BUTTER INDUSTRY.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13657, 28 August 1916, Page 4

BUTTER INDUSTRY.

THE DOMINION'S OUTPUT,

In the.course of an interesting repwt to tlie Secretary of Agriculture, Mr D. Cuddie, Director of tho Dairy Division, dealing with the butter industry, says: The reputation which New Zealand holds as a country where creamery but; tor of the best quality is made has been maintained for many years. This good uamc has been built 1 up as the result of strenuous etl'olt on the part of a section' of the producers, backed by practical assistance rendered by the State. It is safe to say that, so far as the establishment of a uniform system of manufacture goes, the' New' Zealand method is not excelled-by any and equalled"by few countries, where the art of buttermaking is a specialised business. The experience of tjle past year has agaiu demonstrated the principle of the success attained when what 'is-Known-as the "whole-milk" system is practised, Those dairy companies whos'e Supply) of raw material consists mainly in the delivery of milk either to the central creamery (butter factory) or to the skiming stations have almost without exception turned out a product which, would bear comparison with the best article made'in 'any'country that might be named—truly a superfine product, which, if sold on its merits, with tho advantage of an all-the-year-round supply,' would!,hold its own in competition with any other, Unfortunately,, ; the ; production of this class of'butter is, steadily but surely declining in New Zealand, It is almost superfluous to ask the reason why, for the answer is obvious to all who are well acquainted with the change that has and is still taking placo from the whole-milk system of delivery to that of separating tho cream on tho farm. The year now closed has amplified in no mistaken manner tho danger of accepting cream separated on tlie farms and held thero for two or more days under-conditions Which, to say the-least, are bo harmful that no perishable foodstuff could pass through the process without king mote or .loss spoiled. That much good cream is received from many farms is not denied, and to the owners all credit is due. If the same remark could be - ap-' plied to other ianns, the ground, for criticism of this sort would bo non-ex-istent. But. the age of the cream in many cases is not its worst fault. The real .trouble,-lies much deeper than that. I Improper cleansing of the utensils, including mechanical milkers, separators, and the premises where the cream awaits despatch to the creamery, is the major cause of inferior butter. Large quantities of cream, tainted in llavour, and unlit for the production of firstclass butter thus reach'the factories, and these supplied are iiot rejected,'on account of the competition existing between dairy companies and dairy factor}- proprietors. Only when a delivery may have reached the-stage of decomposition is it rejected. To remedy the general defects in the cream accepted an ingenious process of treatment is, resorted to at tho'factory. —namely, the neutralisation of the acidity by ijicaus of an 'alkaline agent, which is made effectivo by tho aplication of a.-high pasteurising tenipcra.-: fure. This 'treatment' is only a, partial success with much of tho cream, and' the result is 'ai butter • low iu grade, which cannot be expected to stave off tlie margarine danger of replacement. One district in particular lias warlced up an unenviable distinction for its butter as tlie direct influence of the method in vogue—namely, the wrong jiiothod of home separation. To prevent misunderstanding, let it be'said that there is a right method of home separation, which is practised on many farms without injury to the product. There is no getting away from the fact that the wrong method of handling the cream on the farms is seriously lowering the quality of our butter, and, further, it has been very marked k certain districts during the year.

iTlie position in regard to the butter industry of the Dominion at present is simply this: the quality in some districts is gradually going back—it has gone back considerably during the past year—and thus the industry as a whole is being affected by a reduction of the general average. , Unless some united action is - taken whereby the cream' separated on the farms is handled witli more care and sent forward to the creameries at shorter intervals, and.the element df unhealthy . competition miniit means a further drop iu the quality, followed by a reduction iu tho market value of the New Zealand butter.