DECLINE IN QUALITY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1929, Page 11

DECLINE IN QUALITY

EXPORTED DAIRY PRODUCE

REASONS SUGGESTED

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The-Evenina-Post")

AUCKLAND, This Day.

Commenting on tho statement of Sir Thomas Clement that tho New Zealand dairy produce on tho Home market was not improving in quality, Mr. W. Goodfellow said that he thought the remarks fairly accurately described the position in regard to the average New Zealand cheese exported in the last few years.

"Complaints of openness in cheese have been frequently received from London, and experiments are in progress to determine the exact cause, 1' said Mr. Goodfellow. .'.'Whether-, or not this is duo entirely to excessive moisture is open to question. No doubt there are certain factories which in. tho past have made a.practice of obtaining a big yield by .incorporating, an unduly high percentage of moisture. ..The re-' suit is a big pay-out, but this is obtained at tho expense, of those factories which manufacture cheese of a high standard." . ... ■.■■■''

Mr. Goodfellow said that'the decline, in the quality of butter this year had been duo mainly to the. very wot.spring and also to the excessive competition, If; was undoubtedly a fact that some of the dairy companies- were endeavouring to hold tho suppliers, and attract other suppliers by under-grading and making k-easy for suppliers to. obtain a premium for finest or first- grade. A serious position had arisen,-.- Ho considered that the drastic 'remedy .should bo adopted before the next spring of ap-^ pointing independent Government creani graders, who would bo paid for by the industry. "

Mr. Goodfellow said that in tho caso of tho New Zealand Company instructions had been given to the. officer ' in charge/of the London- "pounding" plant to forward full reports'.of the condition of the butter and checso upon arrival in the United Kingdom. By this means the company would bo able to_ check the quality, of the products prior to the complaints being received.