The Dominion WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1928. “OF NEW ZEALAND QUALITY”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 222, 20 June 1928, Page 10

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1928. “OF NEW ZEALAND QUALITY”

According to a cablegram published to-day, the British liade Commissioner in New Zealand, who is at present in London, has been interviewed by various deputations asking for large supplies of our butter and meat, “which are said to be greatly esteemed m the North of England and Scotland.” Quality, which tells m the long run, is unquestionably becoming popularly associated with New Zealand products abroad. Sir James Gunson, man interview in Auckland, touched on the same topic when recounting his experiences abroad. In Spain he found a desire among merchants to obtain New Zealand butter. . . Sir James Gunson said that from a. close examination on the spot of the marketing of our produce in looley Street, he was satisfied that we were getting fair treatment from the Englisr buyers. “We have been given the highest price consistent with the world’s parity of values,” he said. He warns us, however, that we must expect in our dairy exports continued and very keen competition from Denmark and the Baltic States. . On three points, therefore, we must continue to concentrate m the competition for overseas favour for our products—quality production, energetic marketing, and publicity. As to the first, of the finest quality and “of New Zealand quality” ought to be synonymous terms, the results of the judging at the National Dairy Show this week ieveal a remarkable uniformity of quality in the National Championship Awards, the difference between the Wangaehu Dairy Company, which came first with 191 points, and the fourth company on the list was only 24 points. In the Gold Medal Specials, the range over a territory which included Auckland, Wellington, Hawke s Bay, Taranaki, and the South Island, was from 379 to 372?, or only 64 points in a list of fourteen companies. Again, in the Box Butter classes, the difference between top and bottom in a list of thirty-eight companies in Class I was 5| points. _ “Body” was uniform, colour and salting were uniform, the variations occurring m the marking for flavour. In the other classes the same marked degree oi uniformity is to be noted. Since January 1 last all butter exported into Great Britain has been free from boric preservative. It is a fact, of course, that prior to that date many companies had been exporting butter free oi preservative. There has been no impairment of quality as the result. As was pointed out at a meeting of the Dairy Board in March last, “New Zealand factories did not require the use of preservative in butter, as their methods of manufacture were such as to enable them to produce a better butter which endured transport to Britain, and was fully able to meet the most exacting requirements of the market in regard to keeping qualities without the use of preservative.” . ~ r . At the same meeting it was mentioned that a looley otieet linn had issued a circular in which the preservative question was discussed, and suggesting that the New Zealand dairy companies should ask the British Government to restore the use of preservative. This does not sound like fair tactics. This country is prepared to. let its butter stand on its quality merits, independently of preservative. The implied suggestion in the circular, of course, is that the butter had suffered from the lack of the preservative. As has already been emphasised, it is quality that tells the- tale, wins popular favour, and eventually commands the market. vVe can give the quality. What we must concentrate upon is the supply for the steadily-increasing overseas market. . Increased production of high quality, which means scientific farming, careful bleeding, rigorous herd-testing, liberal revitalising of pastures, is the objective to be aimed at.