REFORMS IN DAIRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 13

REFORMS IN DAIRY INDUSTRY

Hastened By Low Prices IMPORTANCE OF HIGH QUALITY Mr. Singleton’s Survey Dominion Special Service. Hastings, June IS. "Quality is the principal peg upon which our future hangs, so far as the disposal of our produce on the Home market at satisfactory prices is concerned,” said the Director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. W. M. Singleton, at the National Dairy Conference to-day. While a high standard of quality had been reached and efficient production and manufacturing methods built up, it was necessary to endeavour to improve still further the position with respect to all three. “New Zealand has so developed the habit of recording an annual increase in exports of dairy produce that it is pleasing to note that the season which is just closing is no exception to the rule, the butterfat equivalent of butter and cheese graded being higher than for the previous season,” said Mr. Singleton. “We have thus resumed our upward trend after a slight decrease in gradings of both butter and cheese for 1934-35 over 1933-34/ To find another seasonal decrease in total butterfat represented by exports one must go back to 1925-26, though there have been occasions when cheese receded somewhat, the falling-off in this product being more than compensated by the increase in butter.” Subsidies to Industry'. Reference was made by Mr. Singleton to the financial assistance given the industry by the Unemployment Board by way of subsidy on dairy buildings and plant. While the first objective of the scheme, he said, was to create employment in trades manufacturing goods for use in the dairy industry, it had proved of considerable assistance in having improvements carried out in both manufacturing and supplying dairies. The work in manufacturing dairies covered the erection of new dairy factories, or reconstruction of existing ones, insulation of curing-rooms, improvement of water supply and drainage and the installation of new plant. The figures were approximately: New dairy factories, 19; new butter or cheesemaking or curing-rooms, 11; reconstruction of existing buildings, 72. All of these, and 138 other factories, received subsidies on plant installed, while 64 dairy companies applied for , subsidies on cans, etc., on behalf of suppliers. In supplying dairies, the major items had been the erection of new milking-sheds a'nd milking-plants. Figures furn;«L;d by the Department of Labour up till June 6 showed that 8556 applications bad been dealt with under both headings, of which 538 had been declined. The estimated value of the , building work amounted to £344,981, of equipment to £328,044, and the amount distributed to the dairy industry amounted to £59.681. Mr, Singleton said the regulation requiring companies proposing to build new creameries or cheese factories to obtain a licence, as well as tnose intending to extend or alter their plant so as to increase the manufacturing capacity of the premises, had exerted a potent protective influence. The fact that a committee could be set up to go into the economic factors regarding a proposed new manufacturing dairy had resulted in proposed ventures being abandoned before a commencement was made in the erection or adaptation of buildings. Abnormally High Yields. “Abnormally high yields are not now generally held as indicative of good management, although they are in a number of instances associated with manufacturing dairies otherwise well managed," added Mr. Singleton. “It is the division’s intention to continue its efforts to get these abnormally higli yields reduced to figures which will correspond to a more satisfactory degree with the butterfat retained in the manufactured product. It is possible that more stringent action may be needed to get a few of the more difficult companies into line, and, if necessary, consideration can be given to ways and means calculated to attain the desired end in this connection. “Consideration of yields of butter and cheese as per pound of butterfat has disclosed certain irregularities in practice at creameries and cheese factories. ■ The reading of the fat column is made after a manner which gives the supplier less credit at one creamery or cheese factory than he may get at another. This point is determined by whether the company takes to itself all the fractions in the readings or permits the supplier some of these. It is considered that one of the regulations could be so amended that the readings should be more uniform. It is intended to require that, in the testing of cream, the butterfat column shall be read to the exact percentage or to the nearest per cent. I purpose recommending amending regulations which will require payment for butterfat to two places of. decimals or their equivalent.” Mr. Singleton said the quality of butter had held its own at a number of the grading stores, but at others, which included some of those handling the larger quantities, some falling-off had been experienced in the percentages of finest, and butters had not been so uniform. Efforts to impart more aroma to butter through the use of starter had been only partially successful. The results may show more improvement, as managers get more experience with the successful propagation of starter. In the meantime, it was considered that daily delivery of sweet cream which would require little, if any, of the neutralising agent, was a sound principle to work on, since it would very largely give that “creamy” flavour which was so much desired by consumers of New Zeil land butter in the United Kingdom. Salt in Butter. Some complaint had been received from London regarding butters being somewhat bitter in flavour, due principally to the incorporation of more salt than desirable. Customers had commented on the sharp salty character of some of this butter, and this may have been accentuated if more than the usual amount of acidity were developed in the cream before churning. ' , “We have a few companies apparently chasing yield, and who seem to be striving for the maximum salt content so as to reduce the percentage of butterfat in their butter,” said Mr. Singleton. “These need the restraint which the lowering of the maximum would provide. It is my intention to endeavour to get this amendment gazetted.” Mr. Singleton said that since he last addressed the conference two years ago the Government and the industry had at times been perturbed over unfavourable reports received from London regarding mould growth on butter and butter boxes. These complaints were largely, although

not entirely, associated with a box which was not made of eawn timber. It was the opinion of the dairy division of the Dairy Board that butter boxes should not be of timber other than that which was sawn, and a regulation was gazetted giving effect to that opinion. It took considerable time to get the supply entirely diverted to the box of sawn timber, hut this had now been accomplished, and it was hoped that in future we might get no more reports of mouldy butter than were received prior to the departure from the sawn box by the use of a rotary cut box some three years ago. Some dairy companies had received some very inferior sawn saranae boxes during the past season, although their contracts were for boxes complying with the regulations. The department was endeavouring to get legislation which would enable the division to take legal action against box companies if boxes were supplied which contravened the regulations. Quality of Cheese. The season which was just closing should have been favourable for the manufacture of high quality cheese. The quality of the product in the principal cheese producing districts, however, was probably less satisfactory as a whole than usual. Apart from openness and mould seams, which were the cause of a great deal of waste and of irritation to traders,' the characteristics of New Zealand cheese received favourable comment. The attention given to finish had effected improvement, but greater efforts in this direction were justified by the circumstances. The body or plasticity of New Zealand cheese reflected credit on the cheese factory managers, and flavours other than those due to poor starters appeared to be giving satisfaction. No other country made for international trade such as uniform good keeping quality of cheese, and when consideration was given to our comparatively large quantity the position afforded greater grounds for satisfaction! $ The effect of grading/of milk for cheesemaking had proved the wisdom of the step taken and improvement had been in evidence. It was considered that it would be in the interests of quality were all cheese manufacturing companies required to grade milk daily. “It seems to me,” concluded Mr. Singleton, ‘‘that briefly summed up there are two principal avenues demanding early attention. First, we must assist the factory manager by way of better milk and cream so that he may manufacture a product in keeping with his capabilities, and secondly, we must do everything possible to achieve and maintain quality—defining quality as suitability from the point of view of the consumer. Economy of production, upon which the licensing of fat tories, etc., has a direct bearing, is principally an internal matter, but quality is the principal peg upon which our future hangs so far as the disposal of our produce on the Home market at satisfactory prices is concerned. “With closer attention to salting, aroma, and delivery in suitable containers, our butter should cause little concern in the immediate future. Cheese, however, involves a more subtle problem, but there seems no good reason why such weaknesses as openness, proper curing facilities, mould and general condition and appearance cannot be overcome -by the assistance of scientists and attention to accepted methods of manufacture and handling. “The period of low prices and marketing difficulties from which we are emerging has hastened the accomplishment of many desirable reforms in our dairying industry. We should keep that period in mind as the greatest goad to economic production and better quality that New Zealand has yet experienced. If we cannot merely hold but improve the position we have gained in the dairying world, the struggle of those arduous years has been well worth while.”