DAIRYING IN DENMARK.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1922, Page 8

DAIRYING IN DENMARK.

MR. BODDIE’S IMPRESSIONS. INTERESTING COMPARISONS. PROSPERITY IN GERMANY. (Auckland Herald Correspondent.) London, June Mr. James Boddie, chairman of directors of the Farmers’ Union Trading Company, Auckland, arrived in England a month ago, but after a few days’ stay here he went over to Dentnark, thence on to Germany, Belgium and France. . While in Denmark he gathered a good deal of useful-informa-tion concerning the dairying industry. He comes back from Germany convinced that it is to-day one of the most prosperous countries in the world. ’ “Just what will be. the outcome of the proposals for an understanding between New Zealand and Denmark in the matter of marketing their dairy produce in Great Britain I do not know,” said Mr. Boddie, “but even if nothing comes of it the New Zealand producer has little to fear from hb Danish competitor. The Dominion farmer has the inestimable advantage of being able to graze his herds in the open summer and winter, whereas for six months in the year the Danish cattle have to be stabled. Their stabling is not of the most sanitary'character. Indeed, many of the conditions reminded me of the conditions I was familiar with in Scotland 50 years ago.” INTENSIVE CULTIVATION. They are able, by intensive cultivation, Mr. Boddie explained, to carry a greater number of cattle per acre than is the case in New Zealand. Farms are from five to fifty acres, and 30 cows are more than an average herd. But the labor they, need is very much greater in the Dominion. The stabling of the apimals for six months necessitates growing a very large quantity ■ of winter feed. As they plant their root crops very closely there is no room for horse drilling, and the whole of the clear ing and hoeing has to be done by hand. All this means extra labor, and the workers seem to be in the fields from daylight to dark. There are very few milking machines, and those who have them merely keep them as a stand-by, for they find that with a herd of less than 40 cows the machines have never been satisfactory. Mr. Boddie had some difficulty in finding out the average price of land, but from reliable information he learned that in the better districts no land was less than £l5O per acre. Taking into account the extra cost of production in Denmark, he is quite, satisfied that but for the fact that the Danish producers are nearer the London market, New Zealanders have nothing to fear. He tasted the Danish article on the spot, and he is confident that, so far as quality is concerned, New Zealand butter is second to none. DANISH FARMERS’ STRENGTH. What impressed the visitor in 'Denmark more than anything was the thoroughness of their co-operatiye system. “They have got a central controlling body,” he said, “on which there are representatives of every conceivable form of farmers’ co-operative enterprise. By this means they have the opportunity of keeping in the closest fellowship, and of bringing their influence to bear on every question pertaining to the farmer. This, in my opinion, gives them a tremendous strength compared with New ■ Zealand, where, unfortunately, there are a good many co-operative companies of all sorts actively competing against one another. “In Germany,” said Mr. Boddie, “I got the surprise of my life. Germany to-day is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. They are going to have one of the finest harvests that they had probably ever had. Every square of ground has been cultivated. Men and women are in the fields from daylight to dark. Every factory in the towns is fully employed.' There are no idle hands. There is an air of prosperity among all classes of the community, as seen while travelling, in the streets, in the hotels, and everywhere, which gives the lie without any question of there being any cause for complaint about their prosperity and their inability to meet their obligations.” Mr. Boddie travelled through Holland, Belgium and France, visiting the battlefields. Everywhere he found the people hard at work and working long hours. Besides making inquiries in London and elsewhere into the conditions of the marketing of all ordinary New Zealand produce, Mr. Boddie is especially interesting himself -in 1 the new industry— meat flour. He is ! leaving for Scotland in a few days to visit . bis original home, and will be there for ■ about six weeks.