A survey of dairy farming in Waimate West county

Abstract

This is a survey of dairy farming in Waimate West County, South Taranaki, aimed at assessing the present standards of farming efficiency and the potential for increased production. The survey has been confined to the artificial boundaries of a declared county for statistical purposes and deals with the economic structure of farming, the organization and management of farms and judges the extent to which the productive resources of the county are being effectively utilized. In recent years the attainment of high levels of dairy production by research stations and a few progressive farmers has shown that a considerable scope exists for increased production from intensively farmed and specialized dairying regions in New Zealand. Waimate West is one of the most intensively farmed and productive areas in New Zealand, so that this study can be used as an example of the extent to which this increased production can be achieved.