DAIRY EXPANSION

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21178, 30 July 1940, Page 6

DAIRY EXPANSION

ASSISTANCE IN WAR MEETING INCREASED DEMAND “PRODUCE AS NEVER BEFORE” The imperative need for a sound and healthy expansion of the dairy industry to assist in the most effective prosecution of the war was stressed by Mr R. A. Candy, chairman of directors of the Auckland Herd Improvements Association, at the annual meeting of the Association in Hamilton this afternoon. In reviewing the year’s operations, Mr Candy pointed out that the dominant factor before us at all times was that we were at war, and the whole of our economy should be built on such a basis as would secure the most effective prosecution of struggle. As dairyfarmers, they realised that Britain had lost, for feeding purposes, the whole of the European exports of dairy produce, representing approximately half ot her normal requirements. Also, supplies of whale oil from Norway, used so fully in the manufacture of margarine, were no longer possible. Demand for Cheese The rationing of both margarine and butter to six ounces a week of one or the other, or a combination of both to that limit, showed full well the absolute necessity of their trying to produce as they had never produced before. On top of this, the very greatly increased demand for cheese as a staple product under wartime conditions added still more to their responsibilities.

“During the past four years,” Mr Candy continued, “dairying as an industry has declined, our cow population falling gradually year by year. Many dairyfarmers have changed over to sheep because economically they thought they were better off, and because that class of farming can be carried on with far less dependence on labour than dairying. Under present conditions this set of circumstances must not continue.” While all forms of primary production were today undoubtedly essential, it did seem apparent that Britain’s fat requirements were even more essential than her meat requirements, as her normal sources of imports for the latter class of goods were still largely available to her. Therefore, it was apparent that the drop in the cow population must be stopped. On the other hand, it was not advisable to seek new converts to dairying from those engaged in wool and meat production, as no matter how many more farmers went in for dairying, there was only a certain cow population available. The net result of such a diversion was only to make competition still keener for these cows, with the result that many people would be paying uneconomic prices for their dairy stock; in fact the prices over the last few weeks led one to believe that this process was going on to some extent today. Pave Way For Expansion ✓ They had had periods of rapid expansion in the dairy industry, in so far as their cow population was concerned, and, in the past few years they had had that period of retrogresion. Today what was required was a steady, healthy expansion. They would not be able appreciably to increase their milking cow population for another two years, but in the meantime they should pave the way for that expansion by seeing that as they expanded this cow population they were at the same time expanding the feed supplies available for it.

Farmers generally, Mr Candy considered, did not have anywhere near adequate supplies of supplementary feed for their cows. This was shown quite clearly in their averages for the last two years. The 1939/40 figures represented an increased production of 16 per cent compared with the 1938/39 figures, and while he would not suggest that the 1938/39 figures should have been as good as the 1939/40 ones, he did say that if the great majority of their dairy cattle in the 1938/39 season had had available to them adequate reserves of fodder, the disparity between the two seasons could have been halved. It was a sound principle in farming for a farmer to ascertain the acreage of his normal autumn and winter fodder requirements, and to endeavour to face that period with an acreage at least 50 per cent in excess of the estimated normal requirement. Farmers generally woqld be well advised to reach that point before they expanded their cow population to any extent.