CHEESE PRODUCTION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 7 October 1916, Page 4

CHEESE PRODUCTION.

PROSPECTS FOR FACTORIES

Having obtained the latest available* information from .the head office of the Agricultural Department in Wel-lington,-the Dominion states that late reports from the country districts confirm the opinion that the production of cheese during the present season is going to be substantially in excess of last year's, production, owing to the stimulus given the factories by. the very high prices. Most of the factories having dual plants are stated to be concentrating their attention on th& manufacture of cheese, which offers a better return than butter, even at thepresent high values^ of that articleCheese is coming into the stores quickly, and apparently there is some ground for anxiety with regard to shipping facilities. The Government has not been able to give assurances on this point, and the present indications are that there will be less refrigerating space available this season than there was last season, when the output of thecheese factories was smaller.

The shortage of rennet reported after the loss of a large quantity of that, article on the Tongariro does not appea: to have affected cheese production to any appreciable extent. The factories have been able to make temporary arrangements in cases - where the shortage was serious, arid they are not embarrassed by having to pay high prices for fresh supplies of rennet while cheese commands its present high price. The experiment made by the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture in the use of pepsin as a substitute for rennet is not yetr * complete. The cheese manufactured by the use of pepsin in the Kaup«'koimi factory, South Taranaki, is nn-Jer observation, and its condition up to the present time is considered entirely satisfactory. But the Departmental officers will not give a final decision, regarding the suitability of pepsin for cheese production until the experimental lot has been examined at maturity.