CHEESE IN STORE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3189, 13 September 1917, Page 8

CHEESE IN STORE

LOSS IN TARANAKI AND WELLINGTON DAIRY DIVISION'S REPORT "Owing to the shortage'of cargo space for chposa on the steamers loading for tho United Kingdom, large quantities of 'tins produce have accumulated ot the various shipping ports/' says the Director of the Dairy Division in his annual Tepott. "Tho stores have been .greatly - congested almost from the beginning of the season, and hava not yet reached normal conditions. Never before in the history of the New Zealand cheese in- ' dustrv has the need for the cool storage of all" cheese been so strongly emphasised as during itho past summer months. "It,is safe to say that anything from - 1£25,000 to £30,000 has been lost to tho dairy farmers of the Dominion through the excessive shrinkage of cheese alone, ' .to say nothing of a loss in quality caused by overheating. These losses have occurred mainly in the cheese produced in - tho provinces of Taranaki and Wellington. Large quantities of the cheese, Ibavo been damaged Giving to being held in buildings the temperature of which could not be properly controlled. The dairy companies making cheese in tho (Auckland province, however, have been ju the fortunate position of being able to cool-store the whole of their cheese, the Auckland Farmers' Freezing' Company ihaving provided' suitable accommodation for, the entire season's output. Therefore nil cheese shipped from. Auckland baa boon sent away in good order, and excessive losses in shrinkage have been avoided. . ■ " V portion of the oheese" coming tor■ward for grading at New Plymouth has been partially cool-stored, but neither the temperature of the various, chambers Bor the circulation of air has been pro-

perly regulated. Consequently tho cheese stored at this point lias been more or less, detrimentally affected. These irregularities have been brought under the notice of the storage company concerned, and it is hoped that by the opening ot next season better provision will havo been .made for the storing of oheese. In addition to tho cheese held at the freezing works many thousands of crates had. to DO stored in other buildings in order to relieve tho pressure for room at tho factories. The cheese in these stores suffered badly during the warmest weather, and caused much anxiety to those responsible for its supervision. "At Paten, also the cheese stores were greatly overtaxed, and tho receiving of cheese had to be discontinued on several occasions during the season. Although tho West Coast Refrigerating Company had provided 6ome extra accommodation it was found insufficient to deal with all the .cheese offering. Here again tho temperatures of the different chambers could not be controlled as desired, but everything possible was done to make the best of the facilities available. Alterations to the building and additions to the plant have now brought these works up to date, and in future cases will he held under approved conditions and at the desired temperature. Owing to the shortage of space at Pntea boiuo cheese had to be graded at a central building at Haivera. This to somo extent helped to relieve the pressure. "At the' Port of Wellington none 1 of the cheeso could bo cool stored, ns tho new building erected for this purpose was not fitted with the necessary refrigerating plant in time for tho warm weather. An extension was made to the oheese store during the year, the necessary machinery has sinco been installed, and it is expected that tho temperature of this building will be regulated sovas to keep the cheese in good condition next year. Accumulation of stocks at Wellington was so great that another building had 'to be utilised for this purpose, and although tho officials of the Harbour Board did their best to keep tho cheese from spoiling by making provision for a good air circulation by the installation of fans, etc., deterioration of the produce took place to a considerable extent.

' "Many of the consignments at Wellington and other ports became affected with cheese mites, and the losses made on this account have also been considerable. The bulk of the cheese loaded in the North Island, with the exception of that from Auckland, was placed on toard the steamers in a more or less licated condition. This gave rise to some comment on the part of the ships' ogicers, and finally resulted in all bills of lading for cheese being specially marked to indicate that the-cheese was unsatisfactory when delivered to tho ship. On the other hand,' the sTiipments of cheese made from the Soutb Island ports wereJound to be in-much better' order, ns it was, found possiblo to. store .the cheeso at lower temperatures, and the produce presented a much better appearance at:tbo time of shipment than much of tho cheese from the North Island.

"Tho harmful treatmeut which much of the cheese receives prior to leaving New Zealand has been' brought under the notice of the producers from time to timoi but they do not appear to lake as much interest in this pbaso of their business as its importanco demands. Tho position is one calling for immediate attention, for there is no guarantee that the accumulation of cheeso at the main ports will be any' less next year. If cargo space is shorter than it has been 'argo auantities of cheeso may deteriorate to such an extent during the snnimer months.as to become a total loss imd ■unfit, for shipment. Hence tho urgent necessity for extending the cool stonuro accommodation fhv cheese at the ports mentioned, above."

BURNSIDE STOCK SALES Br Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, September-12. At Burnside yesterday £58 fat cattle vrero penned. A few pens were well finished, the balanco being light 'and unfinished. Prices receded a little. Extra •prime hea.vy bullocks, .i' 23 .to £25; heavy, j£l9 to ,E2l 10s.; medium, £27 to .E2S 10s.; light unfinished, £U 10s. upwards; best cows, .619; medium, .£ll 10s. lo £15; others, XlO upwards. Tho number of fat sheep penned w.as 2M2, mostly unfinished and suitable for grazing. A small portion wag primo wethers,'with a Few pens of extra heavy. Prices opened at last week's rates, but hardened as tho sale progressed. Exporters are still off the market. Extra prime heavy wether, 80s.; heavy, JSs. to 515.; medium, ■lis. to 475.; light unfinished, 31s. to 405.; best heavy ewes, 4,1 a. to 515.; medium, .lis. to Us.; light unfinished, 275. upwards.

Tho scarcity in metals ■becoming more and moro acute, it is/ -tvitli difficulty that the ordors for Victor Cheese Vats are being executed. Mr. A. J. Parton, Sheet Metal Worker, Carterton, requests that orders should be forwarded to him early as present conditions demand that each order awaits its turn. Our advice is "get in early."—Adrt.