DAIRY INDUSTRY

Southland Times, Issue 21430, 26 June 1931, Page 7

DAIRY INDUSTRY

NATIONAL CONFERENCE STANDARDIZATION TO BE ABOLISHED MR lORNS CRITICIZED (Per United Press Association.) Nev/ Plymouth, June 25. Decisions of importance to the dairy industry were reached at to-day’s session _of the National Dairy Conference at which over 600 attended. The most significant recommendation was one to revert from standardized to full cream cheese, which in effect calls on the Government to prohibit the export of cheese made from milk from which any portion of butterfat has been extracted. A recommendation to reduce the number of grades from three to two was defeated, as was a remit that the waxing of cheese be abolished. A recommendation to abolish the national brand and return to individual brands was lost. A committee was set up to investigate the question of unified control. The committee comprises the following: North Island —Messrs Stubbs (Northern Wairoa), Anderson (Cambridge), Free (Mangatoi), Marchant (Cardiff), Roberts (Parkvale) and Begley (Heretaunga). South Island: Messrs Fisher, Bagrie and Smith. Discussing standardization, Mr Dixon (Pakowai) said the reference made to standardized cheese in the House of Commons was the worst advertisement the industry had ever received. Mr W. A. lorns, chairman of the Produce Board, said he had been fairly well abused for having told the industry the truth about its position in the United Kingdom. If the conference decided to vote out standardization as a result of his statements he would be the happiest man there. He considered it necessary to speak strongly when’ he returned, as it was necessary that action should be taken. If the quality was good it would bring the best price. The Dairy Board had received letters from all parts of Great Britain urging New Zealand not to send skimmed cheese. It was his duty to tell the truth fearlessly. He had indulged in no recriminations in spite of the mud thrown at him, but he was prepared to debate the matter publicly with anyone and could promise to give concrete, cold facts. Mr Dynes Fulton said reports had been received from English traders that they could sell standardized as easilj' as full cream cheese. If members of the London Importers’ Association only wanted full cream cheese, why did they buy standardized? He considered that Mr lorns and other members ’of the Dairy Board had done more harm than anyone to the cheese industry. His company’s information was that consumers did not know whether it was standardized or full cream they were purchasing, and the propaganda against the former came from blenders who did not get the same amount of fat in standardized as in full cream. When the moisture content in butter was legalized importers said the trade would be ruined. This had not occurred and the producer had benefited by the moisture content. He had fought for standardization and still believed that with it they could have given a higher return to producers. Last season his company had paid £20,000 more for fat taken from milk for cheese, making the propaganda against standardized cheese not justified. If the best quality always brought the highest price, why did not the importers pay a higher price for higher quality South Island cheese? Voices: They do.

Mr Fulton said the abolition of standardization would affect butter factories also. He considered that the Dairy Division should make further experiments. He was willing to place a factory at their disposal and he appealed to the conference as producers to take this course. The department’s cheese could then be sent to England unmarked and they would see how it panned out. Mr Burton (Kaipororo) said that if the remit were carried it. would mean the closing of many factories where they were receiving high testing milk. No one could say that standardizing had caused the slump in prices, but it had been the scapegoat.

The recommendation that standardization be abolished was carried by a large majority, although a large amount of production was represented by the opposition votes.