DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 116, 19 May 1933, Page 3

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

NEW REGULATIONS. DIFFERENTIAL PAYMENTS. POWER TO REFUSE SUPPLY. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. In five important respects the general regulations under the Dairy Industry Act, which were gazetted last night,

make important innovations, imposing greater control over the milk supply and its quality, introducing the principle of grading and differential payments in accordance with quality, and also restricting the transfer of supply from one factory to another during the manufacturing season. These changes are in accordance with recommendations from an influential committee of those interested in the dairy industry, which recently considered, at the request of the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, Minister of Agriculture, a number of the problems connected with the industry. The opportunity has, been taken tn consolidate the regulations, and they total 138 in number. Milk Grading. The clauses relating to milk grading have been revised in view of the provision now incorporated for differential payment. This requires the methoa of grading to be carefully set out in technical terms, while the allotment of points indicating the quality of the milk follows similar provisions relating to cream grading. The important clauses are as follow: —

51. On and after August 1, 1933, payment to each supplier in respect of all milk supplied to aiul accepted by the owner of any cheese factory shall be so made that the rate shall, We at least one halfpenny per lb of butterfat less for milk graded as second grade than for that graded as first grade; provided that the owner of any such manufacturing dairy may, if he thinks fit, pay a higher rate per lb of butterfat in respect of any milk graded as finest than the rate pa'id in respect of that graded as first grade.

52. On and after August 1, 1933, payment to each supplier in respect to all milk supplied to and accepted by the owner of any creamery or skimming station shall be so made that the late shall be at least one halfpenny per lb of butterfat more for milk graded as finest than that graded as lirst grade, and at least Id per lb of butterfat less for milk graded as second grade than that graded as first grade. Control Over Supplies. To overcome the difficulty in maintaining first-class milk, owing to the tendency of an offending farmer to change his factory, a lengthy regulation (No. 55) prohibits any owner of a,ny cheese factory, creamery or skimming station from purchasing milk or cream produced in any supplying dairy during the period August 1 till May 31 in the next succeeding year, if milk or cream from such supplying dairy had been supplied to the owner of any other factory" • k This prohibition can be waived Dy consent of the factory owner first supplied; where the previous supply was derived from a substantially different herd; where tliere has been a change ol ownership of the dairy; where, as between two owners of separate manufacturing concerns, both have been supplied continuously in stated proportions; or in a case where a person charged with breach of the clause proves that he was not aware that the milk or cream from the dairy farm in question had previously been supplied to the owner of any other cheese factory, creamery or skimming station.

There is another provision requiring persons who grade milk after October 1 next to hold a milk grader's certificate, to be issued by the Director of the Dairy Division. The procedure and qualifications are on the. same lines as in connection with the issue of cream graders' certificates. The recent conference recommended that milk be not accepted at factories when delivered after 9 a.m., and, with the agjjroval of Dairy Produce Board, a provision has been made in the regulations which requires the owner or manager of any cheese factory to refuse to accept delivery of milk foi cheese-making which does not arrive at or before 9 a.m. on the day of delivery.

Cheese Storage. It has been found that one range of temperatures for cool storage of cheese throughout the export season is not satisfactory from the point of view of maintaining cheese quality and condition The present provision requires every grading store in which cheese is placed to be maintained at a temperature of not less than 50 deg. Fahrenheit nor more than 55 deg. It is now provided in the regulations that the temperatures between August 1 and November 30 must not be less than de D . nor more than 54 deg. Between December 1 and February 28 the range of permissible temperatures is to be not less than 47 deg. nor more than 49 deg, and between March 1 and July 31 not less than 42 deg. nor more than 44 de D . Fahrenheit. Cooling of Milk. Among other changes the new regulations carry out a recommendation of the conference that milk on the farm should in future be cooled to a temperature not exceeding 65 deg. Fahrenheit, instead of the former 70 deg. Amendments have also been made as further precautions against the illicit use of skim milk in the manufacture of cheese by preventing the licensing of premises for cheese manufacture if they form part of, or communicate in any way with premises used as a skimming station, precipitating station or casein factory. It is possible to register premises as both a creamery and whey butter factoiy, a regulation makes it unlawful to use the same churn for both creamery and whey butter. The regulations operate as from the date of gazetting.