DAIRY RECOVERY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 22 November 1939, Page 4

DAIRY RECOVERY

GISBORNE DISTRICT 10 PER CENT INCREASE HIGH LAND BACKWARD FEWER COWS MILKED Dairy production in the Gisborne district has recovered somewhat from the exceptionally low returns during the past drought season, but the output is still well below that of two years ago. Farmers on the flat land have benefited during the past month or so by a good growth of grass, and their production shows a satisfactory increase, but those on the high country haveexperienced a backward spring, and their cream supplies are below those of the corresponding period last year. Despite the high country position, however, the district at present is showing a 10 per cent increase over the production of a year ago. Hopes had been expressed a short time ago that the whole of the past season’s deficit would have been recovered this year, but the weather conditions, combined with a reduction in the number of cows being milked, has prevented the expectations being realised. Maize Crop Increase The reduction in the number of cows milking is attributed partly to a difficulty in securing adequate labour and also to the large increase in the planting of maize. The extent of the increase in maize plantings is indicated in a statement made to-day to the effect that fully half of some properties are now planted in maize, this, of course, considerably reducing the areas available for dairy production. Farmers on the flat land have been well satisi’ed with the growth in their pastures so far, and with last week's rain, though temperatures were cold, a further fillip was given to growth, prompting many farmers to believe that they were “set until Christmas." as they expressed it, so far as the feed position was concerned. Drying Winds However, the drying winds and high temperatures of the past few days nave caused many to revise their week-old opinions. Those pastures with a good covering of grass have not suffered greatly yet, but there is a browning tendency on some of the light land, and unless further substantial rain falls during the interval the pasture position may provide some cause for concern. So far the Gisborne district is one of the few that has been able to show an increase in dairy production over the past season, but if a flry summer follows the dry winter and spring farmers cannot hope to maintain a high level of output.