PROCESSED CHEESE AND THE IRISH MARKET.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXII, Issue 1, 20 January 1926, Page 33

PROCESSED CHEESE AND THE IRISH MARKET.

The following notes are from a recent report received by the Director of the Dairy Division from Mr. Walter Wright, New Zealand Inspector of Dairy-produce in London : —

Regarding the development of the processed-cheese trade, I find that this product has taken on remarkably well in Ireland owing to the fact that there are such large numbers of small retailers who cannot conveniently handle a full-sized 80 lb. cheese. Some of them, in fact, prefer the Australian cheese to the New Zealand owing to the fact that the former are only, about half the weight. According to information I have received both in Belfast and Dublin, these small retailers are evidently taking on very readily the “ Kraft ” cheese. It is now put up in i lb. blocks, whereas on the initiation of this trade all the blocks were 5 lb. weight. Notwithstanding that this cheese retails at is. 8d. in Belfast and is. lod. in the south of Ireland, a considerable trade seems to be developing right throughout the country. Although the manufacturers have commenced to pack it in the 1 lb. blocks, yet retailers, I believe, in some localities prefer the 5 lb. blocks because they can be cut up conveniently into | lb. portions if required, which is a matter of convenience to them. With regard to the Irish cheese trade, from what I can gather the Irish' are not a great cheese-eating people. . There is a certain amount of New Zealand cheese used right throughout the country, but not to the extent I would like to be able to report. I might mention in passing, however, that the Irish people like a very pale straw-coloured cheese. Several merchants whom I interviewed advised me that, although the general quality of New Zealand cheese was satisfactory to them, the colour, generally speaking, is too deep for their trade.

Condition of Cattle-dips.— During 1924-25 an examination of samples from the public cattle-dips of the tick-infested districts was undertaken by the Department’s Chemist in conjunction with the Live-stock Division. It was shown that many of the dips were in an unsatisfactory state, in some cases the dipping-fluid being far below the correct strength. Arrangements were made by which samples from every dip will be sent to the Chemical Laboratory at Wellington each month during the busy season, and each alternate month during the off season.