146 



CO-OPERATIVE DAIRYING IN NEW ZEALAND, [Dec. 1894. 



Butter and cheese were made in a small way, principally for 

 home use, or for purely local requirements, but the industry 

 was then of little or no commercial value. Since the introduc- 

 tion of the factory system, the trade in dairy products has 

 rapidly forged ahead, and promises soon to rival in quantity 

 and value of export the frozen meat trade. 



The last bad harvest, and the low prices ruling for grain, 

 together with the uncertainty of good crops tlirough the 

 exhaustion of much of the land by continual cropping, is causing 

 the settlers in many of the best grain-growing sections of the 

 Colony to turn their attention more to dairying and stock- 

 raising than in the past. The result of this departure will, it 

 is observed, bo the introduction of a system of mixed farming, 

 and New Zealand farmers will not depend upon one class of 

 produce, as in grain growing. Many of the farmers in the 

 districts of North Otago and throughout Canterbury are said to 

 freely admit that dairying has been the most profitable part of 

 their farming operations for several years past. 



It is felt that there is no reason why New Zealand, with 

 her fertile soil, pure air and water, and nutritious herbage, 

 should not occupy a position second to none as a dairy country, 

 and as an important field in the supply of dairy produce to the 

 English and other markets. No country, it is maintained, is 

 capable of producing richer or better milk or producing it 

 cheaper than New Zealand. 



It will thus be seen that a fair start in co-operative dairying 

 has been made in New Zealand. Yet the limit of possibilities 

 in the direction of expansion is very great. There is still an. 

 immense area of land which can be profitably put under dairy- 

 ing, and so enormously increase the manufacture of butter and 

 cheese. But even with the present number of factories and 

 creameries, and the existing area of land devoted to the carrying 

 of milch cows, it is m.aintained that the output can be greatly 

 increased. In the majority of cases, the factories and creameries 

 have been erected, and the plant built and procured, in accor- 

 dance with plans and specifications provided gratuitously by the 

 Department of Agriculture. 



The New Zealand Customs Returns show the exports of dairy 

 products in 1883 to have comprised 8,869 cwts. of butter, 

 valued at 42,020^., and 2,519 cwts. of cheese, valued at 6,892^ 

 In 1893, the corresponding figures were 58,147 cwts. of butter, 

 valued at 254,645Z., and 46,198 cwts. cheese, valued at 99,626^. 



In conformity with the requirements of the " New Zealand 

 Dairy Industry Act, 1892," and the interests of the trade in 

 dairy produce, a careful inspection was made during the year 

 of eight shipments of cheese and butter before embarkation. 

 Minute examinations were also made of several lots already in 

 steamers' chambers : 473 packages of cheese and 642 boxes of 

 butter were opened and examined, and the brands on the 

 packages of other consignments were submitted to a rigid 



