DAIRY PRODUCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 31 August 1925, Page 8

DAIRY PRODUCE.

MORE FREQUENT SHIPMENTS. FORTNIGHTLY SAILINGS ARRANGED. The annual report of the Noav Zealand Dairy,. Produce, Control Board stcitcs I—- “ A : classification of the shipsyengaged in the trade which has been prepared shows that their speed varies from 10 to 14’ knots and that the time occupied on the journey to Great Britain varies from 36 to' 52 days. Various refrigeration system's ' are iii use upon the steamers. The transport of butter, owing to its being in a frozen state, presepts very few difficulties providing the butter is low in temperature at the time of shipment. The carriage of plieeso, however, presents difficulties 'not‘nlet with in butter cargoes, due to the higher temperatures at which it needs to be carried. Expviciice both ashbre: and afloat has shown that cool storage of cheese by cooled air has proved most satisfactory. It is hoped in time, to get all carrying vessels to. adopt this system as far as cheese is concerned. “The shipping contract provides for the carriage, of butter at a temperature 0 f 15 degrees, Fahrenheit and cheese at--4.0 degrees to 45 degrees'Fahrenheit. To enable these temperatures to be maintained on the voyage the board has decided to aim at getting the produce delivered at the ship’s;side at approximately. the .tenypera;tuxes stated,in. the shipping contract for its carriage. The, checking of temperatures of the produce leaving the grading stores, and when it is; received alongside the carrying steamer has in many instances disclosed considdrabl e fise -.iii temperature possible : f act or-- tow ai'd s deteriorim tion. Further checking methods are being arranged for by the board. “The. need to eliminate all contributing factors ..to deterioration is being impressed upon all concerned. They stand in the; way of one of our most important aims, "that of delivering to the ..consumer in the same, high class condition as -it is dispatched from our factories. Anything causing deterioration also add’s to our insurance costs, because these risks have to be /covered in the premiimis charged. s Regular Arrivals.

“The need for regular arrivals in Britain hits been continuously 1 - represented "to the shipping companies, avlio have hoav arranged to establish a regu-. lar fortnightly sailing of mail steamers. With our largely- increased production', a regularised sailing-of one steamer fortnightly will be insufficient for all our requirements, but sufficient regularised tonnage is promised to supplement these mail steamers 1 . “In view of the varying speeds, of vessels and the variation in time occupied upon our coast in loading, different itineraries being necessarily followed, absolute regularity of arrival is probably unattainable, but very considerable! improvements can be. secured 1 upon past- 'experience."' Represent-, tations have been, made' of the desirability of'' arranging for ships to call at fewer ports, the shipments' being organised to meet'district requirements without, unnecessary overlapping. This would involve organisation of inward •cargooS. In a recent shipment 37 days elapsed between the first loading at Wellington of dairy produce and its final departure from New Zealand. How far those improvements are attainable in- view; of the: shipping companies’ other obligations; experience must determine. . , ■. . --Freight Rates. " 3 '_"

“The freight rates in the present contract are 4s per box for butter, compared with 4s Odin the"preceding contract. Cli'e'esei'under "the last contract was charged l Id per lb. The. present charge is twenty-nine thirty-seconds of a penny per lb until October 31, 192 G, and from thence onward until the termination of the contract ou July 31, 1927, a further reduction of one thirtysecond of a pennv-per lb' is given, making' the charge for' cheese §d per lb. On the present volume of production these reductions approximate £120,000 for each of the first two years of the - contract, with nearly £20,000 additional for the third year.- The industry will appreciate these reductions, although we- think that the largely earning capacity of ships owing to the greatly increased proportion of dairy produce carried compared with pre-war times has.liot yet been fully acknowledged. , ... ...... “ Napier was added to the list;.of grading ports during the sea%On-. This’ was approved by the board oh the understapd'ing t-hat ordinary;': visits "of -stte'a'rtibrs: tp piekwpp -.jneat eai'goes would be sutfifCient 'ifor i their reqjureineirts and : without;.: •, prejudice to? any decision "the futifre' may necessitate in limiting-the number of ports pf eall. • Specialised, Service, ; - \

The possibility of establishing a spccialised service for‘the speedy carriage -of \ cl airy; p-fo d u Ce.V li as been frequently “rlraeusseditßy tir'e industry. Such a ser;vi’ck ; of Tuiiy refrigerated steamers was found 'qu'tte^prjaeticable. The institiutibn of such; a service will not, lio'W.e'yerpdie cbii’f'emplated until a full opportunity lias"been given, to test the service, promisbdyurider the *.]?jesbnt rbontrabt, E'vefy assistance will bb giveirky- the board in aii endeavour Jo. ..out unnecessary ■ movements: about, the' coast. . ' "A'.-

“ Tbe '‘detail work in connection with shipping, the preparation, of documents, etc., has been done under arrangement with the board by the National Dairy Association and tiie South Island! Dairy Association, ■ This; has"been,done in a very satisfactory manner, as was expected from officers ,>vho have been for years associated with the work. For jthe forthcoming season, arrangements have been made to centralise shipping matters in the board’s office, the detail work in connection with the port of .Wellington being attended to by the board’s own officers. Arrangements have been made with the. South- Island Dairy, Association to continue the detail work* at Lyttelton, Timaru, Port Chalmers, and Bluff' for next season. Similar. arrangements have been made with the National Dairy Association for attention to the detail work at Auckland and New Plymouth.