GRADING OF CREAM

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3224, 27 May 1924, Page 2

GRADING OF CREAM

PAYMENT ON GRADE. NO ARGUMENT AGAINST. An interesting letter from one of tin* factory managers of the New Zealand -Co-operative Dairy Company, which, by the way, is the largest dairy company in the world, has been received by a member of (he-staff of a contemporary. The letter, which deals with the,value to the dairy farmer of cream grading, may be of interest to dairymen here. Tn the course of his letter the writer says:— “During the past few seasons the grading of cream has been the principal factor bearing on the quality of our butter and cheese, and has been taken up readily by most dairy companies. “For a considerable time past the consumption of margarine in the markets of the world has made it imperative to do something to improve tin* quality of our butter especially and before milk and cream grading was adopted it was looked upon as an improvement to make a good article from the material supplied under the .system of home separation. Of Into years it has been found from the producers’ point of view one of the finest systems over introduced, as we feel that through home separation the farmer is a great deal ahead, financially, of the method of hauling heavy loads of milk over the roads to the factories. Since home separation has come to stay it is up to both . dairy companies and their suppliers to do their best to produce the best article. If this is not done we are going to find other countries ahead of us, and wo will have to take a second-rate price for our produce. The majority of the dairy companies are keeping pace with this demand by installing up-to-date machinery.' and are well in the front, comparing notes with other parts of the world.

“The writer feels that some form of legislation should be brought about to protect the public health in the shape of preventing one factory taking cream that lias been rejected by atiother company. I firmly believe that where proprietary and co-operative dairies are operating it would be in- the interests of all concerned to work on the abov* lines. But as things stand, in many districts wo find that one concern is fighting for supply, and under such conditions the farmer must suffer, because (me c-ompanv tries to pay move than the other. This lends itself to unscrupulous, methods and, naturally, who pays? Why the ‘poor old cow?/ The writer has known of companies obtaining a MO per cent overrun, which is impossible on the average fat content; in New Zealand of 82 per cent.. This is recognised by most dairy farmers as a standard, and on this basis an overrun of 21.95 per cent is the maximum theoretical overrun, and when losses are deducted from this it leaves approximately about 20.5 to 21 per cent, and can be regarded as a legal overrun; but if excessive solids a.re used, such as sugar, salt, and water, which use is against the law, well, the overrun may bo anything.

1 ‘ I nin pointing out those factors because they have a bearing on the quality. as, when boiled down, quality is cash; and to get. a superior article there must be laws and regulations governing the same. One of the laws in a success-fully-operated dairy company is that all-important factor, the grading of cream. Grading has been in operation for eight to ten years past, and the returns from the Government grading stores prove conclusively that the system adopted is quite right. I need only quote that the largest dairy company in New Zealand gives the following figures.

“The first year the company adopted, grading, and graded on the following lines: A head cream grader was appointed, and he set a standard on the points. Cream or milk graded 84 to 87 points was second grade; 88 to 90 points was first grade; and 9.1 points oi over was superline. Therefore the cream was classified into three different grades: superfine, first, aild second, and •churned as such.

“An improvement was noticeable the first season, and this was increased each season. 'The actual figures arc:

“M’here is no argument, against this, :l> these am absolute facts; and I may add that nil the cream is paid for according to grade.”

Percentage. Supo r- First Second tine. Grade. Grode. First season <50 22 17 Second season 7f> 1 7 S Third season 14 1 Fourth season (Td-o-11)1:4, up to proj sent over DO 71 2J