Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1932, Page 8

Farming Column

REPLACEMENT OF DAIRY STOCK.i MORE PRODUCTION AIMED AT. Some time ago details of. a plan for ! the general application of the herd testing principle throughout the Dominion and for the replacement of unprolit- ( able cows with heifers of high producing strain,, were forwarded ,to the Minister of Agriculture and the Director | General of Agriculture (Dr. O. J. Reak-. es). The plan was evolved by Mr J. | Armstrong, a well known farmer of Opotiki. Comments on the plan have now. been received by Mr Armstrong, states an exchange. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. .C. E. Macmillan, in sending a memorandum supp.ied to him by Dr. Reakes in criticism of the scheme, says. | ! “Although, unfortunately, it is not within the realm of practical politics at the present time, 1 agree with Dr. Reakes that it is valuable, and 1 am keeping it on record in the hope that we shall- be able to adopt it, at any rate to some extent, when the situation is easier.” In his memorandum, Dr. Reakes says: | •Mr Armstrong’s scheme appears good theoretically. It requires: (a) Sufficient marked calves to provide j replacements in dairy herds for cows . culled out on test at 200. b of butter j fat; (b) sufficient areas of land suit-; ably grassed for grazing heifers that will develop into cows which will yield, say, 250. b butter fat or more annually. '

“To obtain marked calves in numbers required by (a.) would . require years of effort. If we take 2,,01 bof fat as the production of .the average cow, presumab.y one , half of ‘our 1,500,000 cows are producing below that average. That is, 750,000 cows require rfeplacement. Assuming tnat one half of the calves are heifers, and that marked heifer calves froiq 2501 b butter iat dams are to be used, there is possibly not more than 15 per cent, of the calves which will qualify for marking. This in one year would supply only 225,0'J0 replacements. Other replacements would be required owing to disease and accident.

“Compulsory testing as staled by Mr Ai instrong would be necessary, if all cows were tested and those with recorded yields below 2001 b fat culled out, many of these would doubtless .'be better cows than some of tiiuse retained owing to the lower producers having insufficient ieed to enable them to do themselves justice. It would probably require 1500 men to test, all New Zealand cows each year, and of these some 2/0 are now. so employed. At 5s a cow- the additional cost would aggregate £307,500 .. yearly, plus an expenditure for plant- during the first year of some £62,500. I am of the opinion that public dairy opinion is not favourable to compulsory testing, and neither- is it in favour of the compulsory branding of •cows with yields below la stated amount of butter fat.. Inasmuch as (b) depends on (a), and (a) -seems to be impracticable, I do not consider that (b) is practicable in the meantime as a large scale business proposition. “The above is designedly submitted as a criticism of Mr Armstrong’s proposals, .. At the same time, I must say, that his article indicates both vision and initiative, and his views are well worth keeping in mind f°r further consideration when the financial situation is more - favourable.”

In his reply, Mr Armstrong claims that in 10 or 12 years • the average, would be something near 3001 b, instead of 1851 b as at present. The difference in value between 300 and 185 at present prices would mean £10,125,pOO per annum. Added to this wa s the fact'that Large areas of land now idle would'be broken in for closer, settlement. He suggested that a conference between the department and the Herd Testing Federation might evoke some workable scheme that would speed up Resting and get rid of that 1851 b average, which was much too low. . Mr Armstrong’s scheme of compulsory herd testing for the whole Dominion has been causing considerable discussion in dairying circles, and in some quarters it is considered that such’ a step, if adopted by the Government,* would do far more to overcome the depression in quick time than all the schemes so far propounded put together. I-'’'-'' ’ ' !i Mr Armstrong’s contention that the. average production could be increased from the present figure of 1851 b hub ter fat a cow to 3001 b in from 10 to 12 years is regarded as oo exaggeration A few years ago the average for the Dominion was 2301 b butter fat a cow. The sudden decrease to 1851 b is said to be due partly to many sheepfarmers taking no dai"vmg and with the sudden demand for stock many inferior heifers have been raised to meet the demand.

A REMARKABLE MARKET. Great Britain’s remarkable consump tive capacity is strikingly illustrated in the figures given in the review of the butter market for the year endeo June' 30, 1932, just published by W, Weddell and Company, Ltd. Total imports from all sources for the 12 months amounted to 412,863* tons, as compared with 360,254 tons in 1930/31, an., increase of 52,609 tons, or 14.6 per cent; Jn the past 10 years the . imports of butter into Great Britain have more than doubled. No wonder prices have fallen to the lowest level for near-; ly 40 years, remarks the review. The wonder is that this vast quantity o butter, in addition, to the comparative-

ly insignificant Home make, can be absorbed into the trade and consumed in the present economic state of the country. This was only possible bv reducing the retail price of butter to a point where it came into strong competition with margarine. With first class butter selling on the counter at Is a lb the sale of margarine during the past year must have declined seriously. Out of the total imports of butter last year 209,815 tons, or 50 per cent, came from British Empire sources, as compared with 48.5 per cent, in 1930/31; In spite of .steady progress in butter export by Denmark, and to a smaller

; extent by other foreign countries, supplies of Dominion butter still maintain their relative position in this market. 1 Australia, has made enormous strides in recent years, and her total of 80,981 tons shipped last year is 30 per cent, j more than the previous year’s total and near>v double the quantity received in 1929/30. , | New Zealand’s total was also- a re--1 cord one, amounting to 103,427 tonsj against 87,493 ton s in 1930/31, an increase of 15,934 tons or 18.2 per eeiit., but this increase • was achieved partly at the expense of cheese production which showed a drop of 11,120 tons; - Drum Canada and Bouth Africa larger quantities were received, but shipments from the Irish Free State were smaller. Foreign supplies at 204,048 tons were 18,464 .tons (10 per cent.) heavier than in 1930/31. Danish butter was more plentiful at. 125;698 tons!,, but arrivals from the Argentine Republic amounting to 19,554 tons show a, drop of 1804 tons. Shipments from Sweden and Holland were slightly reduced from Estonia and Latvia.

BRITISH FRIESIANS.

2000-GALLON COWS

- > The British Friesian breed now claims no fewer tlhan 40 cows winch have yielded more than 2000 gallons in three separate lactations. The latest addition to the list is Clmddesley Gretchen, an eight year-old cow bred by Messrs E.. R. and H. 'Willetts, in Derbyshire. Al- - together 433 British l’Viesians have now passed the 2000 gallon mark, nine having given over 3000 gallons in a Jactation. -

Recent milk records show that, a marked improvement in the butterfat content of British Friesians milk has been effected, mainly by selecting breeding animals which scored well in this respect. lltie Ayrshire breed makes la good showing in the milk recording results lor Scotland which have late.y been published;; Among the first 60 cows producing the highest yields in the milk recording year and producing a. second calf within 13 months are 136 Ayrshire*’. The leader, is Mr Alex Muchie’s cow Bogside Fenella, an II year-old which, in 45 w'eeks, gave 1976 gallons, analysing 4.34 per cent.- bufeteriat. This cow went on to complete a yield of over 2OOJ gallons in 49 weeks.

LOW WOOL PRICES.

GROWER NOT ENCOURAGED.

Leading Bradford importers say it will take years of hard propaganda work to persuade wool growers in the Dominions \that the market for raw material of good condition is -being undermined by the low prices prevailing. The w-00l now being received is deteriorating tremendously, and the present low prices offer no .encouragement to the grower to exercise additional care.

A wool textile delegation, represent-, ing all sections of the industry, has issued, a protest agaiust the abuse of the w-ord wool in collection with artificial fibres. It is stated that the term “artificial wool” is a misnomer, as no product deserving of the name the word wool in connection with aron sheep.

Cellulose products do not possess all of wool’s unique and valuable properties.

HOME MARKETS. Smithfield is overloaded with meat- or all descriptions, and a sagging market prevails (says ane xchange). Not only have, lamb shipments from all sources been very heavy, but supplies of nome killed are much larger this year, consequently it will be some little time before values pick up. The market for dairy produce is steady, but. indications' of a downward trend are evident. Wool ha s started on its comeback at the current sales and the widespread demand >s so vigorous that an era of better price levels appears almost certain. Prospects for the New Zealand sales, commencing in December, are now much brighter and values should move upward as the season advances.