CHEESE AND BUTTER GRADING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 August 1924, Page 6

CHEESE AND BUTTER GRADING.

(To the Editor.) kii', —As practically no protest has been made by the Taranaki dairy companies re the proposal to raise the standard of grading from 88 to 90 points for first grade, grant me space for a few remarks. To begin, are the dairy companies aware that the raising of the grade two points means a loss of thousands of pounds per annum to the dairy farmers ? Previous to the '' hi’st and second-grade cheese obtained the same price at Home, but during the war the Imperial Government purchased the output of New Zealand dairy produce, and paid £d per ib less for second-grade cheese. This, no doubt, put the dealers at Home vise to the fact that any cheese stamped with New Zealand secondgrade brand could be purchased for less than, first grade, and last season second grade was quoted at 2s per cwt below first grade, although had the crates been unmarked and the buyers allowed to use their own judgment it is more than likely that it would have sold at the same rate as first grade. Who reaps the benefit of this 2s? Certamly not the consumer, as the cheese vould be retailed as first grade. Then the dairy companies must lie making the retailers a present of 2s per cwt. A comparison on last season’s results or two factories in same district: A is pasteurising, and had an average grade between 92 and 93; B has no pasteurising plant, and had an average grade of 89, yet taking their output.s shipment by shipment, as sold at home, B has realised over Is per tw l ?? re 4 lian A - The reason? Simply that the New Zealand graders and the trade at Home do not agree as to the quality of cheese. Ask any factory manager if his high grading cheese receives the most favourable reports from Horne. In the case of B, under the proposed new standard the output von Id have been second grade, and hable to a cut of 2s per cwt. The best pay-out I have seen reported in iaranaki. so far this season was ob—tamed with low-grading cheese. (Will the chairman of the Kakaramea Co. note the above facts?) When all is S r l i i OVIr dairy factories should be out to make an article to suit the consumers, and not the graders. The graders, no doubt, are doing then best in a difficult position but it is impossible for a few men thousands of miles from the market to judge cheese for millions. I contend that no first of second-grade brand should be- put on cheese l crates hut something such as “Passed by .grader” or “Passed for export” should take its place, and the buyer allowed the'final judgment. In conversation a short time ago with the New Zealand agent for the firm through which my company consigns he expressed disapproval ol the proposal to raise the grade, and informed me that he had put in a season in Tooley Street not long ago. and uuring the whole time never heard the word "flavour” mentioned. And vet “flavour” is what the New Zealand cheesemakers fall down over, as 50 points out of the 100 are awarded for *s°me of the points were taken oit flavour and awarded for body, etc., it would be reasonable. If the grade is raised as proposed it means that many companies will be forced into installing expensive pasteurising plants, and, as the example I have given above is not an exception, for what benefit? Several managers with whom I have discussed the increase are of the opin--10?| ffiat if the grade is raised to 90 it wilL be more profitable for companies R? ail ?-«. secoll d gvade, and make up the difference in yield, which means more moisture and a weak-bodied cheese.—l am, etc., FACTORY MANAGER,