QUALITY ESSENTIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1924, Page 10

QUALITY ESSENTIAL.

DOMINION’S DAIRY PRODUCE. GOOD IMPROVEMENT SHOWN. BETTER OUTPUT AND GRADE. If New Zealand is to maintain its present high position as the dairy produce vendor of the world, said Mr. W. M Singleton, director of the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture, who visited New Plymouth yesterday, she must keep the quality of her butter on a plane so high above that of other countries, that she will will be in a higher class 'and not in direct competition with them. Increasing competition from the Argentine, the Baltic States and Siberia liad made this necessary. New Zealand cheese was being used over ever-widen-ing districts in the United Kingdom, and more grocers were using it as the months went by. Satisfaction at the removal of certain faults regarding quality was expressed by Mr. Singleton, but he emphasised the necessity for no slackening of effort to secure the very highest quality. ‘•The season bids fair to give a production which will exceed that of any other season or year, provided we. get average summer and autumn conditions,” said Mr. Singleton. “The yield of butter-fat, as evidenced by the grading figures for the season from August 1 to the end of November, shows an increase of over 10 per cent, compared with that of the corresponding period of last year. Of this increase North Taranaki has contributed its full quota and more, inasmuch as the figures for the port of New Plymouth represent an increase of 18 per cent.

“The season in the South Island has not been so propitious, and this has tended to reduce the figures we would have obtained had the South Island production been as favourable as that of the North Island. The increase has been evidenced in the production of butter rather than in cheese, and this lias been contributed to by the dual plant factories devoting their attention to butter for a longer period during the spring, doubtless due to the fact that returns from butter, as evidenced by the price quoted in the High Commissioner’s cables, have 'been so much more favourable than those from cheese up to the present.” In reference to the complaint during last season regarding too much neutraliser or soda flavour in some brands of butter, Mr. Singleton stated that the dairy staff and factory managers had taken the matter in hand and there was every reason to believe that grounds for complaint should be greatly reduced this season. The trouble of excess of water in New Zealand butter had now also been satisfactorily dealt with, the practice last season being to withdraw from shipments any butter that was tested and found to contain too much water. Higher quality dairy produce would receive its just reward next year, concluded Mr. Singleton, for the grading points were to be raised. The present minimum points - for first grade butter or cheese were 88. After January 1 they would be 90. although for the balance of the season the grading ■would be eased to some extent so that the-change would not be quite so abrupt as it otherwise would be.