was in the first six months that the decline occurred, butter being down 426,000 cwt. and cheese 139,(JuU cwt. In the second half of‘the year, with a better autumn, production improved and an increase of 267,000 cwt. was recorded in the cheese output. The exports of cheese in the 1941-42 year were more than l,ooo,ooocwt. above the total for the last pre-war in the same year butter showed a drop of approximately 320,000 cwt. This year the call is for as much butter as can be produced and shipped and the season is reported to have commenced well. Dairy factories in various districts have had much heavier deliveries of cream and milk and, given reasonable climatic conditions, much can be expected of the 1,775,000 or more dairy cows which comprise the herds. Apparently it was the 1937-38 season that established the record for butter exports with 2,917,000 cwt. That level has never been reached since, but there has. not been an organized effort to do so. That effort is to be made this season and everything that can be done has been or is being done. But, as the figures for the past season show, there are factors beyond the power of man to control ’ and serious handicaps have been imposed by enemy action. Ihe export of 4,774,000 cwt. of dairy produce last season was a. good record on the part of both men on the land and those on the ships.