PAYMENT FOR MILK

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1934, Page 11

PAYMENT FOR MILK

MR. VEALE DELIVERS ADDRESS. LEPPERTON FARMERS’ OPINIONS. The, monthly meeting of the Lepperton branch of the Farmers’ Union was held on Saturday night. In spite of the wet weather there was a good attendance, many members from the Bell Block part of the district being present. Among those present were. Messrs. L. J. Rundle and J., Thompson, chairman and manager respectively of the Bell Block Dairy Company, and also Messrs. P. A. Openshaw and A. Thomas, chairman and manager respectively of the Lepperton Dairy-Company. Mr. H. E. Blyde presided and the lecturer for the meeting was Mr. P. O. Veale, whose subject was methods of payment for milk for cheese-making purposes. The address was on similar lines to that delivered by Mr. Veale previously and discussion followed on the question. In reply to a question by Mr. Blyde Mr. Veale said the consuming public did not seem prepared to pay any more for cheese higher in food value, that is higher butter-fat content, and that tastes-seemed to count more than calories. Mr. . Nicholson suggested that under the proposed system of payment a supplier would benefit by adding skim milk to his supply of whole milk to the factory and selling the cream. In reply Mr. Veale said that if more cheese could be made from the supply the man was entitled to be paid more, and that in any case regulations could be framed to prevent any abuse of the system. The system of payment did not encourage the supply of -milk that would produce a cheese containing less than 50 per cent, of fat in the dry matter.

Mr. Thompson asked whether the proposed system would not be a better check on the milk as regards added water. To this Mr. Veale replied in the affirmative and said it would also be a check on factory yield. Mr. .MacDonald did not agree altogether with Mr. Veale. He said he felt that cheese of a high fat content, and therefore of a high food value, was an asset that had not been fully developed

and that it was short-sighted policy to go back to low-testing milk.

Mr. Veale said the high fat content retarded the maturing process and affected quality. A motion that the North Taranaki executive be asked to take steps to have a farm school established in North Taranaki was carried.