PROBLEMS FACED BY FARMERS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1930, Page 8

PROBLEMS FACED BY FARMERS

LORD BLED!SLOE’S ADVICE

SUPPLYING BRITISH MARKETS. MASTER TON, October 30.

Speaking at the Carterton Show today, the Governor-General. Lord Bledisloe, dealt with several questions ol current interest, amongst them being that of standardised cheese.

Observing that tiiycs were had, he urged fanners’ to be on the alert, first in supplying the British market with what it wanted in the way of produce, and second as to wlmt science could teach them of rural economy. He could not help thinking that there was scope for the introduction of new blood for the improvement of livestock in the Dominion. He would not liter into the controversial subject of whether the animals needed should be obtained from the Old Country, though personally be thought this would be safe. Fresh blood must be obtained however, if the constitution of the Dominion’s,-stock was to be maintained.

At the recent Royal Show lie had seen animals that would have taken prizes at any English show; but be bad seen others that showed evidence of in-breeding, and the necessity of fresh blood, continued Lord Bledisloe. He saw some that lie would rather not have seen parading in the ring. The reason, he discovered, was that in many classes at the Royal Show there were only two or three entries, but they all got prizes. If they wished to maintain the quality of their stock, they must instruct their judges to withhold prizes unless these were, deserved .

VALUE OF TOP-DRESSING. Lord Bledisloe commented with gratification on the growing realisation amongst New Zealand farmers of the value of top-dressing; but he urged that the right artificial fertilisers should be applied. Generous dressing ‘with nitrogenous and other manures was useless where the land needed phosphates and lime, as most of it did in the. North Island. He condemned as false economy any grudging of the expenditure needed to convey up to date knowledge to farmers. The- countries with which New Zealand was competing were listening to the teachings of scientists, and unless New Zealand also listened to these teachings, it would fall behind in the race.

STANDARDISED CHEESE. In catering for their main market in Britain, Dominion producers must supply what the British people wanted or go to the wall. He was not one of those who believed that a certain breed of cattle was equally good for butter or cheese but while, they might produce what they called standardised cheese, and it might be some of the finest cheese in the world, the British merchant classed it as skim-milk cheese, and would only pay for it what he was accustomed to pay for that class of cheese. Standardised cheese was not going to be judged upon its quality, but upon its name. Because the name did not convince the British purchaser, producers were not going to got full value for their cheese. “There must have been some good New Zealand cheese at the dairy show last week,” he added, “because it was placed first in competition with all Empire countries.” BRITISH BUTTER- MARKET. Tn regard to hotter as well as cheese. Lord Rlcdisloe urged that the markets to be served should he studied. For example, they should ascertain why New Zealand butter was in poor demand in the North of England, though it sold well in London and in the South of England. Popular features of taste, colour, and texture should he studied, so ns to give each area what it wanted. Export, hotter was graded very strictly in Denmark, and if the producers in this country submitted to the same regulations as their competitors they would I deserve to have, and would nlwnvs have, control of the market of the Old Country.