THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1928, Page 7

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY

The statistical survey of the daix-y----ing industry has been greatly elaJborated in the last two annual reports of factory production in Now Zealand and much instructive information has thus been, made available. Even yet, there are important aspects of the industry excluded from examination. For instance, although the analysis in terms of butter-fat is shown in great detail, no part of the statistics refers to the modern movement to increase production by improving the quality of herds. Apart from such special limitations, the value of the statistics to the industry and to the individual dairy farmer depends upon intelligent care in drawing deductions from them. The report for 1926-27 shows that 507 factories received from 54,873 suppliers milk and cream representing over 227.000,0001 b of butter-fat, from Which they manufactured products valued at £19,021,878. The total amount 'distributed among suppliers was £14,690,868, the average return being £264. That last figure should not be considered without due regard to. various important qualifications. It certainly represents the average payment to dairy factory suppliers throughout New Zealand, but it would be a great mistake to suppose it is an index of the gross income of dairy fanners, out of which all farms expenses have to be paid.

All suppliers to dairy factories are not dairy farmers in the general sense of the term; many of them deliver only the surplus from a few cows to the nearest factory, their butter-fat cheques being only a part of heir income. That is evident from the provincial averages as well as from common knowledge of rural conditions.

The payout to suppliers varied from £BB in Canterbury and £92 in Otago to £367 in Auckland and £495 in Taranaki. In the dairying districts proper, the evidence of the specialisation appears in the separate returns for cheese factories. Suppliers to these in the Auckland province, received on the average £643 for 10,2461 b of but-ter-fat, and in the Taranaki £669 for 10,53611 b, while the average returns for dual factories were £507 in Auckland and £547’ in. Taranaki. Without information regarding the number of cows represented by these figures, it is difficult to derive any positive conclusions from the statistics as to the degree of prosperity in the industry. /... The wide variations in the principal dairying /districts from the , general average for the Dominion are, however, sufficient to serve as A warning against the risk of accepting £264 as the average income of dariy farmers in New Zealand. It represents merely the average amount paid for butter fat to 54,873 suppliers without counting income from other sources.