NEW ZEALAND CHEESE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1941, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND CHEESE

BRITISH REQUIREMENTS FURTHER SUPPLIES NEEDED. APPEAL BY MINISTER. <By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. An announcement that additional supplies of cheese were required by the United Kingdom Government was made last evening by the Minister of Agriculture. Mr. Barclay, who appealed to dairy factories and farmers to make the best possible response to the request of the Home authorities. Refer- | once was also made by the Minister to ) the gratifying manner in which the ! dairy farmers of the Dominion had re- ' sponded to the request made at the bej ginning of the season for the production of an extra 15.000 tons of cheese , and the maintenance of butter produc- . tion at last season’s level. j "At the beginning of the production | season," said the Minister, "an agricul- • tural plan, based on the requirements i of Great Britain, was drawn up by the I Government in consultation with the ■ National Council of Primary Produc- ' tion. The plan called upon the dairy ■ farmers of the Dominion to produce an I extra 15,000 tons of cheese, and maintain butter production at last season's

level, and steps were taken by the Department of Agriculture, with the cooperation of the Dairy Board and farmers’ organisations, to ensure that New Zealand would not fail in this wartime effort.

"The season opened auspiciously, and the volume of butter and cheese graded from August to December, which were announced last week, showed a | substantial increase over the output I for the corresponding months of last j season. The big increase in cheese proi duction was not surprising, as many j suppliers have diverted from cream de- ; livery to butter factories to the deliv- ! cry of milk for cheese making, but the attaining of an increase in butter production as well as an increase in choose production is exceptionally gratifying, and redounds to the credit of the New Zealand dairy-farmers. "When at the start of the season a minimum of 15.0(10 extra tons of cheese was called for, it was intimated that the United Kingdom Government would be pleased if this quantity were exceeded." said Mr. Barclay. "As the result of the change-over of suppliers and the particularly favourable season for pasture growth, the minimum has already been forthcoming. However, there have been certain losses of butter and cheese after leaving New Zealand, and shortly after the flush of the season. the Government of the United Kingdom, in reply to an inquiry, asked for a further change over from butter to cheese where practicable. The chegse instructors of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture have been working in this direction, and diversions from butter to cheese have been taking place in various dairying districts. Practically all these changeovers have bon made without the use of official orders, and I deeply appreciate the voluntary changes which have been made by suppliers. "The production of this extra cheese is distinctly a war effort. The Untied Kingdom has indicated its desires for cheese production in New Zealand, and 1 appeal to dairy-fanners to continuej their endeavours to produce all the! cheese we can." 1