HERD TESTING

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1929, Page 8

HERD TESTING

DAIRY DIVISION'S REVIEW. The dairy industry last season, including the local consumption of butter and cheese was worth £20,340,000. In 1890 the export of butter and cheese was of the value of £543,473, just over half a million sterling; in 1909 it had grown to a value of £2,287,7-39 in 1919 it had reached £8,210,068. Today it exceeds £20,000,000. One phase of it developed slowly. This is the practice of herd testing. Fortunately much leeway has <been made up this last few years. For this the excellently conducted Dairy Division has to take a, god deal of credit. Mr William Singleton head of the Division, has just published through the “Journal of Agriculture” his review of the 1928-29 season. He remarks that the movement has received wider and more systematic support than ever before in the history of the dairy industry in New Zealand. An analysis of returns shows that almost 95 per cent, of the data supplied to the Dairy Division for summarising purposes was accurate and complete, pointing to methodical and intelligent recording, and in addition there was a very satisfactory increase in the total number of cows tested. Average yield, too, reached a very satisfactory figure, an exceptionally favourable dairying season Having, played its part in this respect.

CONSIDER ABLE ACHIEVE* 1 ENT. Some 259,594 dairy cows were tested in 1928-29, as compared with 224,130 in 1927-28, an increase of 35,464. The animals tested represented 20.1 per cent, of the total of the Dominion’s dairy cows in milk, or 18.9 per cent, of all cows—in milk and dry. Although, in retrospect, these percentages are evidence of considerable- achievement—the 1919-20 tested cows having been only 4-J- per cent, of the Dominion total—it would appear reasonable to hope for steady advancement for some years yet to come.

Showing how herd-testing has grown. Mr Singleton reports the tested in 1922-23 numbered 84,825; in 1923-24 they were 151,214; in 1924-25 they increased to 196,850; next year they declined to 169,776; in 1926-27 they increased to 170,150; and in the following year to 224,130. Districts in which tests were taken for 1928-29 were shown as follows:

North Auckland 48,713 Auckland 106,823 Gisborne 9,579 Hawke’s Bay 8,243 Talanaki 30,298 Wellington 36,547 North Island 240,203 Nelson 1,241 Marlborough 2,176 Westland Canterbury ...: 3,524 Otago 581 oSuthland 11,869 1 South Island 19.391 Dominion 259,594 Every land district except Otago has experienced an increase. This statement does not include Westland, from which no systematic testing of dairy herds was reported. Westland has 11,000 diary cows in*milk, and twelve dairy factories with 698 suppliers. There is room for strong herd-testing organisation on the West Coast. There has been a, satisfactory revival of interest in both Nelson and Marlborough, while the South Island as a whole has shown a greater increase than has hitherto been experienced. Effective summaries received for the 1928-29 season represent 94.6 per cent, of the total number of cows tested twice or more for all groups and associations operating in the Dominion. “This position,” reports Mr Singletoin, “is very gratifying. For purposes of this review production summaries are based on all cows in milk 100 days or more, which is the accepted

standard for the compilation of ordinary herd-testing returns. There were 245,811 cows in our effective summaries for the past season, or 39,448 more than for 1927-28.”

FEWER. DRY COWS. The average-yield figure, which last year was down to 224,681 b. of butterfat, lias risen for 1928-29 to a fraction more than the 1926-27 mark. The average butter-fat production for the season under review works out at 240.591 b. which, taking into account the marked increase in total cows

represented, is a very satisfactory attainment. The average for all cows in nulk was 242 days per cow. The highest cow was 305 days, the lowest 105 •days in milk. In five years the dairycow population lias increased by 47, (HI. 13ut there were 95,637 more cow's milked in 1928-29 than in 1924-25, while, despite the increase in total cows, the number of dry cows lias decreased by 46,000 in the five years. This represents a satisfactory economic position, as there is a marked tendency in the direction of decreasing the proportion of non-producing cows. Total cows in 1928-29 numbered 1,371,063, of which 1,291,204 were in milk; in the season 1927-28 there were 1,352,398 cows, of which 1,242,729 tvere in milk and 409.669 u'ere dry.

A HOPEFUL FUTURE. Summing up, Mr Singleton observes that the Xew Zealand dairy industry is justified in viewing the general position with satisfaction. More cows are being milked each year; the dairy cow population is increasing (though perhaps not as rapidly as one might wish); and average production per cow is slowly but certainly on the up trend. From the broader point of view the market values and general conditions relating to the commerce providing our quality is equal to the demands of the consumer. Some of the increased support accorded the herd-testing movement by the industry must lie credited to the Government’s assistance through grants to testing dairy-herd owners, modestly adds Mr Singleton. The first subsidy, granted July, 1927, was £BOOO, subsequently increased to a maximum of £975.-0, to enable a subsidy of Is per cow to he paid on animals eligible for subsidy on testing carried out under the group system and (id per cow for tuc association system* The second subsidy was increased to £10,500, and has been applied to the 1928-29 testing. A similar amount has been granted for distribution in due course on account of the current season (1929-30.)