CHEESE EXPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1883, 17 October 1913, Page 10

CHEESE EXPORTS.

DISC US'SION IN 'PARLIAMENT. STRICTER INSPECTION. Further reference was mado in the House of Representatives yesterday to the reported deterioration in the quality of clieeso exported from New Zealand. ' Recently Mr. C. A. Wilkinson addressed a question t-o tho Primo Minister on tho subject which, with tho Minister's reply, was reported at the time. . Returning to the ' subject yesterday, Mr. Wilkinson suggested that the Government should appoint an officer, who would bo paid hy the cheese companies, to inspect all. farms ancl dairies. The companies would then have up.difficulty in turning out a good product. Last year New Zealand cheese declined in price one shilling per cwt. from the previous year as compared with Canadian cheese. There were other troubles connected with th 9 handling of cheese in local shipping centres, and also at Homo. He considered that tho Government should do even more than they were doing at the. present time for the improvement of the cheese export. Sir Walter Buchanan said that his opinion, based upon personal observation of the handling of New Zealand cheese in London, coincided entirely with that of the High Commissioner. He was not aware that any effective steps had been taken by the Agricultural Department to secure improvement. 11l this, he hoped ho was mistaken. There was undoubtedly need for. a better inspection of dairy farms, and improvements were also called for in the handling of cheese and other dairy produce on the Dominion railways, 011 - shipboard, and at Home. There was no export that better deserved attention than cheese, as it was bound to increase largely to tho benefit of the people of the Dominion. . Mr. G. V. Pearce said that he agreed that the quality 'of the cheese export had fallen off during the last season. In his opinion the dairy companies could readily detect bad milk and protect themselves. Milking machines were bcini{ better used and milk was being sup-

plied, in better condition than a year or two ago, so that an explanation of tho deterioration that had taken place could not be looked for in this direction. One largo buyer of cheese had informed' him that live per cent, more water was being put into it than was done formerly and that this necessitated greater care in handling and shipping. The Hon. W. F. Massey said the fall-ing-off in tho quality of dairy produce last year, as compared with previous years, was an important matter, not only for tho dairy fanners, but for all the people of the Dominion. It was eximportant that the quality of our produce should be kept up. The fact that our produce was deteriorating had been reported to him months ago, and ho had at once given instructions that J the chairmen of dairy companies and dairy factory managers should be circularised, advising them to insist upon . care being taken in the handling of dairy produce. He was not able to say whether the depreciation that had taken place was duo to relaxed care by milk suppliers, or whether .it was owing to a desire on the part of the manufacturers to have as much moisture as possible in both our butter and our cheese. The causo might bo cither the one or the other. As a result of his direction the 'instructors for the Agricultural Department had been carrying oil a definite programme since last season, impressing upon milk suppliers aiifl managers the necessity for cleanliness. Notices had been printed and circulated also dealing With tho methods of cleansing milking machines, Steps had been taken also to impress upon manufacturers the unwisdom of putting too muoh moisture into either cheese or butter. The Department' believed that in consequence of what had been done a considerablo improvement would be shown this year as compared with last year.