THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1932, Page 16

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY

IMPROVED QUALITY OF PRODUCE.

BETTER GRADING FIGURES.

Improvements in the quality of butter and cheese exported by New Zealand primary producers were commented upon by the assistant-director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. W. E. Gwillim, in an interview with the Wellington Dominion. In a review of the dairying season from the beginning of August last to the end of last month Mr. Gwillim said reports to hand from Great- Britain confirmed the improvement noted in the Dominion, and indicated that this improvement, particularly with regard to cheese, had been much appreciated by the trade. "Any review of the general quality of the butter and cheese graded, so far this season cannot fail to leave a. favourable impression,” said Mr. Gwillim. "The grading figures for the period August 1. 1931, to May 30, when compared with the previous corresponding period, evidence an advance in the quality of both butter and. cheese. There was an increase of over 2 per cent, in finest grade butter, with less than 1 per cent. of under first grade fof the 94,74'5 tons graded; while cheese showed an increase of some 6 per cent, in finest grade, with less than 2 per cent, under first grade, for the 79,961 tons graded. ‘‘The average grade points for the butter were slightly higher, and those for the cheese showed an increase of a quarter of a point. The butterfat represented in the butter and cheese graded was 4 per cent, more than for the preceding period. Reports to hand from Britain confirm the improvement noted here and indicate that the improvement, particularly with respect to cheese, has been much appreciated by the trade.” EARLY SPRING BUTTER. Mr. Gwillim said that butter of some of the earlier spring makes graded as finest grade had caused a certain amount of concern at the other end owing to failing to stand up to the New Zealand classification. Most of the later makes had stood up much better. Complaints as to flat, insipid, neutral, fatty, neutraliser,- and other undesirable flavours were fewer,. excepting that toppy and wood, taint flavours still continue to be fairly prevalent. Toppy and wood taint flavours appear to be linked up mostly with butters packed in boxes other than white pine. On. the other hand, reports of butter brisk in flavour and aroma and ranging to very choice quality had been more numerous this season. Some of these favourable reports were probably an outcome of the more general use of starter. • Butter-makers using starter appear to have displayed sound judgment, as batters reported on as. evidencing fishy flavour were exceedingly few.

Comments of an adverse nature concerning’ the body and texture of butter were confined generally to butters evidencing overworking. In some instances, the defect was combined with a dull' or other unpleasant flavour, and probably be accounted for by extra working of the butter to incorporate a ■ small amount of water, which in a long run would have paid better to have been left out. “Good body and texture in New Zealand butter, said Mr. Gwillim, “is one of the essential requirements of the overseas trade, and i's of great commercial importance. Every effort deserves to be made to maintain this very important factor.” (SALT CONTENT. Complaints regarding salting, he added, had referred to oversalting or to the irregularity of the salting between different churnings. These had not bedli many.. They, however, served to Snow that the irregularities were duly noted. A certain amount of trouble occurred . last spring in enforcing the requirements of the regulations concerning salt content, hut since then ( the permissible limit's of 1J per cent, to 2 per cent, had been generally complied with. There was no diminution in the volume of complaints regarding wood taint in butter packed in boxes other than white pine. It was pleasing, however, to be able to say that a number of dairy companies using foreign timber boxes had expressed their intention of reverting to kahikatea boxes next season. The reported appearance of apple or fruit taint on the surface of some of the butters in two or three shipments in the earlier part of tjie season occasioned considerable surprise, and it was regretted that no clue to the cause could be found. Investigations appeared to establish the fact that the trouble had not- originated- at this end. The general improvement in th quality of cheese this season and the unusually large percentage of favourable reports so, far to hand from Britain -regarding this season’s cheese was one of the most noteworthy and pleasing facts that could be recorded. Graders’ returns indicated a continuance of the endeavour commenced last season to improve cheese quality, and it was ap-' parent that a definite improvement had been brought about,. particularly with respect to make. Cheese generally had been of a more mature and cheesy character, and more silky and smoother in body, and somewhat closer in texture; also, there had been a substantial reduction in cheese with undesirable bodies as harsh, mealy, on sweet side, weak, pasty, or sticky, and of cheese showing abnormal opennes.s All cheesemaking districts had contributed to the improvement, the best cheese of each leaving practically nothing to be desired. At first sight’ the quarter-point improvement in cheese quality may seem a small amount. It, however, marked an important turn of events. The difference between the standard of quality of butter and the standard of quality ol cheese at the close of the 1930-31 dairy year was approximately one and a half points.. If the rate of improvement was continued, cheese quality could be on the same plane as butter quality in the course of a yery few years. While much could be done, and would bo done, by milk grading and the enforcement of regulations, and also by Dominion-wide farm dairy instruction when it materialised, it was a fair inference from the improvement in the cheese quality this season that when milk suppliers and cheese-makers combined their efforts to make good cheese the battle for cheese quality was largely won. WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION. As a further step to better cheese quality, the question of restricting the making of cheese to only the best cheesemaking months of the dairy season was worth consideration by those, companies who were not so doing or could do so it they wished. As a. rule, cheese made during the first few weeks at the opening of the season and those made in late autumn and in winter were not up to the quality of the cheese made at other periods. The proportion was relatively •small and there was sometimes a strong temptation to make them when cheese was in short supply. The British market could do without them and a better market would obtain for the better quality. “The new system of compulsory grading of milk supplied to dairy factories is working smoothly,” Mr. Gwillim continued, “Some little opposition was

encountered at, the commencement, but this was soon withdrawn, practical demonstration of the varying qualities of milk supplies as shown by the approved methods of testing have generally been, sufficient to convince suppliers of the necessity for milk grading. -The question as to the continuance of the system and whether compulsory differential pay* ments be made for milk aecoiding to grade will Come up few discussion at the forthcoming National Dairy Conference at Palmerston North next month. “By courtesy -of several dairy companies some experimental work in connection with overrun in buttermaking was carried out in the earlier pait o the year with the object of getting a line on high overruns and to asceitain whether some other method of paying lor butterfat would be fairer to the individual supplier than the present method. The work was necessarily ot a fragmentary character and up to a, few weeks ago it was hoped that some further work could be done, but the opportunity did not present itself.