THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1923, Page 4

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

AVUNOFRITi. GROWTH In-

SCRIBED.

At tho weekly luncheon of the “Y" Club, at Wellington. Mr T. (_. lira-li. ol the National Dairy -Asm riaiiun. spoke on “The Dairy Industry in New Zealand. - ’

there were, he said, two discoveries which made ail the difference to the industry—the cream separator and the freezing process. Tho former brought central dairy factories into being, and gave the industry its firr-t lift along. Almost from it* inception the idea of

co-operation in the dairy business gave !, n impetus to the production of butter.

The lirst dairy companies were IMcndalo and Creytown. From the (llara factory near Waipapn Point, in the South ot Kaitaia, north of Auckland, there were 500 factories, all but 50 being co-operative concerns. The first export of dairy produce was to Australia in 18711 (10 tons of farmers’ butter and 172 tons of choose), but in 1883. 113 tons of butter and 12d tons of cheese were exported. In 1 SOU. the amount exported was 3300 tons of brsttor and 39.82 tons of cheese: in 1003. 13,150 tuns of butter and 3733 tons of cheese: in 1013. 18. ld() tons of butter and 31.708 tons of cheese. The figures for 1923 wen 1 70.000 tons of butter and 00,000 tons of cheese, the value being £1(1,000.000 cheese giving rather a

better ridurii. fast year £1.300.000 had been paid in freights and 80 steamers had been employed in the trade. The production of by-products bad also grown. These were casein, glaxo, sugar lof milk, and dried milk for all of I which there was an increasing demand. | To pasteurising Mow Zealand led the world, especially in cheeseniaking. Xcw Zeal.ind had nothing to fear so far as competition with other countries was concerned. Ai one time our i onitictiters for tile British market were Denmark. Canada. Siberia, the Argentine, and Australia, but now Britain imported Id per cent, more from Xew Zealand than any other country, and the amount was steadily increasing. In legat'd to choose. Canada used to export dl) per tent, of the British imports. hut the amount was steadily declining. and Now Zealand was sending On.ikiO tons tn Canada's 40.000 and getting a slightly better price. Wonderful assistance had been given by the Agricultural Department to the industry over a long period of years. Their first expert came from .Scotland, Ihe next one from Denmark and the hist—

I 0(1 years ago—from Canada. ,'nw. New Zealand was able to produce her own. He could not speak 100 higiily of the effect of the grading system on the trade. Ho had been informed by a merchant in England that Xew Zealand was the only country in the w.'id to which he could send a cabl.'.i.'in for 1000 tons of a certain qiia'irv of butter, and u now that lie would be certain to get it. owing to the f i '.trntnent grading system. 'I he i twins try wjas not only well established, but the production was bound to go increasing and would maintain its position as the most important export we dealt with. (Applause).