DAIRYING PROGRESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1080, 18 September 1930, Page 10

DAIRYING PROGRESS

DEPARTMENTAL REPORT ISSUED CHEESE QUALITY CRITICISED The value of dairy produce exported has reached a very high proportion of the value of New Zealand's total exports. For the year under review the value of dairy produce exportts represented £18,842,994 out of a total export of £49,045,817; or 38.4 per cent. This is announced by Dr. C. .T. Reakes, Director-General of Agriculture. in the report of his department for 1929-30. Pasturage has been more plentiful than usual, due to a "well-distributed rainfall throughout the year, and to the cumulative effect of top-dressing with artificial manures, he says. The plentiful supply of grass, together with an increase in the number of dairy cows, has resulted in a milk-produc-tion never excelled for volume in the Dominion.

The general unfavourable ecenomic conditions, and larger supplies of butter from a number of countries, have prevented the New Zealand dairyman from increasing his income. The larger production will, however, he helpful in offsetting the shortage due to fall in prices, although the uet balance to the Dominion shows a reduction of some t,wo millions sterling. The Quality of New Zealand butter has been maintained or improved, and, despite bad marketing conditions, has been reported upon as favourably as usual. Cheese quality has been less favourably reported upon, due to at least three factors—namely, (a) unfavourable market condi- , tions, (b) the extensive diversion in the North Island from the manu- j favture of full-cream cheese, and (c) the endeavour in some cases to ensure yield rather than high quality. The need for improvement in cheese quality is one of very great importance, and this is being more generally recognised. Since his return from Britain in October last the director of the dairy division has brought before the cheese-producers in the various cheese districts the advisability of considering ways and means of providing a premium for qualities as indicated by the varying grade-points. There is some evidence that this advice is receiving serious consideration in some districts, and, could the principle be adopted in the whole or parts of the Dominion, there are good reasons to expect improvement in quality. Farm dairy instruction on a voluntary basis has been well established in many dairying districts, and there has been an ever-increasing demand that the service should be placed on a Dominion basis. Resolutions to ! this effect were carried at the last | annual meetings of the South Island 1 Dairy Association and the National j Dairy Association of the North Island, j An amendment to the Dairy Industry j Act is necessary before effect can be given to these resolutions.

The work of dairy-herd testing for yield is progressing satisfactorily, and about 19 per cent, of the Dominion’s dairy cows are being so tested. This compares more than favourably with the position in most other countries devoted largely to dairying.