DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 June 1926, Page 8

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

TOPICAL MATTERS DISCUSSED. Many 7 ' matters of interest to the dairying industry were discussed by various”interests during the National Dairy Show, at Palmerston this wee! FACTORY MANAGER’S ASSOCIATION. In the course of the annual report of the- New Zealand Dairy • Factory Managers’ Association, it was mentioned that for the .period ended March 31, 1926,. dairy produce graded for export amounted to:.-Butter 61,312 tons, cheese 73,933 tons. The previous year’s figures were-: Butter 70,331 tons, cheese 72,631 tons. We are' pleased to -state that quality on the whole lias improved. It is gratifying that each year shows further improvement, and we are confident that through the zeal and industry of our members a still higher standard may be attained. The executive desires to express its thanks to the director and staff of the Dairy Division for their co-operation .and their valued assistance at the conferences held during the .year at the grading stores at Auckland, ’Wellington, Patea, New Plymouth, and Wanganui. It is pleasing to record that a labora, tory has been established in Taranaki and is proving of advantage to those who have access to it We trust the establishment of the experimental factory and laboratory by the Government will be effected during the -coming year. This institution will no doubt prove of benefit to all our members and the industry generally.

CREAM GRADING. Mr. W. M. Singleton, director oi the Dairy Division, gave an address on cream grading. He stated that the compulsory grading of cream would be practically useless for the betterment, of the final produce unless it was accompanied by compulsory differential payments. The suggestion was that there should be three grades for cream, and care would be taken to see that there was uniformity in the grading. It wa.s proposed that there should he a diil'erence of id per pound of butterfat between the three different grades. Another matter that would be dealt with in the proposed legislation would be to give authority to factory managers to. add a specific colouring substance to cream that had been rejected because of contamination, and there by prevent it being returned to the factory distributed among other cream. The department, added Mr. Singleton, in conclusion, was prepared at all times to receive suggestions from managers for the benefit of the industry. He mentioned that it was proposed in the new legislation to enforce a payment of id per lb of butter-fat for cream testing below 35 per cent. In the ensuing discussion Mr. Murray stated that compulsory grading would have a great effect on the industry, as it would make farmers deliver a better quality of cream to the factory. No less important was the subject of farm dairy instruction, which, if made compulsory, would ensure better milk being delivered to cheese factories and obviate the intense pasteurisation that was needed n some cases at present.

Mr. Crosbie thought that stricter supervision was needed before the milk left the farm. Mr. Singleton stated that he was a firm believer in farm dairy instruction, but he did not. know whether the time was yet opportune .for it being made compulsory. Mr. J. Middleton (Canterbury) stated that lie was glad to see that the matter of compulsory cream grading was receiving proper attention. With regard to farm instruction, he felt that measures should-be put into effect bv the Government to ensure that better cream was received at the factories than in the past. Personally, lie thought that legislation should be introduced whereby it would be compulsory to cool cream as it came fronv the separators and keep it cool during the period before it reached the factory ‘ With more care. New Zealand butter would be able to hold its own with the Danish produce. A motion favouring compulsory grading and compulsory dairy instruction was carried. EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORIES.

Mr A Morton, president of the National Dairy Association in an address stated that his body had urged upon the Government the necessity ol making a complete inspection of niJ the dairy farms of the Dominion. Kecarding Sir Frank Heath’s recent report. ' he hoped that the Government would go further in the matter of the establishment- of experimental laboratories and dairy schools. On Ins recent visit to Denmark lie had heard surprise expressed that New Zealand had not such institutions, and wonder. ment that the Dominions producecould attain its present high standaio despite the lack of research and advice. In Finland he had seen a wonderfully well-equipped experimental laboratory, where chemists were employed solely on research work for the benefit of the industry. Undoubtedly, experimental laboratories would do a lot for dairying in the Dominion.