WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1930, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAIRYING

A TROUBLED INDUSTRY.

(Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, October 31

Tlie dairy farmers of the Dominion for some time past have been gravely perturbed by the outlook of their products during the current season. Apparently they have reason for their concern. Mr William Goodfellow, the managing director of Amalgamated Dairies, who returned from a business trip to Australia the otlie day did mince matters when discussing with other experts the prospects of the markets. The outlook for both butter and cheese, he said, was by no means assuring, and he would not be at all surprised if the price of butter in London fell to a still lower level. It was estimated in Australia that the export surplus of butter from the Commonwealth durin gthe season would amount approximately to 50,000 tons, an enormous increase upon previous supplies from the sister States. Neither Australia nor New Zealand, Mr Goodfellow went on to sav, had yet acquired the art of distribution, 92 per cent, of their butter and cheese going to London, while no more than 8 per cent, of their produce .was consigned to the provinces. It seems from these figures that large fields of possibilities still remain unexplored by • the producers at this end of the world.

PRODUCERS’ DIFFICULTIES.

Addressing the members of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ k UnionJ at the very time Mr William Goodfellow was ; emphasizing the gravity of the difficulties besetting the dairy industry, Mr W. T. Poison M.P., the president of the Union urged tlie producers to “wait and see” the results off various expedients that were being tried with a view to improving the position. “Mr W. A. lorns, the Chairnfan of the Dairy Control Board,” he said, “has taken a very strong stand in regard to standardised cheese, which was established quite recently and.. has not yet had a very long trial. It is a very important question indeed, and it is very important that no hasty step should be taken by the Dairy Department, which, after all has the last word in regard to this matter. It is a bad time to swap horses in the middle of ■ the stream. A great deal more caution should be exercised than the Dairy Board has yet displayed.” Mr T. C. Brash, secretary of the Dairy Board,following Mr Poison, after admitting that all was not well with the Dominion’s cheese, confessed that the butter position also was difficult. Canada last year had taken 800,000 boxes of New Zealand butter, this year it Wfts taking practically none.

TIGHTENING UP.

A business man, who lavs no claim to a knowledge of the technique of butter and cheese making, says the complaint of the exporters at the present time is that the products of the New Zealand Dairy industry are maintaining to-day the relative prices with the products of other countries they (lid a few years ago. He does not wish to discuss the merits or demirits of .standardisation and he does not challenge the assertion of the cheese factory representatives who met in Hamilton a little while ago to declare that in their opinion “a degree of improvement in the quality of make of cheese in New Zealand (full cream and standardised) can be brought about by the tightening up of the existing regulations which protests against the proposals to abolish the present regulations which permit of standardisation.” My authority cannot quite understand how so admirable a practice requires “the tightening up of the existing regulations,” but perhaps this lies at the bottom of the whole contention. There may be standardisation and standardisation, and one measure may not agree with another. Anyway it is obvious that the whole position needs the closest examination by capable and independent authorities. UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK.

Meanwhile it will not be unprofitable to bear closely in mind Mr Goodfellow’s observations concerning the future, a<s he saw it after his visit to Australia. Speaking generally as to the prospects for the approaching season, this very observant authority safd the outlook was extremely uncertain and no one could confidently forecast the measure of the output or the prospects of market. If the depression continued in Aus tralia and New Zealand itself suffered, producers would have to accept very low prices. “I would not be surprised ho added, “to see the butter market fall to a considerably lower figure, .so far a:; London is concerned, than it is at present.” All this emphasizes again the need for other markets than London for New Zealand dairy produce. If the Dominion continues to pour its butter and cheese into the Great Metropolia, without regard to higher quality ar.d other available markets, it certainly will have little prospect of regaining the position it once occupied in this great industry.