DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20171, 4 February 1929, Page 15

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

deteriorating produce.

QUALITY NOT MAINTAINED. RECENT VISITOR'S CRITICISM. The calm of contented well-being that has permeated New Zealand's dairy industry has been abruptly ru filed. It has been replaced by general concern because an authoritative commentator from England has stated that all is not as well as was supposed with the Dominion's produce on the London market. The quality .®f our butter and cheese is allegedly declining and since this criticism has been upheld bv such an eminent local authority as Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., there certainly seems some reason for concern. Not/the least serious aspect of the allocations lies in tho fact that they aro so completely unexpected. That anv deterioration could occur in the quality of the Dominion's exported produce without some inkling of the truth reaching the producer seems hardjy a tenable assertion. A depressing effect on prices and consumption, jt would be thought, would soon indicate that something serious was amiss. And certainly when increased supplies of our produce are consumed at enhanced values —as has been the case to an increasing degree of late —there seems to be little reason to suspect a position such as. that cutlined by Sir Thomas Clements last week. That such a state of affairs could exist unknown to the producer argues a grave inconsistency somewhere. Importance ol Quality. Perhaps Sir Thomas' remark that New Zealand is losing consideiably as the result of defective produce can be interpreted as meaning that even greater prices than the satisfactory ones now received should be the lot of Dominion produce in which the inferiorities are remedied. According to Mr. Goodfellow the reason why eo little has been heard from English merchants concerning deterioration in quality is the fact that by complaining in the past some of them have suffered a diminution in business as a result of unfavourable reports to factories and are no longer anxious to help the manufacturer with advice. This state of affairs hardly redounds to the credit of our factories. It would be thought that they at least would be sufficiently alive to the importance of quality to scorn such a shortsighted policy. The bur Jen of Sir .Thomas' criticism is chiefly that quality has been sacrificed for quantity in the case of both butter and cheese. He condemns practices which are allegedly followed in- the " mad scramble for a big yield." Excessively moist cheese, as a means to increased outputs and pay-outs, is particularly censured. Of course such a practice is not universal in New Zealand, but it is apparently sufficiently general for condemnatory reference by Mr. Goodfellow in support of Sir Thomas' comment. " dose-cutting cheese from New Zealand is now ajmost a rarity,'* says the latter, and therein, he suggests, is the reason why it cannot compare frith the almost faultless Canadian product. More time in manufacture and a less ardent desire for excessive production are the main directions in which reform is apparently needed and it is sincerely to be hoped that a definite movement as indicated will soon take place. 1 Other Detrimental Influences. To pasturisation anu the use of fertilisers are also attributed detrimental influences. Actually there is little new in these particular assertions. Dairymen for instance are familial with the o allegation that pasturisation destroys not only the harmful bacteria in milk, but also the bacteria whicfy are essential to the keeping quality, and palatability of tho ultimate product. They have also heard the argument that the grading of milk on the farms is desirable in the interests of finest grade produce, while they are further acquainted with the suggestion that home separating is responsible for much loss in grade. Until now, however, there has been no serious call to doubt the efficacy of present processes and manufacturing practice, as defined by factory management, and to some extent, by departmental violation, has remained unchallenged. There is an unmistakable challenge in Sir Thomas Clements' statements, however, anrl the very unexpectedness of it, coupled with the confirmatory remarks of Mr. Goodfellow, should ensure its prompt acceptance. Fortunately he has made his complaint to the right quarter—to the factory manager and directors themselves — and an early and complete investigation of his charges should result. A Regrettable Practice. According to Mr. Goodfellow tho deterioration in the quality of our butter is a feature confined to the present season alone. But m explaining this ho discloses the existence of a particularly regrettable practice on the part of some of tho lactones. " Tho decline in the quality of the'butter this he says, " has been mainly due to the very wet spring and to excessive competition between factories." Some factories endeavoured to hold suppliers and attract new ones by undergrading, thus making it easy to obtain tho premium for the best grades. If this is a fact then it is one that cannot be too strongly deprecated and tho sooner tho practice is ended the better will it be for ■the abiding prosperity of tho industry. Further, there seems every justification for the suggestion that Government creamgraders, paio by tho industry, should replace the present company ■ graders. Tho fact that a leading authority at the producing end accepts without cavil the unpleasant dictum against tho industry, promises an enthusiastic effort at remedial

itMiies. The Dairy Division, the Control jßoard and tho factory staffs and managements themselves aro all equally concerned in that effort. Tlie combined activities of these have brought Dominion dairying to its present important status. The same activities will undoubtedly be je.xertcd to check threatened retrogression anil maintain and further increase present Standards.