DAIRY PRODUCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23213, 10 June 1937, Page 16

DAIRY PRODUCE

DOMINION'S EXPORT TRADE NEED FOR FINEST QUALITY An outline of observations made overseas in connection with New Zealand dairy produce was given by Professor W. Riddet, director of the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute, in an address to dairy factory managers yesterday. Professor Riddet's observations related mainly to the quality of Dominion butter and cheese as it obtained on the British market at the present time. The quality of New Zealand butter, he said, was satisfactory, but nevertheless it was necessary to keep on trying to raise the whole of the quality to the standard of " finest," because in the first instance only good butter was imported into Britain from all countries, and the number of countries exporting butter to Great Britain was increasing. The quality of the Dominion's butter was rapidly improving, but the Australian product had also improved considerably during recent years. In endeavouring to improve the quality of their butter, the speaker continued, they must aim at a fresh, creamy-flavoured product, such as was made from finest quality cream, delivered daily and free from food and other taints. They had no need to alter the flavour of their butter to a flavour similar to that of the Continental product. There was already a consistent demand for New Zealand butter, and that demand was increasing rapidly, especially in the northern districts. Speaking of New Zealand cheese, Professor Riddet said the quality had improved very materially in recent years, and merchants at Home had freely acknowledged that fact, but there was still room for further improvement. They could not afford to take any risks with quality. The commercial experiment they had had with standardised milk cheese was still fresh in the minds of traders, and they did not want to return to that practice. If the quality kept improving as it was doing at the present time they would continue to hold the increasing confidence of buyers. That was important, because New Zealand supplied nearly half the quantity of cheese consumed in Great Britain. They should aim at a product uniform in quality; they had no need to worry with the specialty demand, because that was provided by British farmers themselves and to some extent by Canada. New Zealand provided the cheese that was consumed by the masses; that was where their.market lay, and they should continue to hold it.