The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwiea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1895. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 28, 1 August 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwiea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1895. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

The dairy produce trade last season was practically a disastrous failure, and it is necessary for us now, on the eve of a new season, to consider the causes of such failure and the prospects for the cotninp year. It is generally acknowledged that the abnormally low prices were duo to the enormous increase in the yield of I produce, caused by the wonderfully favorable season in Great Britain and the other dairy producing countries of Europe. In addition, we now know that very heavy stocks of colonial butter were held over in London from the previons season. These, coining into competition with the new season's

make, helped to cause a further fall, and the result has been very serious losses to the firms dealing in colonial dairy produce. We must confess to a considerable amount of astonishment at the apparent lack of foresight on the part of the English produce merchants, who, one would think, should have been able to guage the prospects of the market in the face of surrounding circumstances ; But it seems they could not, and have suffered accordingly, and they were not alone, for, unfortunately, the colonial dairy farmer has had to suffer with them. We will now consider what the prospects are for the coming season. This is a most important subject when we remember that a large number of farmers have gone, more or less heavily, into dairying. We must, therefore, weigh the matter carefully. The first thing to be considered in the light of the experience of the past season is, how does the present English summer compare with last? So far as we have been able to learn it has not been favorable to heavy growths of fodder. The late winter and early spring were severe, and tho summer set in hot and dry, consequently the hay crops were much lighter than those of last year. From this we gather that the output of produce will be only normal. It is noticeable that there does not appear to have been any appreciable increase in the number of producers in European countries last year, and the low range of prices will not encourage any this year. Again, the panic which ensued among the holders of colonial butter was not altogether an unmixed cvii as it forced holders to get rid of the j accumulations of old stocks. We ' shall, therefore, start the season with , a market bare of colonial dairy produce, and with only a normal production of the Home article. It is worthy i of remark, in this connection, that colonial butter is now selling at a | higher rate than it has done at this season for the past six years. Wo may opine, therefore, that the prospects for the coming year, though not calculated to make ua build any very high hopes, are still moderately | favorable. In this district dairying, from one cause and another, has not " caught" on as it has in other parts of the colony. Only lately one gentloman, who has done a great deal for the industry, has announced his intention of retiring from the trade, at least so far as the factory system is concerned, owing to lack of support. This, although to be re- j gretted for his sake, may be productive of good. It is an article of faith with many that the co- operative sys tern is the one most calculated to benefit the dairy farmers, and if they will now work on those lines, we are sure they will not regret it. We have in this district a Co-opera-tive Dairy Company which has been a great benefit to the community. It has established a name both locally and in Great Britain for the excellence of its manufacture, and the only thing i which has prevented its being of even j greater benefit is the want of a larger i supply of the raw material. We would like to see more of our larger J farmers give this industry their sup j port. If they do not care to employ the labour, necessary for dairying, j themselves, why not follow the plan, so much in vogue in other parts of | the colony, of milking on shares. ! This method is largely pursued in I Taranaki, and in at least one instance on the East Coast, and is found to be very profitable to all parties. We would, therefore, commend it to the attention of some of our large graziers.