CREAM TESTS AND GRADING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19405, 14 February 1925, Page 17

CREAM TESTS AND GRADING.

TO THE EDITOR. SiK,—ln your columns of late there has boon some correspondence anent the dairying industry, chiefly relating to tho nianu; factoring and merchandising of onr dairy products. All concerned seem to stress tneir opinion on tho disadvantages tho producer has to face, and this has been attributed to mismanagement the transitory period from the manufacturing depot to the consumer Tho manipulation of this portion of our dairying business seems to require Borne more powerful hand to guide it, especially in tho regulation of supplies according to the demand, whereby we might obtain to tho full extent all profits which should ultimately revert to the producer. Much has been said in " pamphlets and weeklies to farmers about herd testing versus factory teats, and the answers brought forward show that the fault lies in inefficient separation and in the of milk ter other purposes. But if that is the case, why does it often happen that when taking the individual tests of the milk of three cows, you cannot always procure the average teat of the aggregate? My chief desire in writing is to bring- before your notice too fact that tho ratio of payment, which the producer receives from tho factory is .not equivalent to the various cream tests. The producer whoso cream teats 40 per cent, butter-fat does not receive the same monetary value aa the producer whoso test is 4t< por cent, butlcr-fat, Xiadt year a coniorenco was held for the purpose of introducing cream grading, and tho ultimate effect of that meeting was a decision that cream grading .should be given a trial. This was to come into operation on October 1, whoa all,cream testing under lit! per cent. was to bo penalised one penny per lb. September was to bo an. instructional month, and it was hoped that during that month all the producers supplying cream under 33 per cent, would adjust their separators and procure cream testing 33 per cent, or over, which would enable them to obtain full value for their cream. in many cases advantage was not taken of it, and it was deemed necessary to extend the time to tho ond of October. Any supplier in tho meantime who failed to procure a tost of 83 per cent, or over received a notice drawing fus attention to the matter. Even this did not procure tho desired effect, for the simple reason that the low-test penalised cream was tho better paying proposition of the two. Many suppliers know quite well that the proposed amendments, the product of that conference, would bo a failure. Probably if tho conference had readjusted their price to a greater extent, according to tho quality of tho cream, eomo good may have boon done. The directors of tho various* companies caw there was going to bo trouble ahead and deemed it tho better policy to let the cream grading drop and clamour in tho meantime after further suppliers, especially those who might have got dissatisfied with their company because they insisted in carrying out the wishes of tho conference. Tho cream grading, however, fell through. Yet the dairymen, the producers, and suppliers aro supposed to be rosjjonsiblo for tho failure “Why," it has boon asked, ‘'should dairymen bo allowed to lower the income of the dominion by sanding thoir cream to tho factory in a rotten condition” ? _ Wo mo told that “it is tho imperative duty of every board of directors in tho national interest to put down rigorously the practice of allowing unsound cream to enter a butter or _gnccse factory, whether to bo manufactured ior export or local consumption.’ Are tlio directors of our dairying companies doing this? iiad they held to their agreement our factories would havo been producing a far better grade of butter to-day. In fact, tho destiny of our dairying industry is practically in the hands of tho directors of the various dairy factories, it is essential that a first-class article must bo produced if wo are to compete in tho world’s markets. Even if wo have not at present tho ability and opportunity to sell at top market prices tbat may eventually come. On the other hand if wo. had tfie ability and opportunity to eeil trade would soon collapse in the selling of a poor grade article. If it is true that ‘‘ono supplier of second grade cream to each factory can lower the grade of all the butter it produces,” what are our directors doing? Before going further I think it is only right to congratulate tho directors and management of the Co-operative Dairy Factory of Otago in tho small stand they arc taking to pay out one penny per leb less- for second grade cream. But although this is a step in the right direction the penalty is far too light to havo the required effect. I believe it was quite possible that prices could originally havo oecn eo adjusted that they would have brought about commendable results. Through the directors of the various companies failing ■to conqily with their agreement a leakage is taking place and money that should finally roach the producers’ pocket is being paid away. Probably 10 or 15 per cent, of tho money is paid to the Railways Department, and about tho same percentage paid for tho handling, etc., of the cream cans, and a large percentage of unnecessary milk has to bo dealt with, necessitating the extra expense. The very fact that no deductions are to be made for low-teat first-grade cream shows that there is something materially wrong. Otherwise why should a dairy farmer persist in sending in a low-test cream? t>hat seems more peculiar still is that a supplier actually receives more for a low-test second grade cream than tor a low-test first grade cream, and one penny penalty will not counteract this. Something more drastic will havo to bo done before wo can satisfactorily produce the required article that will keep up the income of the dominion and enable us to compete in tho world’s markets successfully Let pie also state that had all tho dairy farmers supplied cream testing 33 per cent, and over, I am quite certain that the much talked of 24.78 overrun would havo been a more bagatelle when compared with the overrun procured from a test o f 33 per cent, and over, but probably in all cases the figures would not be available for the public. We can thank the low-test cream for regulating that problem.—l am, etc., J. O. Smith. Lovell’s Flat, February 10.