MILK GRADING

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3195, 25 June 1932, Page 5

MILK GRADING

COMPULSORY SYSTEM ADOPTED.

WITH DIFFERENTIAL PAYMENTS OPTIONAL.

Compulsory milk grading for cheese making has been approved. This question which has divided the industry for some considerable time, was the subject of discussion at a four hours' session of the National Dairy Association in Palmerston North last Tuesday. Into the conference vat was thrown verbal milk in quantity and quality but along with diverse " starters " in the form of resolution and amendments, with the result that the curdling process was considerably delayed. Eventually a cheese of agreement was moulded and passed on to the Dairy Division with the hope that it would be palatable. Whether it will grade 95 after curing remains to be seen. ,The question of differential payments was made optional and will be reviewed in a year's time. Generally speaking, the principle of milk grading was approved, but while many thought it should be compulsory others believed its adoption should be at the option of the dairy companies. The conference was also divided on the question of whether there should be differential payments and if so, whether they also should be optional or compulsory. Others again declared that grading was unsavoury if the Dairy Division bound them down to one method of testing—namely the curd test.

The fear that compulsory grading would result in suppliers turning over to butter factories wa's allayed by Mr Singleton, director of the Dairy Division, giving an assurance that regulations would be framed preventing a change from one factory to another without the consent of directors. Mr Singleton said that he had committed the department to the extent that regulations would be gazetted prohibiting suppliers from moving from one factory to another without the sanction of the directors. TW-e would be no extra inspectors appelated, as factory staffs could easily handle the grading. It was true that differential payments on the market were not secured for the higher graded cheese,*but that was essentially a market pi'oblem and should be remedied at this end. Mr Singleton disagreed with the contention that milk could be graded on the senses. There were many deleterious factors that the curd test only would reveal. The speaker corrected Mr Brechin, who had stated that 90 per cent of the grading of May cream was finest. It was actually round about 70 per cent. As regards the opposition from the Bush district factories, he believed they favoured grading, but were afraid only of its application. Mr Singleton said it would not be out of order for co,mpanies to grade and pay on any test they liked;, but the regulations stipulated that the curd test must be used at factories.

Asked to speak, Mr Veale, of the Hawera dairy research laboratory, said he favoured milk grading, but he considered the curd test not worthy of serious consideration. It would be unwise to commit the industry to the curd test alone. A forward step would be made by approving of grading and leaving the method of test severely alone. Mr Singleton said the department had considered the curd test as the best for testing milk to be used for cheese making. Mr Veale's remarks applied more to milk consumed as milk.; The department could not administer a regulation based on a microscopic count test. It was the judgment of the Wallaceville bact?riologist that the curd test was the best where cheese making was concerned. About a dozen tests had been carried out. However, the department was prepared to give the matter further consideration.

The resolution moved by Mr "Ferguson and carried on the voices by a good majority, cheese factory delegates only voting:— " That this conference recommends the adoption of compulsory grading of milk for cheese .making, but that differential payments for grade be optional and be reviewed at the next conference."