GOLDEN COW

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1930, Page 8

GOLDEN COW

9 GROWTH OF DAIRYING. t• AMAZING WORK. IMPERIAL PREFERENCE URGED. At its meeting on Thursday, the Dairy Board decided to cable the PrimeMinister, the lion. G. W. Forbes, stressing the vital necessity of his urging at the Imperial Conference the adoption of some scheme of Empire preleience for the sake of New Zealand producers and British manufacturers. Behind this resolution and its realisation of the value of the British marke* to the New Zealand dairy producer (ami incidentally every other inhabitant-oi this Dominion) lies a remarkable story of the manner in which the dairy con in the last decade lias won its way to the title of “The Golden Cow.” No; every man realises the important part now played in the national progress ol New Zealand bv this humble lady of the fields. Her achievements is so great however, that she can claim a verj large share of the credit for the material advance made by the Dominion in the last ten years.

Dry as they are, statistics must be invoked to justify this claim. At the opening of this 10-year period in 1020 there were in the Dominion just over 900,000 dairy cows. To-day, ten years later, there are on the dairy farms of the Dominion 1,350,000 dairy cows, an increase of 50 per cent. The production of these dairy cows has, however, increased far more than 50 per cent, both in tonnage of produce and butterfat, but unfortunately owing to recent price variations, the increase in value at the moment can be Assessed only as approximately 50 per cent. REMARKABLE EXPANSION.

In the output an astounding performance has been put up. The subjoined table shows that whereas for the season 1919-20 the Dominion’s export of butter was 15,514 tons, the export for the season 1929-30 was 95,344 tons, an increase of 600 per cent. In cheese, however, the increase has been only from 77,047 tons to 87,253 tons. In actual tonnage of cheese and butter combined the decade shows an increase from 92,561 tons to 182,597 tons, approximately 100 per cent. Owing to the greater production of butter n>compared with cheese, the increase in terms of butterfat ranges from 46,332 tons (assessed as equivalent of butter) to 130,645 tons, an increase of nearly 300 per cent.. In other words, ,50 per cent', more dairy cattle in 1930 produced almost 300 per cent, more butterfat than the. dairy stock of 1920.

CAUSES OF GROWTH

This constitutes a remarkable tribute to the superior quality of the highly developed dairy cow now established on the dairy farms of the Dominion and reflects its need for praise upon the dairy (farmers themselves. Three main reasons are ascribed for this advance. First, better stock are being used, resulting from the herd testing movement. This is now on a satisfactory basis, with immeasurable possibilities for future benefit. Only' a few yeans ago it was coustomary to credit the individual dairy cow of New Zealand with a butterfat production of 1801 b per annum. In the herd testing groups there are now not one, but many herds of from 50 to 80 cows exceeding 3001 b of butterfat per annum, while in the best dairy districts, ifew herds averaging less than 24011) of fat per annum are given room. In addition to that factor,' dairy farmers have concentrated heavily upon the use of artificial fertilisers, with remarkable results in output. To-day the Dominion .supports seven large fertiliser works, which enable the farmer to apply phosphatic top dressing at the rate of upwards of a quarter of a million tons per annum. Huge as this total is, it represents application to but a seventh of the grass la’nds of the Dominion capable of being dressed. The third factor in increased production be.yond that of herd testing and top dressing is the dairy farmer himself. His farming methods have shown a wonderful improvement in the past decade, due to concerted Press education and personal interest. In place of dairying being but a sideline it has come to be recognised as a major activity worthy of the full specialised concentration of high-class farmers. No class of farming in the Dominion to-dav is conducted with a higher level of ability and specialised knowledge than dairy farming. The result is seen in the cosy homes and well-kept farms of the major dairying district.

GROWTH STARTED BY 1021 SLUMP. From the national point of view the past decade has seen the rise of the annual dairy output from a value of CIO, 550,000 in 1020 to .C 18.202.00 in 1030, Ibis last figure being £2,000,00 down on the preceding year through price variations. These figures represent only the export value of the dairy industry

to New Zealand. The local market w.tii the steady expanding population ol the -uomiiuon, is a considerable factor in die income of the industry, adding prouahiy at least £5,01)0,000 to £6,0u0,000 to tlie dairy farmers’ income tor dairy produce alone, apart from subsidiary revenue from calves, skins, etc. it is significant to notice that the forward movement of the dairy industry began in 1921, largely as a direct stimulus, of the low prices for primary products in that year, those low prices forced farmers to concentrate upon scientific production. To-day somewhat similar products are low. Under these conditions farmers, to maintain their position and their standard of living are forced to intensify efforts on production. The result in ail probability will be still further expansion not only m butter and cheese, but in the deveopment off the pig and poultry industries as subsidiaries to dairying. To ei-i-w-et this, cheap supplies of raw material and stock foods are required, and important moves along that line are maturing within the industry. -! HOW SECURE THE FUTURE ? \ In view of this record of expansion and the certainty of future growth it will be recognised how vital it is that dairy farmers should' endeavour to sejure themselves on the British market. Recently Canada, which last year ansorbed 20,000 tons of butter, closed her borders by the imposition of a duty of 8 cents per lb. This followed upon the closing of United State’s frontiers to Canadian dairy produce. The loss of this market will throw that additional quantity upon the' British market, the only open door extant. That mark-: ■t in turn is being invaded by Continental producers in ever-increasing quan uity. New Zealand has shown itself capable of practically illimitable expansion in dairy production, and given reasonable encouragement, by a slight preference, could speedily repTa.ce foreign supplies in large part on the •itish market and in doing so provide within New Zealand a bigger and richer purchasing public for British manufacturers. The outcome of the Imperial Conference is thus of vital moment to Dominion dairymen and t7ie followers of “the golden cow.”

Tons Tons % inc. Season Butter Cheese in Bi/fat. 1919-20 15,514 77,047 1925-36 62,557 74.145 5.6 1926,27 71,695 76,312 10.47 1927-28 74,723 75,753 2.59 1928-29 81,656 86,605 10.88 1929-30 95,344 87,253 10.40