UNIFORM GRADING

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1661, 10 September 1925, Page 7

UNIFORM GRADING

DONE BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

The system of cream grading in the province of Alberta (Canada) is rather unique, in as much as an agreement has been reached between the creamery managers and the Department of Agriculture by which the latter agrees to furnish cream graders for all creameries in the province; and the entire cost of the service thus rendered is borne by the industry and provision is made for uniform assessment on butter fat basis. This agreement was made May 1, 1922, and at the beginning of the season a similar system of cream grading was established in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Dairy Dairy Commissioner of Alberta that on the Ist of September the Department had 69 cream graders grading the cream at 72 creameries. He further reports that the cost of grading for the creameries of Alberta in amounted to 0.48 cents (.id) per lb for butter fat. Speaking of the cost or extra cost of this form of grading service a number of the creamery managers at a meeting held a few months ago were asked to give an estimatei of the extra cost imposed upon the industry by the authorisitation of the Provincial cream grading service. The majority held that since these graders were doing a full time service they simply did the work that would otherwise have to be done by someone else equally qualified. One only estimated that possibly in his case the extra cost would be upwards of 1-5 cent per lb of butter fat handled. It was readily admitted that while the majority of the creamery managers and their principal assistants were . quite competent to properly grade the cream received at their creameries it was felt, and it had been proven by experience that competency would be no guarantee: that the grading would be uniformly done and for this reason our people felt that a disinterested organisation, whose activities were directed from the Department of Agriculture, is likely to get better results and more satisfactory to both creamery managers and to their suppliers.”