CHEESE EXPORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 167, 17 July 1931, Page 7

CHEESE EXPORTS.

EXIT STANDARDISED. MINISTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT. "NOTHING BUT THE BEST." NOTIFICATION TO CONSUMERS. (By Telegraph. — Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. From the beginning of the new export season nothing but full-cream cheese will be exported from New Zealand according to a statement in the House to-day by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. A. J. Murdoch. He emphasised at the outset of his announcement that to obtain satisfactory prices for her dairy products New Zealand must aim at quality, and that was the point that concerned him most as Minister of Agriculture. The farmers realised the situation as thoroughly as the Government, and were determined to use every effort to produce better quality. "As the result of the recent conference in Taranaki," the Minister added, "the farmers decided it was essential and imperative that the export of standardised cheese should be discontinued, and in order to give effect to that we are taking steps immediately to pronounce against the exportation of standardised cheese, and from the beginning of the new season nothing but fullcream cheese will be exported from NewZealand. (Applause.) "We propose to advertise that fact throughout England, and notify purchasers that in future nothing but the best article will be sent, and that it -will be full-cream cheese."

Mr. Murdoch emphasised the necessity of maintaining the quality of New Zealand's dairy products. The quality of our cheese bad deteriorated, and there had been a drop in price. The Department was tackling the problem of improving quality, and the farmers were determined to use every endeavour along the same lines. A pronouncement would be issued against the export of standardised cheese very shortly, and from the beginning of the new season nothing but full-cream cheese would be exported from New Zealand. Purchasers would be made fully acquainted with the fact that New Zealand would be supplying nothing but the finest quality. "Sena Bad Milk Back." Everyone connected with the industry was fully seized with the fact that in future certain improvements must be effected in the general texture and quality of the milk supplied to factories for manufacture of cheese. It must be recognised that if it was necessary to pasteurise milk to boil out bad flavours there was only one way to deal with it; the factories should send it back home. If they did that once or twice they would not have to do it again. A Member: That's the difficulty. Mr. Murdoch: It won't be the difficulty if there is concerted action on the part of dairy factories. The Minister added that if one factory rejected the bad milk it would not be fair if another factory accepted it. He felt, as a result of the discussions at the recent Dairy Conference, that the factories would work in unison. All parties were determined to produce' a quality that would regain and maintain New Zealand's former position on the British market. Combined Action Essential. Mr. Murdoch said that In addition to the co-operation that would shortly be effected between the Departments of Scientific Industrial Research and Agriculture the officers of his Department had been instructed to work in conjunction with the various sections of the industry. He was confident that the combined thought and wisdom of all sides would eliminate any defects. There must be an increase in the quantity and quality of our dairy products if the finances of the country were to be kept going.