NEWS AND NOTES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 315, 31 August 1932, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

The splendid rains which have fallen throughout the district during the last few days have done a great deal of good and spring growth' is quite noticeable in pastures in favourably situated places. Dairy farmers should he given a good start off for the new season. X- * F Good progress is being made with the preparation of Mr. J. E. Martin's two Ngongotaha properties for sharemilking. One very comfortable cottage, consisting of two bedrooms, living roorn, bathroom and kitchenette, is approaching- completion and the second one will be commenced shortly.

What can be obtained from a small farm to supplement ordinary regular employment is illustrated in this district, where a man has ten acres adjacent to his work. It is said that | the family took 12001b of butter-fat from the little property last season. * * X Farmers have not only come through the winter in this part of the Dominion very suceessfully, but they are also promised a good early spring. These two factors are, in themselves, encouraging, but there are other things to give the farmer a more cheerful outlook. Ilt is too early to speak with absolute authority, but there are unquestionably signs that an imp'rovement has set in regarding the price of primary products. Apart altogether from anticipating results from Ottawa agreements, there is evidence that the opening of the new season will see a rise in prices. X :]: * The possibility of recovery in the wool market can be regarded with satisfaction. A eablegram from Sydney, published in yesterday's issue of the "Post," recorded a 20 per cent. increase over June rates in the price | of merino. There was a revival of ! Continental buying and greasy merino ; reaehed 14£d at Monday's sale. Although cross-bred is the principal product of the New Zealand farms, the \ generally improved tone of the de- 1 mand cannot fail to affect our clip. London prices, also, give hope for, at least, a partial recovery to a standard where the sheepfarmer can make both ends meet. x x x Reports of stoek saies also indicate ' that*better prices are ruling for stock. The improvement cannot wholly he accounted for as due to th'e approach of the dairying season. The improvement is to be found quite as noticeable in the market for fats. There is nothing* yet to "write home about," but the upward tendency should help to put heart into the stockowner. * * -it Then. again, hunting the joy germ, we find an improvement in the butter market. New Zealand salted is quoted at 107s to 110s. Te retail price of our butter is ls ld p'er lb, which is only one penny less than th'e . ruling price for Danish. This, possibly, does not give all the dairy farmer wants, but it shows the brightening of the outlook. * * *

However, it must be remembered that at present our markets are in a state of flux. We can only tune in from day to day, and hope that what appears to be inevitable — a recovery to keep countries solvent— will come about very soon. The prices that our butter will bring at Home depend entirely on the spending power of the British public, anf no one is in a position to forecast what is going to happen in that respect. The coneession granted to the Dominions at the Ottawa conference should help us against foreign butters, and make for a bigger eonsumption. In any case, it is safe to say that there is more light on the horizon.