BUTTER FOR ENGLAND

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6408, 30 October 1923, Page 5

BUTTER FOR ENGLAND

EXPERT SUPERVISION SUGGESTED Prom the nature of reports that have been made at intervals in England regarding the quality of Australian butter it is suggested by a Melbourne journal that propaganda has been issued by competitors handling the produce of other countries to belittle Australian product. Possibly the recommendation made to the Commonwealth dairy expert in London recently by representatives of the dairy produce trade that a good officer should be appointed permanently to watch the interests of Australia is the outcome of the adverse reports, and for this reason, traders in Melbourne approved of the suggestion. The fact that the standard of Australian butter for export has been reduced to the basis of 80 per cent, butter-fat where shipment is made to countries having a similar standard, is put forward by exporters here as a claim that those handling Danish and other butters may adopt measures that will tend to build up a prejudice against the Commonwealth product, although an 80 per cent. hutter-fat standard is almost general. Their arguments, no doubt, would be based upon alleged excessive moisture contents of the butter, for already there has been a tendency, in the absence of technical official supervision, to depreciate Australian butter in this respect. It is considered in the trade that not only would it be informative, but that it would be of great advantage if expert supervision of Australian butter as it arrives in England were made this season. It would be necessary to study the condition of butter arriving from other countries, so that the various points of texture fat, and moisture contents could be compared. The question is raised ,by producers’ representatives whether the Commonwealth Dairy Expert (Mr M. A. O’Callaghan) who is now in the United States to attend an international dairy conference, should re-visit London and remain there for two or three mon’hs.