QUALITY OF BUTTER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16869, 5 February 1929, Page 4

QUALITY OF BUTTER

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT POSITION IN POVERTY BAY The recent remarks of Sir Thomas Clemen!, of the English firm of Andrew Clement and Son, who maintains that the quality of New Zealand butter and cheese is slipping back, has created not a little interest in Poverty Bay. The production in this district is solely butler, and the remarks in connection with cheese have no local significance, but it is maintained that although a high standard of butter is manufactured in Poverty Bay, there is room for improving'the product.

A great improvement has been noticed in the quality of Poverty Bay butter during recent years, according to grading figures, and butter from this district always apt/cars to sell well on the London market. Sir Thomas Clement's remarks, however, are intended to apply generally to this Dominion's dairy products, ami apparently it is essential that the standard should be improved. That factories here hold a high place.for grading points among other concerns in the Dominion should not leave the dairymen of the district with a fending of smug satisfaction, for there tire many ways in which further improvement could be effected.

With land of the fertility which exists in Poverty Bay there is reason why butter made here should not be at" least equal to the best in New Zealand. If this is to be done, however, maiiy of the farmers will have to put forward more effort to protect the quality of their cream, and although most of that, produced in Poverty Bay is being graded finest, the dairymen should not rest on their oars with the idea that they have accomplished everything in connection with quality. Sir Thomas has hinted that, among other things, the system of grading butter and cheese requires overhaulind and bringing up-to-date, while Mr W. Goodfellow, prominent in Auckland and South Auckland dairying circles, maintains that the keen competition among dairy companies is responsible for grading of cream being done in suppliers' favor in order to retain their supply and to attract others,' and for this reason he advocates that cream grading should bo done by officers under the control of i the Government.

How far these remarks apply to this district it is impossible to say, but it is known that at least some farmers could greatly improve tneir methods of working 'and supply better cream, and so help the factories to manufacture a higher grade of butter. Sometimes criticism of the type made by Sir Thomas Clement is resented, but it is pleasing to. note thjit his comments appear to have been takemin the right spirit, and that, if anything is wrong with the quality of our dairy produce, a determined attempt will be made to locate the trouble, and rectify it. Poverty Bay farmers can do their bit. Their methods have been improving under the advice of the farm dairy instructor, but there are still sonic who, even if they do not improve their general farming methods, might, at least take marc care of the cream. Absolute cleanliness with the machines, the shed and surroundings should be Die first essential, and with that done the main points for the delivery of a finest cream have been observed.