Cleanliness for Quality

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 147, 19 March 1934, Page 11

Cleanliness for Quality

Sir. —In this morning’s issue of “The Dominion,” in your editorial column, you make some scathing remarks about the unclean habits of some of the dairy farmers of this country. It would be of interest to your readers to know what inspired these comments, because I can see nothing in the published report of the dairy conference to justify such an outburst. That there are some dairy farmers who are not clean in their habits may possibly be true, lint Ibis applies to all industries and professions, so. why single out the dairy farmer? It is absurd to suggest that, these few individuals are the principal cause of the present unfortunate condition of the industry. There is no industry in New Zealand or anywhere else that has done more to improve the quality of its produce than that, of tiie dairy farmer. His farm, his factory, nnd his produce are all subject to Government, inspection. The Dairy Industry Act prohibits the export of butter containing less than 80 per cent, butterfat, and in order to e.tinlify for the national brand must grade 90 points or over. Alorc than 4.000,000 boxes complied with these requirements last season, and it is not necessary to ask factory managers if this is correct —it’s in the* Year Book. The quality of New Zealand butter is as nearly perfect as is hiiDjanly possible to make it, and it has been' proved by analysis to be the best butter in the world. I quite agree with you that “the human link in the chain is the weak one," but that link is not at the “production end of tlie eh,-tin. and if the methods of those who are responsible for the marketing of our produce were as clean as those engaged in its production, not only the farmers, but the people of New Zealand would bo happy and prosperous.—l Cl< ’" H.J.S. Lyall Bay. March 15.