Maungatapere Farmers' Cream Grading

Northern Advocate, 24 July 1939, Page 8

Maungatapere Farmers' Cream Grading

The discrepancy between the low grading of cream supplied to the Maungatapere dairy factory during the past season and the high-grade butter produced from the same cream was the subject of comment at the annual meeting of shareholders of the company on Friday. While 4(5.885 per cent, of the cream supplied had been graded finest, and 49.129 first, with 3.986 per cent, second grade, the average grade of the butter manufactured during the season was 93.561. the balance-sheet stated.

An explanation of these figures was sought by Mr W. Jack. The poor pasture growth of last spring was largely responsible for the low grading, said the factory manager, Mr J.' Stevenson.

A fairly high percentage of the cream had been flavoured with feed and affected by mammitis. Poor Quality Cream. In September, said Mr Stevenson, on the 37 farms visited by the dairy instructor to the Department of Agriculture, it was found that in 40 per cent, of the cases the cream supplied had been of good duality, 40 per cent, fair, and 14 per cent. bad. In December, 72 farms were visited, and the respective figures were 33, 51 and 16 per cent., while, in January, visits showed the percentages to be 45, 50 and five. In February, they wore 41, 37 and 22 per cent. Mr Stevenson commented that a large percentage of the increased operating costs during the year were accounted for by eliminating defects in cream to maintain the standard of butter production. It was a matter for congratulation to the factory staff that the production quality had been maintained under such circumstances, said Mr R. Feavcr. An explanation of the cream grading was given by the dairy instructor to the Department of Agriculture at Whangarei, Mr M. A. Wallace, who said that the quality of finest- grade cream supplied had been high, and permitted production of a 95 grade butter. Similarly, ' the" lower-graded creams had been of quite good quality and it would bo found that the buttoi grading was quite justified. As far as Lite cream grading was concerned, this had been confirmed by mechanical tesls.