BUTTER AND CHEESE v. DRIED MILK.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 30, Issue 60, 2 August 1918, Page 4

BUTTER AND CHEESE v. DRIED MILK.

“The dairy farmer has shown much vigor and enterprise during the past year, and cheese factories have in many cases replaced those for butter-making and export of cheese has increased to nearly double that of butter,” said Sir J. G. Wilson at the opening of the Farmers’ Conference on Tuesday. “The aim of most progressive factories has been to have a dual plant, and many are adding the manufacture of casein, so that ad-, vantage can be taken of whichever product pays best. One factory is making sugar of milk with

success, but, it requires a very large supply of skim milk to make it payable, as the plant is, very expensive. “The whole dairy community is excited at the prospect of dried milk factories being started. Hitherto only one company has taken the manufacture up; but some enterprising companies in the Waikato are said to have got an improved process which will enable them at present prices to pay out for butter-fat over three shillings, and yet pay off the cost of buildings and machinery in two years. It reads like a tale of El Dorado, but figures elsewhere give good grounds for the statement. The. Minister for Agriculture, I think, wisely advised the dairy people to take as their motto, “festive lente” and notwithstanding the prospects in these abnormal times I think it was good advice. The cost of the plant is very high at present, and the number of cows required' to justify the expenditure is 3,000, and over, so that not many dis-' tricts could avail themselves of the chance. The process is, of course, one as old as the hills, viz., evaporation, and so simple that one can imagine that any farmer could in his own yard have a small plant to reduce the liquid to the solid form if he wished to.”