18 



THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN QUEENSLAND. [June 1895. 



THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN QUEENSLAND. 



The recently published Annual Report of the Department 

 of Agriculture of Queensland for the year 1893-94 contains an 

 interesting statement by Mr. Mahon, the manager of the Govern- 

 ment Travelling Dairy, on the position of the dairying industry in 

 the colony. 



In this statement it is shown that, although the home supply 

 of butter and cheese is not sufficient to meet the requirements, 

 the imports of these products into Queensland are decreasing. 

 The decline is particularly noticeable in the case of cheese, as 

 appears from the following table : — 





Quantities imported. 



1889. 



1890. 



1891. 



1892. 



1893. 





lbs. 



lbs. 

 366,317 

 1,106,762 



lbs. 

 313,419 

 971,869 



lbs. 



131,895 

 709,309 



lbs. 



271,106 

 366,031 



Butter 

 Cheese 



781,442 

 1,274,310 



A travelling dairy was at work in the colony during the 

 year under review, and 276 pupils passed through a course of 

 instruction. When the travelling dairy was first instituted 

 two objects were in contemplation, viz., the provision of in- 

 struction in the latest methods of dairying ; and the establish- 

 ment of co-operative factories for the manipulation of milk in 

 large quantities, with a view to the possibilities of an export 

 trade. It is maintained that there can be no doubt that these 

 objects have been to a great extent accomplished. A great im- 

 provement is stated to have been observed in the quality of the 

 butter and cheese locally prepared, while a number of butter and 

 cheese factories have been started where, but for the encourage- 

 ment and assistance afforded by the travelling dairies, there 

 was no prospect of their establishment. These factories, how- 

 ever, are not worked on co-operative lines, but are owned for 

 the most part by companies who purchase the milk outright. 



Although an export trade has not yet been realised, the esta- 

 blishment of butter and cheese factories is pointed to as evidence 

 of the near approach of the time when a market outside the 

 borders of the colony will be wanted, and when it will be necessary 

 to provide facilities for storing and exporting these perishable 

 commodities. It is recognised that, if a successful export trade 

 is to be established, it will be absolutely necessary to provide 

 against the export of inferior articles in order to preserve a good 

 reputation for the produce of Queensland. 



