N.Z. DAIRY PRODUCE

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1929, Page 16

N.Z. DAIRY PRODUCE

ITS MARKETING QUALITIES MR. SINGLETON’S REPORT. OBSERVATIONS IN EUROPE. A valuable report on the Dominion's dairy produce export trade by Mr. W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, who recently visited Britain, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Holland, and the United States, has been supplied by the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture (Dr. C. J. lieakes). During his travels Mr. Singleton devoted the major portion of the time available to getting in touch with importers, wholesal s and retailers of the Dominion’s d iry products in overseas markets. Advantage was taken of the opportunity for gleaning information regarding the su'tability of our butter and cheese foi’ the markets, and of learning wherein quality could be so improved as to meet trade requirements more advantageously. The comment on the quality of our butter received from various people interviewed, was invariable favourable in its general purport, remarks Mr. Singleto.. New Zealand butter has established itself as probably the most dependable butter for storage purposes. This, however, is perhaps a mixed blessing, in as much as it is generally recognised that the earlier the butter is marketed the more acceptable is it likely to be to consumers.

While New Zealand butter, as a whole, is probably t'lie most uniform received on the markets of the United Kingdom, it is recognised that some of our brands are more acceptable for high-class trade than are others. The information received indicates very manifestly that the brands which represent the highest quality in the opinion of the New Zealand graders, are those which, generally speaking, are giving the most satisfaction to traders. Adverse criticism was received on a few brands which are amongst those pointed lowest t>y the New Zealand graders. Some comment was made on the irregularity in salt content, it being contended that some buttci's were containing an insufficient percentage of salt, while others were inclined to bo on the high side. It is suggested that for the markets of the United Kingdom and British Columbia, New Zealand butter should contain 1A per cent, of salt as a minimum, and 2 per cent, as a maximum. It is also considered by a number that a regulation which would give sufficient latitude for the supplying of butters with a higher or lower salt content to fill special brdersj should bo made.

There is doubtless an element of risk td our best creamery butter in the export of second grade creamery and whey butter, and there is evidence that these butters have at times been sold over the counter in such a way as would lead the purchaser to believe that average quality New Zealand creamery butter was being supplied. It is a question whether something could be done to give the consumer greater protection in this connection. BLENDED BUTTER. The blended butter appears to be used by a considerable proportion of the butter consumers in the United Kingdom. So far as Mr. Singleton's experience went most of the blending appeared to be done in tho London, Devonshire, and Bristol districts. It is known that some of New Zealand's whey butter finds an outlet in being blended with Argentine, Australian, Siberian, and Irish butters, and in some cases with New Zealand ‘'finest” creamcry butter. I have been advised that in view of the fact that New Zealand finest creamery has to be purchased at a price which is above that of other butters used for blending, only suflicent of our best butters is used to give the necessary quality to tho blended article. Estimates of the percentage of our total output which is used for blending run from ten to twenty per cent. So far as I could learn the probability is that not more than ten to fifteen per cent, is used in this manner. While blenders are said to be keen to obtain whey butters for blending purposes, it is also known that they are extremely anxious to get high quality creamery butter from this Doih inion‘for tho purpose of introducing our creamciy butter into the blended article. There appeared to be a ’good ’deal of informatio" to the effect that tho advertising of New Zealand and other creamery butters was causing the replacement of blended butters and as a result blending was thought by a number to bo on the decrease in some districts. ■ ''l was advised by retailers that the sale of butter in cartoons was becoming popular, and this is another factor which seems to be working in the direction of enabling unblended butters to replace the blended article.” CLASSIFYING INTO GRADES. When the Dairy Produce Control Board associated itself with the marketing of our dairy products an additional grade known as ‘'finest” was introduced for both butter and cheese. Sincp the board disassociated itself from the marketing, there has been some contention that the ‘'finest” grade should be dropped, or that we should at least revert to the same number of grades as obtained prior to the inception of the board. "During my visits to the business houses,” says Mr. Singleton, “I made a point of obtaining information with respect to this matter. My inquiries showed that there is an overwhelming opinion to tho effect that the present classification should stand. It is generally recognised that New Zealand finest butter will command about two shillings per cwt. more than the price of first grade. Many of those interviewed were of tho opinion that nothing should be done to remove the stimulus for higher quality in butter. It is known that the multiple shops are anxious to secure 'finest' butter, and wholesalers consider that New Zealand first grades are as a rule not of sufficiently high quality to suit their best trade.”* The great need for uniformly high quality in New Zealand butter was stressed, and it was stat'd that to-day buyers have not the time to make inspections as was the case some years ago. Much of the business as between importer and wholesaler or between retailer and wholesaler appears .to be done over the telephone, a great deal of importance being placed on the grade mark. It was gratifying to note that many of those interviewed expressed high commendation of the work of the New Zealand graders. UNIFORMITY OF CHEESE.

“During my, visits to tho business premises of importers, wholesalers and

retailers of New Zealand cheese, together with my visits to the cool stores and harbour sheds when cheese was being unloaded from steamers which had arrived from New Zealand, I had an opportunity of examining much of our cheese. I also took advantage of the opportunities offering to examine Cheddar cheese produced in England, Scotland and Canada.

“Provided the cheese that I saw maybe accepted as fairly representative samples of the make of the various countries, I believe 1 am correct in my opinion that New Zealand is making a more uniform cheese than obtains in any other country. It was the exception to find a New Zealand cheese so strong in flavour th .t objection would be made thereto by the trade. There is no doubt that the pasteurising of tire milk for checse-ma.k-inj in New Zealand factories has contributed in a very marked degree toward this uniformity which has been so manifest. A favourable comment was also received on New Zealand success in now making cheese which show none of those strong unclean and “oft”’ flavours that characterised too many of New Zealand's cheese made before pasteurising wa-. adopted, and which are still to be found in too many cheeses from other countries.

“While we recognise the difference in quality in different brands of New Zealand cheese it has also to be recognised that these differences are much narrower than is the case between the best and poorest cheese of other countries. The uniformity in New Zealand cheese is such that importers find that they can sell the majority of our chceso per medium of the telephone and without inspection of quality. While this manner of doing business may be considered very desirable from some aspects it is a moot point as io whether a purchaser by doing more actual examining of the quality might not be inclined to pay for our better qualities a higher price than the average. I got the impression that importers and wholesalers were probably more successful in getting the average price for the day for inferior quality than they wore in getting a higher price than the average for superior quality. “Examinations of cheeso from various countries in the presence of traders, and their comment on the quality, convinced me tha a clean flavour is expected in New Zealand cheese, and that unclean flavours which are often palmed off as the mature flavour in the cheese of our competitors, will not be so accepted in New Zealand cheese. “A number of our higher grading brands appear to be quite popular amongst cheeso traders in the United Kingdom. The milder flavour which characterises our pasteurised cheese is more popular with the average consumer than is the flavour of a fully matured cheese. The general consensus of opinion amongst traders suggests that the taste in cheese is growing in the direction of a milder flavoured article. It is also suggested that the influence of the extended consumption of “process’ or “package” cheese is tending to educate public opinion in the same direction. While this is the case it is also recognised that there is a limited trade for good quality, well-matured Cheddar cheese, and at a higher price than that which will be successful in bringing the total quantity of cheddar cheese handed by British traders into consumption. A GENERAL DEFECT. “Unfortunately New Zealand cheese shows a little too much uniformity with respect to its principal defect. * New Zealand finest cheese are generally admitted to be better made and closer in body than are first grade. The openness in body which characterises too many of our cheese is a defect which is doubtless costing this Dominion a good deal of money. The defect is so general that it is doubtful whether an improvement in a few individual brands will effect any improvement in the price. It would appear that there is need for a general concerted effort in the direction of producing a closer bodied cheese.

“It is recognised by traders that quality counts materially in enabling the trade to deal with the large quantities of cheese now arriving year by year in the United Kingdom. The greatest increase in quantity comes from this Dominion, and since the beginning of the Great War, we have called upon the traders in the United Kingdom to find consumers for some 60,000 tons of New Zealand cheese in excess of the quantity previously received. New Zealand has given the traders a big task, and it is suggested that New Zealand producers have not co-operated with the traders as much as would have been to the advantage of the producers. It is, I believe, not incorrect to state that too large a number of our dairy companies have not pu 1 ; forth their best endeavours to make what they know to be the best quality of cheese. Other minor faults have been found with a number of New Zealand cheese, and those will be discussed with tl •> producers as opportunity occurs. It was gratifying to hear that many traders had noted an improvement in the finish of New Zealand cheese.”