Dairying Industry

———♦——— New Wealth for Fiji Good Yields From Grass-Fed Cows

" DAIRYING is a new industry in Fiji, and butter factories have been erected at Tailevu, Navua and Rewa. The prospects for dairying are very encouraging and experienced men with capital should succeed.”

That statement is made in a pamphlet issued by the Fiji Tourist Bureau.

Some dairy farmers stoutly maintain that their good lands carry a beast to the acre, continues the report. There is evidence, however, of over-stocking on some dairy farms and it is doubtful if the average flat lands will carry continuously, without hand-feeding, more than a beast to 1½ acres.

However, the carrying capacity of the good flat lands compares very favourably with that of similar lands in other dairying countries. The future prospects of dairying depend upon the development of the export trade, as present production is in excess of local consumption. The quantity of fresh butter exported in 1927 was 484 cwts Prices obtained on the London and Canadian markets are favourable.

There are no official figures giving the average butter-fat return per cow the Colony. It is known, however that the average butter-fat return is somewhat low as compared with most other dairying countries, for the reathat there is so much grass available the year round, and it is possible to make dairying pay without going to the expense of purchasing special foods. There is no doubt that stall feeding would pay, even at the present time, for those who are able to afford the extra cost.

Average Butter-Fat Return.

The Government veterinary officer gives the following figures: “In the Tailevu dairy scheme, with butter-fat at 1/4 per lb., the cows give an average return of £1 per month, or, in other words, 16lb. of butter-fat per cow per month.

In some places the yield is increased by half as much again, this being in direct response, of course, to the care taken of the cows. In other places, the average might be somewhat less than 16lb. per month. In another case, where some hand-feeding was done, three cows gave an average of 10lb. of butter-fat per week each or of 43lb. each per month. These cows were Fiji bred.

“I think it can be said for grass-fed cows the average yield of butter-fat compares favourably with that of any country, and that the yield can be increased very greatly, as it is elsewhere,

by hand-feeding.”