NEW ZEALAND CHEESE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND CHEESE.

Although it is generally recognised that th'e primary cause of the fall in prices is due to the greater abundance of commodities, together with the fact that the demand, due to unemployment, is relatively, weak, it is questionable whether producers yet realise the importance of striving for quality in regard to all exportable perishable produce. It would appear that there is a demand for the best of our produce in London, and we assuredly jeopardise our market if we lower the standard of quality. The statement of Mr W. A. lorns, chairman of the Dairy Board, that cheese producers last season lost approximately one million sterling through a decline in quality from the standard of five years ago, forces the industry to face and remedy a position which cannot be allowed to continue. In 1926 rather more than 50 per cent, of an export of 74,000 tons of cheese was of best quality; but in 1930 only 23 per cent, of an export of 87,000 tons reached finest grade. Such a decline invited a price penalty conservatively estimated by Mr lorns at £ll a ton. Causes of the decline, involve both technical and

practical considerations. The major technical problem is “ openness.”. Research into this problem is now being undertaken, and the types of openness have been classified, and the need of absolute cleanliness in the initial supply and- care in manufacture emphasised. In addition to this technical problem there ■' are recognised weaknesses in the industry which must be rectified. There is the race to secure milk, and suppliers to factories should consider the matter seriously for the good of the industry. Under threat of a transferred supply, factories have been compelled on the one hand to accept milk either of inferior -quality or on the border line; and, on the other hand, managers may have been com- - polled to sacrifice quality for quantity by manufacturing ’unduly moist cheese. Sueh cheese fails to ripen satisfactorily,

and both quality and price suffer. The remedies suggested are prevention of the transfer of suppliers from one factory to another, at any rate, during the currency of a season, and the institution of the grading of milk to encourage the supply of ife first grade raw article. There is the vexed question, too, of the standardisation of cheese, which has caused considerable criticism in England. Standardised cheese is the result of an effort to rectify the use of rich milk for cheesemaking purposes. Milk with a butter-fat test of 3.5 to 4 per cent, makes excellent cheese. Why, then, make an over-rich cheese made from milk testing 5 or 6 per cent.? Why not extract some of the surplus butter-fat and standardise the cheese at a uniform butter-fat content ? On that theory, standardisation was adopted. Unfortunately, human nature is suspicious. What the seller calls standardisation the buyer calls skimming, and a skimmed article,' although possibly actually richer than a full-cream cheese made from a poorer milk, does not find favour with the trader, who to-day is offered his choice in an overflowing market. He can place fullcream cheese 'when consumers perhaps fight shy of the standardised article, if they have a suspicion that the raw milk product has been robbed in any way. The fact of the matter is that the practice is not popular amongst those interested parties who handle our cheese and butter at Home.

It is interesting in connection with the foregoing to note the remarks of the chairman of the Edendale Dairy Factory, Mr T. R. Eades, at the annual meeting of the conipany. This factory,

he said, had made the highest pay-out. to suppliers in New Zealand. The quality of the cheese had graded 95 per cent, superfine, the average for the season being 93.41, this high grading being a factor in selling the cheese. Referring to the quality of the milk supplied, 90 per cent, of it was first class quality, the remaining 10 per cent, being from fair to medium, and even poor. He stressed the importance of maintaining the best standard, so that the manager could secure a grade of 100 per cent, superfine. He referred to the reported lower standard of New Zealand cheese on the London market, and claimed that this did not apply to Southland cheese—and we might add, Otago—which was the best in New Zealand. The directors had unanimously decided to adopt the Southland brand, in common with most of the factories in

the province. Here they -made fullcream cheese, and hoped to profit by the brand. Mr Eades read a letter from one of the largest marketing firms in New Zealand showing the bad results of standardisation, bringing the whole of New Zealand cheese into disfavour. If the manufacture of the standardised article was continued, it would ruin the industry.

Of course, all the problems facing the cheese industry are not due to standardisation, but we seem to have given cause to Home traders to comment adversely on our cheese, and we cannot afford to incur their resentment. Now that there has been a decline in the quantity of Canadian cheese imported into the United Kingdom, producers in New Zealand should make an effort to recover their lost ground and consign only cheese of the highest class, seizing the present opportunity of securing the higher price ruling for a quality cheese in England. It is of first importance to realise that the producer cannot force the consumer to take his produce, but he can strive to make his produce command the consumer’s orders.