THE BUTTER-FAT BASIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20716, 8 November 1930, Page 20

THE BUTTER-FAT BASIS.

FAT PAYMENTS DISCUSSED. QUESTION OF SOLIDS TEST. The question of cheese quality in relation to standardisation is discussed by Mr. R. G. Young, of Gordonton, Hamilton, in the following letter:— " Much has heen heard on this aubject lately and thete seems to he a strange reluctance to face the position squarely. In the first place, the reported remarks of the prosident of the Jersey Breed Society at Palmerston on the attitude of the Control Board chairman, as regards standardisation, were quite uncalled for, and to be strongly deprecated by any fairminded individual. " In viow of the voting on the question at the last Control Board meeting, it seems absurd for Waikato to be satisfied with making an inferior article and I am quite sure that, although the fatcontent is as good as the full-cream article, standardised cheese is still inferior. The recent success of Southland cheese at Home seems to show plainly, that our cheese-make s «'.an deliver th® goods, if they get the right class of milk.

Attitude In South Island. " It has been said that the attitude of the South Island producers is illogical in demanding the abolition of standardisation, as they are excluded from the Governing act. It is a well-known fact among farmers and business people generally, that an inferior article, whether live stock or goods, has a depressing effect on the good article in the same market. Looked at in this light the attitude in tho South is quite reasonable and the North should not be satisfied with anything less than its best for export. - " Some comment has been made on the attitude of Taranaki dairymen, but their views are no surprise to me, for, while on a visit there three years ago, I was informed that it was realised a mistake had been made in using Jerseys intensively, as they aro nt tho bottom of most of our cheese-makers' troubles. Taranaki last season made standardised cheese, but in view of the dissatisfaction at Home with the resultant articlo is now prepared to revert to full cream. " It seems to me that nobody is particularly to blame for the present position of the cheese industry. We are all equally guilty in that we have been pursuing tho butter-fat fetish, which is the cause of all our troubles. The time has arrived when the Jersey should be definitely banned for cheese supply. The present system of payment on butterfat is most unfair, as the Jersey milk is paid for at a rate far beyond its cheesemaking value, with consequent injustice to the lower-testing milk, which is really the better milk and should be paid for at a higher rate.

Tost lor Solids Content. " It appears to me that the most urgent reform required at present is a reliable test for the solids content of milk for cheese-making; or, if the butter-fat basis is adhered to, some fair system of deductions for high-testing milk could be devised by experiment. This is a matter for dairy scientists and requires their argent attention. On the introduction of actual value payment of cheese-milk, it would be necessary to aba/idon the but-ter-fat basis for herd-testing cheese producers and substitute the gallons per cow as the standard of excellence. " It appears to me nonsense to say that standardisation is a necessity in the Waikato. I venture to say producers could and would revert to the lower-testing breeds and without any loss, just as soon as dairy company directors introduce a fair system of payment. So long as the butter-fat system is adhered to, so long will our troubles last, with probably disastrous results to ourselves and our market at Home. Any attempt on our part to educate the people at Home to bo satisfied with the standardised article is likely to be a costly experiment to the producer and is to bo strongly condemned. "If the consumers want full-cream they must have it. We must always adapt oursalves to the requirements of ohr customers; that is good business, and I am sure Waikato producers will deliver the goods just as soon as our leaders get down to business and cease to allow themselves to be mesmerised by the Jersey breed society. We often complain that the British manufacturers do not study our requirements, with consequent loss to themselves. Do not lot that bo said of the Waikato cheese producers."