SEEKING BETTER QUALITY

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1931, Page 12

SEEKING BETTER QUALITY

DAIRY INDUSTRY PROBLEMS “N.D.A. CONFERENCE A FARCE.” CONFUSION OF INSTRUCTIONS. Mr. H. B. Lepper, chairman of the Lepperton Dairy Company for over 20 years, was unable to be present at the annual meeting of the company yesterday owing to his being confined to the New Plymouth hospital. The interest lie takes in the company and in dairying generally was shown by a letter which he had dictated on his sick bed. The letter was read by the acting-chair-man (Mr. P. A. Openshaw) yesterday. “In my opinion, the meeting of the National" Dairy Association was somewhat of a farce,” wrote Mr. Lepper. “As far as I can see, no results have 'been obtained, and wo are as we were previously—without a head, or, if we have a head, who is it? Is it the Minister of Agriculture, or is it the Dairy Board or the Director of the Dairy Division? It appears to me that at the present time we have no leader. We, are told to produce good milk. We are told all sorts of things, but we. have no one to instruct us how to get these things. For instance, we are not in the position that we used to be in the olden days with regard to the field. Tiny asked us tb make two blades grass grow where one grew formerly. Instead of that, we have made ten blades grow, and that feed, perhaps, is not the proper feed, for producing good milk. It is full of all sorts of feed flavours which were not there formerly. ' “We have no scientists to tell us the properly balanced manure to put on our grass to give us a properly balanced milk, so that we are left without the knowledge of how to act, and the only thing we are told, to do is to produce good milk, which we have known all our lives that we must do. We have from time to time had considerable trouble with the acidity of milk for cheese making. The lactic gei'm has 'evidently been destroyed by something, but these are the particulars that we want to find out. After this, we are supposed to make good cheese. This cheese by the time it reaches Britain is supposed to be matured. The only ■maturing that our factory can possibly give it is about 14 days, and it is then shipped to the works, and a few days after that it is shipped, so that instead of being kept at a maturing temperature, I think it is frozen. However,, as long as this goes on we are not going to get cheese to arrive on the market in a proper matured condition. “It means that 'the Lepperton factory has to extend its holding powers for allowing cheese to mature, or the Government has to come to our assistance and find the wherewithal to pay for these buildings, to advance money to suppliers, and help generally, or else we are just, exactly as we were before. . “■Standardisation has now had its death-knell sounded, and after a certain time we are not supposed to make any more. I feel certain that standardisation was quite all right—even the modified standardised cheese that was kept back and not allowed to be exported, provided it was all made from good milk. Good milk is the essence of everything. If you have not good milk you cannot make a good article. The national brand, Fern Leaf, on cheese and butter, is only a cover for a whole lot of others who want to take advantage of those who are making a good article, and I think it is a great pity that every factory’s butter or cheese does not go Home under its own name.”

MILK GRADING. il-T;’”

Later in the meeting there was some discussion of the question of milk grading. Mr. H. E. Blyde pointed out that under its articles of association the company could voluntarily take up milk grading and pay on grade. 1 The manager explained the various tests that would be taken to decide the grade. Replying to a supplier, the manager said the second grade milk would be placed in the same vat as the first grade. A supplier: There 'would be no advantage in grading. 1 To Mr. J. Cloke, the manager said the tests could be checked, and. were thus very reliable. Mr. McWhirter considered that the Dairy Division should have sufficient “backbone” to accept the responsibility of introducing compulsory grading itself if it were considered advisable, instead of placing the onus on suppliers. Mr. Lyford considered grading was to some extent a farce, as though 95 per cent, of cheese might be graded finest in New Zealand, probably only 80 per cent, was finest when it was graded in Britain.

Mr. Gainer said that the regulations were now being altered to provide that cheese manufactured prior to the end of October must be kept in cool store for three weeks, instead of 14 days. That would entail extra expense to factories, but if it resulted in the cheese being better matured it would be warranted.

Mr. E. Hellier pointed out that North Auckland factories had voluntarily introduced cream grading, which had since been made compulsory. Several factories had already introduced a system of voluntary milk grading. He felt that if they could so improve the quality of their milk grading so as to obviate the necessity of pasteurising, one of the great difficulties in regard to the manufacture of cheese would be overcome. Waxing also delayed maturing. Mr. C. I. Slirimpton held that the trouble had been that a. lot of the cheese “had been made at the directors’ table, instead of by the man over the ■vat.” The directors had dictated the policy, and the cheese-makers had to carry it out. However, it was constructive, and not destructive, criticism that was now required and if they were to regain their reputation they must all pull together so as to produce a. better article. He strongly advocated grading, but considered that farm dairy instruction should go with it. He considered managers should be given more power to grade milk. The Dairy Board was giving a grant of £OOOO to the HerdTesting Association to encourage more production, but he Jield that the money could bo better expended in farm dairy instruction and milk grading. He defended the officers of the Dairy Division, remarking that they were all men who had learnt their business over the vats, and if given a free hand would soon overcome the difficulty. He moved that the directors be recommended to enforce the article empowering them to grade or class milk or cream.

This was seconded by Mr. L. Jennins. Mr. Shrimpton held that in preference to spending money on advertising an article that had been deteriorating, it would be better for the Dairy Board to expend the money in endeavouring to improve the article. ■ Mr. Blyde pointed out that payment on a differential basis would cause the supplier receiving the lower payment to make greater efforts to improve his milk. Mr. W. N. Ackland asked if there was any guarantee that they would get more for their produce if they adopted milkgrading. He favoured grading, but considered it should be compulsory, and

that the department should have sufficient “backbone” to introduce it. Mr. J. Cloke asked the manager whether feeding on ensilage affected the acidity of milk. The manager said Professor Reddet had stated that in some cases it did, and. in some eases it did not. He could not' say whether sour or sweet ensilage was the better.

Mr. Cloke said that the Department of Agriculture advised that sour ensilage was the better, whereas the factory managers told them that sour ensilage produced second grade milk. What were they to do? They were also told to top-dress to produce rye ami clover pasture swards, and it was also said the clover produced bad milk for cheese making. The manager said that where suppliers were feeding heavily on ensilage they could notice the feed flavour, not only in the milk, but also in the curd in the afternoon. It was not so much the feed as tile milking machine plant that caused non-acid milk. Managers could overcome feed flavours, but not bad milk.

Mr. Matson considered the manager should be empowered to visit the sheds, but the manager explained that there was not sufficient dime for him to do so. There should be farm dairy instruction. Voting was confined, to milk suppliers, the motion being lost, only four voting in its favour.