Northland Butter Of High Quality

Northern Advocate, 21 February 1940, Page 2

Northland Butter Of High Quality

Northland has one of the highest butter grading districts in New Zealand, surpassed only by Manawatu, said Mr S. J. Wood, manager of the liikurangi Dairy Company. Last season 91 per cent, of butter manufactured in Northland graded basic finest (93 points .and over), while 67 per cent, graded 94 points and over and so qualified for the premium ’of 1/2 a cwt. This premium enabled the Northland factories to* make a satisfactory payment to suppliers when compared with other companies not receiving the premium. Last season, 20.837 tons of butter from Northland went through the Auckland grading stores, concluded Mr Wood.

Grading Standard.

Speaking of the agitation among South Auckland dairy companies for the lowering of the standard of grading of New Zealand butter, Mr Wood said that, his company, as were other Northland companies, was strongly opposed to any lowering of the standard. Mr Wood said that ,an argument advanced by the South Auckland companies was that premium butter did not command a higher price from the British Government, but against this was the fact that English buyers relied upon the New Zealand grading, and this standard had been accepted by the trade for many years. The high standard of New Zealand butter had been recognised when the British Government agreed to pay a higher price for this country’s product than for Australian butter, said Mr Wood. So far as Northland w r as concerned, the standard of the butter manufactured had greatly improved during the past few years, and Mr Wood attributed this improvement largely to the zoning of supplies that had been earned out. in this district, where the scheme had been put fully into effect, whereas in the Waikato only partial zoning applied.