DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 12

DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

GOOD QUALITY OF OUTPUT. MEETING FOREIGN COMPETITION REPORT MADE BY DIRECTOR. fSV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The following report on the new season's dairy produce to date has been supplied by Mr. W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture : The increased supplies of butter from the Baltic States and Siberia, together with increased quantities during recent years from the Argentine, have caused New Zealand dairymen to realise that at least in the immediate future competition will be keen and that good quality is of paramount importance. In view of the fact that milk may be manufactured into butter or cheese it is recognised that cheese is not likely to be in short supply as a rule, arid that good quality is as necessary in cheese as in butter.

Tho spring can scarcely be said to have been uniformly favourable for production. The corresponding period of 1925 was doubtless still less favourable, however, since for the August-November period this year we have an increased production amounting to 7.6 per cent. We are, nevertheless, some 4 per cent, below the production of the corresponding period of 1924. There is, therefore, some leeway to make up on quantity. Producers' Forward Move. Climatic conditions have been more favourable to quality than to quantity of dairy produce. There has also been a general move forward by dairy farmers and factory managers with respect to quality, in both butter and chee&e. The manner in which the producers and man-: agers are co-op&rating with the department toward effecting improvement is to be commended. Dairy companies in some districts have been preparing for this push forward during the past year, and from time to time during the period I have been requested to approve of additional farm dairy instructors to assist dairy farmers in producing a better quality of milk and cream.

These requests have come mostly from the North Island, although a number cama from the South Island. The result of the general efforts toward improvement has been gratifying. Usually the spring quality of butter and cheese is not as good as th# average for the season, but the quality of butter this spring is practically identical with the average quality for all last season, while cheese shows a marked improvement over last season's average. Statements of Graders. The following quotations are from recent reports from dairy produce graders, each quotation having reference to one grading port Butter.—"Quality shows improvement." "The quality, as compared with last year, has improved.'/ "The quality of butter is still keeping good and it is evident the companies are striving to maintain this." "Quality well maintained. About 75 per cent, of butter graded during the past fortnight was classed as finest." Cheese.—"A wonderful improvement has taken place in the quality of the cheese at Patea. Som« of the factories that were turning out only medium quality cheese last year seem to be aiming at something better. It is pleasing to see many of them scoring 'finest.'" "The great number of pasteurisers operating has had some effect in increasing, the percentage of finest cheese, but the greater interest in producing a better article is the greatest contributing factor." Part Played by Board.

With reference to the Dairy Produce Board, it is the general consensus of opinion that the principal stimulus toward this praiseworthy improvement is the differential advance payments in accordance with quality. The board is therefore to be commended for its action and to it, in the final analysis, belongs much of the credit for the improvement in the quality of butter, and cheese this season. It has at times been stated that Australian butter was selling as high as New Zealand. There have been times when Australian was in short supply, and on these occasions the statement may have been according to fact. Below are the averages as figured from the High Commissioner's cablegrams since January 1 last, to show that the relative, positions are much as heretofore:—Danish, 180s lOd; New Zealand, 167s lOd; Australian, 164s 2d; Argentine, 157s Sd; Siberia, 146s Bd. >