THE NEW SEASON.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1922, Page 4

THE NEW SEASON.

BUTTER AND CHEESE PROSPECTS. AN ENCOURAGING START. INCREASED OUTPUT. The prospects for the 1922-23 dairy season, which has now commenced, seem much brighter than was the case last season, a season which was one of the most remarkable, as it was in some cases the most disastrous in the history of New Zealand dairying. Discussing the, new season's prospects with a prominent dairy company’s secretary, the opinion was expressed to a Daily News representative yesterday that, though the cheese market was at present -fairly .strong and the market hardening, the future for the whole season was very obscure. The prospects for butter till the end of December, at least, were considered remarkably good, and after that the prices received would probably average out well. None of the butter companies in which this gentleman was interested had as yet received any offers for their butter output this season, but offers of 8d per lb. had been received for the whole season’s output of cheese. The offers had not been accepted. The prospects for quantity this year are very good, as a comparison with August, 1921, shows. Dairy companies last month have, on an average, shown an increase estimated at between 33 1-3 and 50 per cent. on. their milk supply, compared with the corresponding month of last year. Two cases in point may be cited. One North Taranaki factory received 771.5061b5; of milk last month compared with 514,3261b5. for August, 1921, whilst the figures for another factory were 467,2871b5. and 356,9301b5. respectively, results which have been achieved without increase in the number of suppliers. This result is distinctly encouraging, and is reflected to some extent in the produce that has passed through the Producers’ Freezing Works at Moturoa since the season opened on July 1. So far 18,400 boxes of butter have been received into store, as compared with 9700 boxes for the corresponding period of last year. In each of the two periods under review cheese had barely commenced to come into storage, so no comparison can be made. The butter figures given above cannot be compared as they stand, for it must he remembered that a great many of the factories which last year made cheese are this vear manufacturing butter. As cheese has to remain on the shelf for a time after manufacture, whereas butter is brought straight into storage, it is obvious that the milk supply represented by butter is accounted for earlier, as far as produce in store is concerned, than the milk supply represented by cheese. One thine is certain, however, and that is that this season’s output to data shows a decided increase over that for the same part of last season, an Increase which may reasonably be put down at 20 per cent, at least. To date 5746 box-es of butter hare been shipped through the Taranaki Producers’ Freezing Works. The shipment was loaded direct on the liner Kaikoura at New Plymouth. Other allotments recently made, all the vessels mentioned loading at Wellington, are:—

The weather so far this season has been conducive to rapid growth, which has been reflected in the increased milk returns. An exceptionally mild winter has been followed by a fine August, whilst the steady downpour of the last few days has come at an opportune moment, when the pastures were just feeling in need of a little revivifying moisture.

Boxes Crates of of butter. cheese. Port Napier (Oct. 3) 8.000 2,500 Corinthic (Oct. 12) 12.000 4.000 Paparoa (Oct. 15) . . • — 5.000 Durham (Oct. 31) .. 24,000 1,000 Totals 44,000 12,500