CHEESE EXPORT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 44, 21 February 1930, Page 11

CHEESE EXPORT

FIXING A STANDARD

DIVERSITY OP OPINION

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

PALMEBSTON N., This Day.

■'An important conference, convened by the National Dairy Association, was held to-day to consider the problems affecting tho manufacture of cheese. Representatives arc present from fac-

Tories in all parts of New Zealand, as well as Messrs. Singleton (Director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture) and E. Gwilliain (Assistant Director). Air. A. Morton, the president of the National Dairy Association, presided. ' • . ■ ,

The chairman explained that the meeting was held as the result of two remits that were brought forward at Whangarei in June, but had been deferred pending the return ofi Mr. Singleton from his trip abroad. The remits were as follow:

: (a) That the fat content be stamped OJi every crate of cheese by the dairy produce graders; ' tlrat the words

"standardised"' and ''modified" be eliminated from the Dairy Act,' and that the cheese be sold, on its merits or, in other words, on the fat content.

(b) That the cheese mado during the months .of March and July inclusive, containing .under- 52;. per. -cent, but no less than §0 per cent, of fat-in dry matter, be allowed to be exported under a. standardised, brand as still. in accordance with the brand on the crate, but that it niay.be graded as second grade if the Department considers the quality likely to ba lowered by the difference in fat content.

Mr, Singleton, addressing the meeting, stated that the second remit, if carried and converted into a regulation, meant the deletion of, the standard of 50 per cent, under the present conditions. Once the percentage* of fat was reduced the door would-be opened for a wider use of sKim milk. Standardised, cheese had not yet proved the'test, of time. There had been difficulty in keeping some of the factories up to the level required. The standardised cheese experiments being conducted at Longbuni showed : a varying minimum of fat requirements for different periods of the year. If they were going to change, the regulation, he was- of the opinion that it should- be in the

direction of increasing the percentage for certain periods of the year.

Mr. Singleton added that he did not want a' diversity of brands, as they would produce chaos on the market. Advices received by ■ tho Dairy Board and the Dairy Division were definitely opposed to the export of modified cheese- '

It was decided that the voting bo on c basis of one vote each factory.

Mr. M'Dovroll, of Tatuanui, moved an amendment to~ the first remit, that the word'"modified" be eliminated from the brand on" crstes containing cheese with less than 50 per cent, of fat: iit dry matter, and that these be branded "factory' cheese, 48 per cent, fat and over;''that the export of this quality of cheese be limited to three per cent, during tho export season by any one company.

Mr. Dynes Fulton (Waikato) seconded the amendment.