DROP IN PRODUCTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 45, 21 January 1938, Page 6

DROP IN PRODUCTION

PROLONGED DRY WEATHER. CONDITIONS ON FARMS. The prolonged spell of dry weather has had a serious effect upon dairy production in the Manawatu, and enquiries made at several dairy factories to-day elicited the information that the decline in output has been more marked than for several years. Normally January is a good month for production, there being no noticeable tailing off until well into' February. This year, however, the peak was reached fully a month earlier, and the decrease in production has been such that, unless there is an abundance of rain very soon, the season will end much earlier than usual. THE FEILDING AREA. Mr P. B. Desmond, secretary of the Cheltenham Dairy Co., Ltd., in an interview with the "Standard," stated that the manufacture of butter during the past two monthes had dropped substantially, and for December the total output was 40 tons less than the preceding month, while the figures for January were likely to show a correspondingly lower output. Although Mr Desmond agreed that the particularly dry spell and consequent shortage of feed had a bearing on the position," he did not attribute the cause of the falling production entirely to the adverse weather conditions. He pointed out that a number of suppliers had given up dairying and gone in for sheep owing to their difficulties in securing lauour on their farms. Enquiries were also made of companies in the back districts north of Feilciing, and the same position was found to appertain, although one factory manager stated that the decrease in manufacture had not been proportionately as great as in the lower areas. It was pointed out that on the higher levels reasonably good autumn seasons were experienced and the grass had not sustained the same setback in growth. Some dairy farmers had changed ever to sheep, having decided to take that course last winter.