CHEESE GRADING IN SOUTHLAND

Southland Times, Issue 23888, 5 August 1939, Page 12

CHEESE GRADING IN SOUTHLAND

FARMERS COMPLAIN OF LOW RETURNS INVESTIGATION TO BE SOUGHT Complaints about the low grading returns for Southland’s cheese were voiced at the meeting of the Southland Executive of the New Zealand Fanners’ Union yesterday. The following remits were read:— From the Waimahaka branch:—“That because of the very serious drop in the percentage of finest cheese exported from Bluff, this meeting representing Eastern district dairy factories requests branches to consider the position and forward their deliberations to the first meeting of the Dairy Committee of this union at Invercargill.”

From the Woodlands branch:—“ln view of show awards, both in the Dominion and elsewhere, for Southland cheese, this branch considers that an investigation be made into the comparatively low grading as recorded by the Government grader at Bluff.” Several years ago 64 per cent, of Southland cheese was graded finest, but now the percentage was down to 12. said Mr R. Graham. He felt the dairy producers were suffering an injustice. He had been told that the cheese was now better than ever. With the differential payment the producers were losing a very big sum. In 1933 at the conference of the South Island Dairy Association a demand had been made for a premium on Southland cheese. Now, on the grading figures Southland appeared to have almost the lowest grade in New Zealand. Since 1933 milk grading and farm dairy instruction had been introduced and the gradei - was reported as saying that this year’s cheese was the best ever sent through the port. Mr J. E. Hickey said at the Woodlands branch meeting it had been suggested that Southland had not been getting a fair deal from the grader. Mr W. Couser asked why there was no appeal from the decision of the graders. The graders were a nightmare to the cheese makers of Southland. Some Southland cheese makers had won championships on the London market but their grading figures were not creditable.

One thing that could not be overemphasized was that Southland cheese had been particularly successful at shows this year, said Mr John Johnston. When it scored so highly there could not be much wrong with it and yet the grading figures were low. Mr Graham suggested that a check grader be appointed to check the work of the graders. Tlie remits were approved.