DAIRY PRODUCE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 232, 28 June 1935, Page 13

DAIRY PRODUCE

Marketing in England GOODWILL OF BUYER Value Not Appreciated Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, June 27. First-hand impressions of the London end of the New Zealand dairying industry were given the National Dairy Conference at Palmerston North to-day by the Assistant Director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. G. M. Valentine. Before taking up his present appointment in September last Mr. Valentine had 12 months’ experience of conditions at Home. Speaking as a result of this contact with those engaged in the dairy produce trade in Great Britain, be said the conviction was forced upon one that in New Zealand they placed too little value upon tlie goodwill of the buyer. ' Mr. Valentine said the experience of those who had had these opportunities of examining our own and other dairy produce on the Home market had been that the grading was accepted by buyers as indicating the actual quality, and the number of instances In which this was not the case was comparatively few when conditions of marketing were taken into account. In spite of the fact that durihg the season - 1931-32 cheese discolouration had been troublesome, and that complaints regarding the high moisture content and weak body of much of our cheese had.been frequent in the seasons immediately before it, combined with the low price of all dairy produce during 1932-33 one was struck with the goodwill shown toward our produce and the absence of criticism on landing in England in December. 1933. i Improved Cheese Quality. The last two seasons had shown a very distinct improvement in the quality of our cheese, due chiefly to two causes, first the improved quality of the milk being received as the result of milk grading, coupled with differential payments, and, secondly, to the fact that managers had been given an opportunity of making the best possible article from the milk received. The only serious defect in our cheese was openness, and coupled with -it. rapid drying out when cut. While some improvement bad been shown In these defects, there still remained plenty of room for criticism. Discolouration was a recurring defect in cheese from practically all countries, and was frequently met in cheese other than New Zealand. Sometimes it was accompanied by a most objectionable flavour, and the opinion was • expressed that it was linked up with curing and carrying temperatures'in some instances, which indicate that more attention could be paid to the construction of curing rooms. Numerous opinions were expressed to the effect that cheese which werewaxed did not mature as-satisfactorily as unwaxed and many buyers definitely stated that they would undertake to distinguish between treated and untreated cheese. Whether this was so or not, there was a definite objection to waxing in a large section of the trade. It, was probable that, the object tlons to waxing were the result of the abuse of, the practice, as it was common knowledge that acid cheese, and cheese eartying excess water, or having mouldy rinds, should not be waxed. If confined to well-made cheese there would probably be little objection to it, but in this-ease as in many others, they suffered for indiscretions in the past. Uniform Butter Flavour. “Speaking generally, the quality of New Zealand butter is satisfactory,” Mr. Valentine continued, “but owing to the advances made by competing countries in recent years, and to the large quantities available, there is perhaps a more critical attitude being adopted by buyers. The features which chiefly commend it are uniformity in flavour and make and keeping quality. This does not mean that there is not a considerable range of quality, just as there is. in the grading figures of any port or factory, but that there is a comparatively small percentage of really popr- butter. There is a class comprising low scoring first grade butters which is capable of much improvement and includes as a rule butter made from inferior cream which is not delivered daily. ' . .. . “There is a general feeling m Britain that the flavour of New Zealand butter ie fuller than formerly, but there are etill many complaints regarding flat "flavours, and many of them refer to butter made in factories where practically no neutraliser is used, so that some other cause must be looked for. The general opinion of the trade is that our best butters are quite full enough in flavour nnd will suit all markets, and any change that will endanger the reputation wliicti New Zealand butter enjoys for keeping is unanimously opposed.” • Lack of Spreadability. Mr. Valentine said that lack of spreadability was not confined to New Zealand butter as the same complaint was also heard in connection with Australian butter though probably not to the same extent. It was not a'fault with Continental butters which were not frozen during the cold months of the year, which indicate that it depended largely on the temperature of the butter and probably on the length of time which it was held in cold storage. On the other hand the firm body of New Zealand butter in the summer months was the envy of all butter producing countries. Although the idea of blending was repulsive to the New Zealand producer, he must accept it that there was a very large business done in pat butters in England, some of them bearing the brand of the factory and some the country of origin, while a large amount was used for blende which are put out under proprietary names. The object of blending might be to reduce the cost to meet a certain demand or to supply the customer with butter of a uniform character from week to week, but whatever the object might be, it was an avenue through which a very large amount of our butter reached the consumer and one, the requirements of which we could not afford to neglect. Lack of spreadability was also objected to by the retailers as customers complained that our butter would not go as far as Continental butters. Duping the summer of 1934 a very considerable amount of trouble was experienced with mould .on butter, most of which appeared in boxes of the saranne type.' Other objections were, that the box had no sale value, that it was not so convenient to handle in the confined imace of a shop on account of the wires, and that it was not so suitable for window dressing. * Type of Box. “The reply of the New Zealand producer is generally that the buyer will pot pay any more for butter in the more expensive box,” said Mr. Valentine, “but the buyer, on the other hand, has many other butters to choose froni, and it would be interesting to know the number who have

maintained their allegiance to New Zealand butter as long a s they were able to procure it in the heavier box and. Conversely, the «number who have gone to other sources of supply since the sarnnac box has been more generally used, and its rival has been more difficult to get. “In order to get a true comparison between the two types of box it is necessary to go further afield than the importer’s warehouse and follow the butter through the various channels through which it passes after leaving the cold stores, a period stretching over some weeks in many cases in the re-export trade, and a class of trade for which our butter with its good keeping qualities is peculiarly suited. ' “As one moves round among those engaged in the dairy produce trade in Great Britain, the conviction is forced upon one that we in New Zealand place too little value upon the goodwill of the buyer. IVe do not realise how much it means in the disposal of our produce, and while the type of box, the finish on our butter and cheese, care in marking, and so on, seem such small matters to us, they have a very big influence on the attitude of the prospective buyer, and our aim should be to place our produce on the market in such a-manner and of such quality that it will leave no room for complaint from the buyer after it is received by him. This may mean some additional expense in New Zealand, but while any point which is not. satisfactory to the buyer is neglected, any system of canvassing or advertising is more or less a wasted effort.”