BUTTER AND CHEESE TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 118, 22 May 1925, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE TRADE

VITAL IMPORTANCE OF. HIGH

QUALITY.

"The importance of good quality in our butter and cheese was possibly'never greater than now," said Mr. Singleton, Dairy Commissioner, speaking at Pahiatua yesterday. "We are experiencing growing competition, not only from Argentina, but from Siberia, Finland, Esthoma, and Latvia. Australia and Canada are endeavouring to improve the quality of their butters, and are copying our system. Sweet and clean milk and cream is the foundation of the best quality, whether it be butter or cheese. When New Zealand diverted from whole milk separation at butter factories and skimming stations to home separation, the process of manufacture had to ba adjusted to make the best possible' article, from the staler cream, due to lack of cleanliness of many farm separators, and to less frequent and more irregular delivery. "Pasteurisation of cream and partial neutralisation of the acidity had to be resorted to, and it is pleasing that New Zealand has done as well under adverse circumstances as is the case. Voluntary cream grading. with a lower price for low quality has affected much improvement, and there is such an appreciation that the demand is becoming insistent for compulsory grading. Voluntary grading would be more pleasing to the Dairy Division if it only became effective generally. Unfortunately, there are those who are more interested in turnover than in quality, and the voluntary system will not become sufficiently general. I am of the opinion that 'compulsory grading' must be adopted sooner or later."