IMPROVING TOWN MILK SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26263, 7 November 1950, Page 8

IMPROVING TOWN MILK SUPPLY

Conference Discusses Measures

DETERIORATION SEEN IN QUALITY “Good milk used to be and can stiil be. produced in Canterbury,” said the Government Analyst <Mi N. P. Alcorn) at a conference yesterday of pro> cluceis. vendors, supuiy associations ! and Government departments. called by the Christchurch Milk Board to consider improving the standard of milk produced for consumption in Christchurch. Mr Alcorn said that duiing the last 25 years there had been a serious de-. terioration in the quality of Chrirl-i church milk, particularly as to the j s.q.f. ‘solids not tat) content. The quality of the milk nad deteriorated to such an extent that during July August, and Septembe- this year t*ie greater part ol milk sold was substand ard with respect to solids not fat. “In 1949 and 1950. the monthly avera.p' for fat. solids not *at. and total sot?k are the lowest on record," he added The meeting, at which the chairman; of the board ‘Mr J. E. Tait) preside.| lasted for three hours A motion, which sought discussions with the Min-1 ister of Agriculture ‘Mr K. J. Ho:yoake) on the merits of paying a premium to producers of high quality milk and penalising producers of sub-qua! ity milk, and an amendment that p further conference be held to look iim an overall improvement of the Christchurch milk supply, were not put to the meeting. Mr Tait said* that it was proposed to put the evidence _ before the board and no action would oe taken until it had conferred with pro ducers and others who could assist. The public tended to judge the quality of its milk by the amount of fat. but in the view of the department iLe o’.her constituents were of at least as much value, said the Medical Officer of Health ‘Dr. J. H. Blakelock). It was important that milk should contain a certain amount of calcium or lime salts and protein constitue* ts. and the minimum amount had been set at 8.5 per cent. “A fair quantity of the milk, being sold in Christchurch fads to comply with this standard," he said "Bad to Worse” The fall in the s.n.f. content was a seasonal occurrence, out it was now going from bad to worse, Dr. Blaxelock said. "We have never had apy thing as bad as this." In June, 191'. only 6 per cent, of the samples taken failed to comply: id June this year. 12 per cent, failed. In July. 1947. 26 n er cent, bad failed: in July this year 40 Kr cent, had failed. The comparison tween August in 1947 and in 1950 was 8 per ceht. and 52 fcer cent., and in September of each year the co.n parison was 10 pci cent, and 37 per cent. "The point is that these are average samples and since each firm draws from a multiplicity of sources, then sortie suppliers are well below av l •- age.” Dr. Blakelock said. Some vendors who Produced their own milk or bought from only one or two sour complied haridsomely anG it could be concluded from this that it was not impossible to produce milk •of go rd standard. Mr Alcorn said that 20.000 gallon of milk were sold each day in Chr sichurch and because of the lower quality of milk the public was pay*ng £30.000 a year for food it was not getting. Mr Alcorn added that the Dornin on Analyst ‘Mr F. J. T. Grigg) nad formed the opinion while overseas tha l the extensive use of high-producin', low-testing cows and inadequate supplementary feeding were two causes of the decrease in the s.n.f. content of milk. Differential payments lor nigh and low quality milk flight be a remedy, he said. The chairman of the Christchurch Milk Committee ‘Mr H. Kjtson) said the company could not produce better milk than it received. It was the morning milk that was usually substandard while the afternoon milk was usually over the required standard. The afternoon «milk was bottled and sent out next day as raw milk. It could not be mixed with the morning milk in any way at all. In Wellington, where there was complete pasteurisation, the milk could be mixed and the same problem did not arise. Tt might be thought that the Christchurch milk supply was the worst in New Zealand, but that was not the case, continued Mr Kitson. As far as the tuberculosis rate was concerned Christchurch herds were the lowest in the Domiriion and the abortion rate was also low. The reductase tests were as good as anywhere. "But we can only turn out what is given to us,” he said. Producers’ Views » The chairman of directors of the Canterbury Dairy Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Association ‘Mr C. J. McFadden)challenged the figures produced. He said the samples taken were from lower-testing supplies and did not givd a true picture. “They are pretty hard on the producer, but we can say that the pubhc of Christchurch is receiving better milk to-day than ever before,’’ he said. "We do have a low inf. content and a low fat content lor periods. Producers, however, want to improve the quality of milk- but we have had to accept prices that the trade dictates and have to produce greater milk supplies to keep going.’ Mr McFadden said' that if ail milk was pasteurised the quality would) improve because it could be mixed. The board should go into the question of pasteurising the who|e milk supply. He opposed any suggestion that producers should be penalised because of low «.nX content. The problem was worldwide and producers were up against a brick wall. “Up to May 8 this year there was no trouble with s.n.f. con tent,” he added. "A week later it deteriorated. If you are going to take disciplinary action against producers when the content changes as quickly as that there is going to be trouble.” New Breed Suggested Mr McFadden suggested that the conference should, consider the breeding of a new dairy cow to raise the s.n.t. content of milk, and to ask the Health Department to consider looking at the total solid content, not just the s.n.f. content. "We do not intend that the standard should be lowered, but that this should be only a temporary measure,” he said He also recommended that the board carry out a complete survey to try to find the cause of low s.nX content, that the Government be asked to start tuberculosis testing in Christchurch, and that the Department of Agriculture be asked to inoculate calves against abortion, which, he said, was more serious than tuberculosis. “Until we change the seasons or the cows we must have these fluctuations,’ said Mr J. E. Royds. representing the Metropolitan Milk Supply Association. He added, that the figures quoted were not representative of the Christchurch supply. Over the year, consumers. actually received more than the* Government standard in both fat and solids. ■“We have heard a lot of guesses about the causes of this deterioration, but nothing conclusive.’’ Mr Royds added. “Before any question of payment for quality can be considered we must be told how to improve our quality. Otherwise those that could not keep up to the standard would drop out of the town milk supply and Christchurch would be short of milk again. I have wondered whether the deterioration is due to depletion of the soil. It is rossible that it is lacking seme trace element that would raise the solid* content ” “Too Many Friesians” “This matter of s.n.f. is a difficult problem find we don’t seem to get any v'here with it at aIL” said Mr T. A Coulter, supervising dairy inspector tn the Department of Agriculture. “I can sympathise with the Department ot Health, which is trying to enforce th? Food and Drugs Act; but if it is enforced. producers will be forced out of the town milk supply.’’ Mr Coulter Raid the fat content was another matter "I think we have too many Frisians in our herds. To-day wc have about 75 per cent of Friesians That does not mean the standard has not improved Manv producers have bought Jersey hull? and high testing cws, but some producers have not improved This question must be a long-term one. Where there are whole Friesian herds to-day we must have a