CORRESPONDENCE

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXI, Issue 2449, 7 March 1931, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

The Editor will welcome letters on. , subjects of public interest. The Wai-'-kato Independent, however, does not hold itself responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents. (To the Editor). Sir, —The Minister of Agriculture, acting presumably on the advice of the officials of the Daily Division of the Department of Agriculture, is still permitting- the export of cheese from New Zealand made from partially skimmed milk. Recent regulations issued by the authority of dropped the name ‘ ‘ standardised cheese,” and substituted the name “cheddar cheese,” ■ but the alteration in name will not deceive tho London buyers and the British public who required full ci’eam cheese, cheese made from normal whole milk, nor will it bring to the New Zealand dairy farmers any part of that million and a quarter sterling which at present‘is lost by reason of the inferior quality of New Zealand cheese. As a' leading Taranaki dairy farmer recently said, “Canada'’s best advertisement is New Zealand cheese. ” How long will the dairy farmers of New Zealand be content to be known as the manufacturers of low-grade cheese? ; Mr W. A. lorns, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Control Board, and Mr T. C. List, editor of The Taranaki Daily News, -who recently spent a considerable ; time in England, are both emphatically of opinion that standardised cheese is not wanted in England,' and that it is ruining the reputation of New Zealand cheese, while this month we have a report from London that the Food Products Committee of the Empire Marketing Board has recommended the board that the manufacture of New Zealand standardised cheese should be discontinued. Mr A. C. Ross, addressing Taranaki dairy factory managers at Patea on 25th February, said: “Merchants have persistently complained that the quality of cheese Taranaki has been sending in the past, and more particularly during the past year, has been unsuitable. . ~ .; It is also necessary for us to aim for the very best quality— To get andi maintain that quality it is essential that much of our milk supply . should be improved, and that only good starters be used.” Mr W. E. Gwilliam, one of the leading officers of. the Dairy Division, in addressing Taranaki, dairy factory managers at Hawera on 25th February, said: “ Good solid cheese is what; is v,-anted. Their manufacture is not pos-i siblo except from suitable milk, and the art of tho cßeese-maker.” Dairy farmers are specially urged to note that Mr Ross says “It is essential that much of our milk supply should bo improved,’’ and Mr Gwilliam says that “suitable milk” is required. All authorities agree that the comparatively low-testing milk from the white milk breeds (Ayrshire, Friesian, Shorthorn) is the “suitable” milk for cheese-making. Direct a'nd prompt; action is required from the-,Minister for Agriculture, and the dairy farmers' of |tfew Zealand should sci;} thAt! only cheese made from normal whole milk ,is from New and that ■to encourage the use of suitable. ( milk for cheesemaking in New Zealand a payment should be made not alone on the butterfat quality of the milk, but on the butterfat and casein content. —I am, etc., J. P. KALAUGHER, Sec., , v t, N.Z. Friesian Assn., Auckland.'