STILTON CHEESE TRADE

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1935, Page 4

STILTON CHEESE TRADE

MARKET IN AUSTRALIA POSSIBILITY FOR TARANAKI. DIFFICULTIES IN WAY OF SCHEME. COSTS; INTRICATE PRODUCTION. Should consideration be given by Taranaki dairy factories to the manufacture of Stilton cheese for the Australian market? Mr. L. J. Schmitt, general manager of the Department of Tourists and Publicity, who was formerly trade commissioner in Australia for five year, suggested in a speech at New Plymouth on Monday that the scheme should be adopted, but there are, according to dairymen, difficulties which might prove insuperable. Mr. Schmitt said that a definite market for Stilton cheese was available in Australia, and the fact that compared with a duty of 6d a lb on cheddar the duty on Stilton was only 2d was, in his opinion, a reason for factories manufacturing the product. The retail price of from 3s 6d to 4s a lb would, he said, ensure a return of 2s a lb to the producer. His suggestion is not entirely new, but it has provoked discussion. A year ago a party interested itself in the manufacture of “fancy” cheeses and it was pro - posed to open a factory at the top end of the Egmont Road. The scheme was advanced far enough for owners of herds, particularly owners of Ayrshire herds, to have promised support, but the scheme fell through. One dairyman said last night that if the party had known an Australian market was available the scheme might have been prosecuted, but the risky nature of the undertaking had resulted in its failure. “I have no doubt that the Australian market will be exploited in the future,” said one man, “but I am doubtful whether anything will be done at present. 'Mr. Schmitt has suggested that the services of an English expert should be retained for the manufacture of Stilton. It seems to me, however, that the inauguration of the enterprise would mean that men would have to be trained at Massey College, and there would be other difficulties. The low tariff rate at present may be solely due to the poor trade in the cheese. There is no guarantee that if the market was exploited the duty would not be made as prohibitive as that on cheddar.”

A factory secretary considered there were great difficulties in the way of the scheme. “Even with an Australian market, he said, “the local market would have to be considered, and it is no secret that New Zealanders prefer the cheddar to any other variety. Few people like a fancy, tasty cheese, and fewer like cheese at all.”

Only the bigger factories could hope to deal with the trade, he continued. There were technical processes in the manufacture of Stilton which differed entirely from those used in the manufacture of cheddar, and it would be essential, therefore, that at least one vat should be put aside daily for Stilton. In the smaller factories provision could not be made to such an extent. The change-over would probably be costly and the services ot an expert, which would be essential, would also be costly.