OUR DAIRY PRODUCE

Evening Star, Issue 19778, 31 January 1928, Page 8

OUR DAIRY PRODUCE

review by director NECESSITY FOR HIGH STANDARD INSTRUCTION SHOULD LL UN NATIONAL LASTS. “ Our grading figures lor cheese must necessarily evidence a reduced percentage ot * iincbt ; grade this season as compared with those of the corresponding period of last season, it is "ratifying to note a considerable reduction m the cheese graded as seconds. Much of our cheese has given good satisfaction to buyers. Our cheese, as a whole, arc more uniform than those of any other country, and it we can make them all dose in body - we > have nothing to fear from competition. The above views wore expressed by Mr W. rM. Singleton, director ot the dairy division of the Agricultural Department, in an address at a conference of dairy factory managers from the district using Patea as a grading poit. “ A recent issue of the Grocer, a provision trade paper, published in London,” said Mr Singleton, “ reierred to the excellence ot quality nl our cheese then on the market. Those would bo last season’s cheese, and were doubtless made last autumn. Last season, for the Jive months, August-Decernber, .some 5 per cent, of our cheese were graded as ‘ finest.’ The differential advance payment made by the Dairy Board seemed to inspire a .special effort towards in quality, that influence is not in evidence this season. On the contrary a largo proportion of our cheese has been sold f.o.b. or c.i.t., and some buyers at least have not differentiated in price between finest and ‘first grade.’ It is known that some companies have, under tho circumstances, knowingly taken more latitude in the direction of supplying quantity irrespective of some lowering of quality. This does not appear to he a good method of maintaining a satisfied cheese trade for New Zealand. CREAMERY BUTTER.

“ The percentage of ‘ iinest butter tin’s season, although showing some reduction, discloses a more satisfactory position.. The season has been erratic, and variations in climatic conditions would naturally be more manifest with respect to cheese manufacture than in the manufacture of butter, i’urther, the trading of cream and the compulsory 0 differential payments therefore must have saved tho general position very considerably. During the AugustDecernber period there has been a marked increase in the cream supply, and in a number of districts this has been sufficient to make the more _fremicnt collection of cream economical. Fortunately there has this season been a sli'dit decrease in the percentage of second grade butters. Whether Hus improvement can be maintained throughout the hot weather is a qncstiniU BUTTER WEIGHTS.

“ About Jour years since wo bad serious complaints from the tinted Kingdom re excess water in New Zealand butter,” continued Mr Singleton. We appear to have put a full stop to those, and to have regained the confidence of the batter trade in this connection. Tins season; it is butter wcignts that is in question. We have been going into this matter of late, and we find that when the parchment is stripped horn the block of butter it may we:igh up to live or six ounces instead of the oiignial weight of the paper at, say, lour ounces. it would appear reasonable that a retailer should expect a block oi butter to weigh at least litty-six pounds when stripped. We must have a minimum of 561 b Coz to ensure tins, and 501 b Soz, including paper, would probably be the safer weight to aim at placing in the boxes. There are sure to hiT some under this, and some allowance so as to always have full weight seems iustiiied. We must not permit such conditions as will give wholesalers and retailers in the United Kingdom the impression that New Zealand butter is not up to full marked weight. “Judging by reports from London and inspections on our grading iloois here, there is room for considerable improvement in our whey butter. DOMINION FARM DAIRY INSTRUCTION. The last point to which Mr Singleton referred was that of dominion farm dairy instruction, which, ho said, appeared to have been developed about as far as possible on the voluntary oasis. There were many other dairy companies anxious to be associated in this service, but they were so small that it was only by linking up with other companies that the service was procurable. , . “There had been during recent years a great extension of the use of miming machines and farm separators. Some supervision of the erection of milking machines was necessary to prevent the less conscientious companies ignoring the regulations and thus by unfair competition forcing the better companies to do likewise. Dairy farmers needed such assistance as only farm dairy instructors could give,-and it was.hoped that the industry as a whole would soon recognise that this service should be put on a dominion basis. “ Wore this service on a . dominion basis,” Mr Singleton remarked in closing, “the blocking system could be

adopted in a manner which would prevent as far as possible any overlapping of tho travelling of officers. The department recognises some responsibility iir.thc question'of proper erection mid general condition of milking machines and farm separators, and is, 1 believe, prepared to Help financially. On the basis on which we are discussing this proposal it is not likely to cost the dairy farmers directly more than 0.02 d per pound of butter-fat. As an insurance premium this would represent a really good investment considering the cover it affords.”