Butter and Cheese Export

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 94, 26 January 1888, Page 3

Butter and Cheese Export

At the request of the Feilding agent Mr Allen, we publish a copy of a letter oh the ahoye subject from the London manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, 'which will be found to contain. much, valuableinformation :— i ... OH^ESE.■ ;. • /: Dear Sir, — For the guidance of shippers we 6end the following' remarks upon the above article, written from a London stand point. This .letter is the outcome ' of a conference we have had on the, subject w.ijth Mr Thomas Eussell, since his return from, your colony.. .■■:.'. , ■ ■:.•■:■ Past shipments from your colony. - - These nave been received too irregularly to admit of ia steady trade beinp established in New Zealand ! produce, such as is done in Canada, United .States, Dutch* etc, The quality .and condition have .also been very irregular; but the geueral impression left on the minds of experts here: is, tp. the effect that the great majority of the 'shipments received, comprieed of cheese ' of Originally excellent flavor and' sistency and,' that had they beet shipped under different circurristances : as .to temperature; in ship!s h01d,,, they wou!d have found a ready market amongst the higher qualities generally available in this market. Quite recently a few cases, shipped at Invercargill, which happened to be ' l so stowed in a particularly favourable position in the hold of the Tainui, viz., incloße-pr'oxMnity to the freezing chamber, reached London: iin pefpntly good condition, and the opinion above (quoted found verification iv the 'fact that for these cases 60s per cwt, the 1 top price for prime American cheese, was easily secured. It is n>auifest "then, that for quality and method of preparation your polony can compete with; America or Canada.: iThe great drawback to the. successful sale of your produce iv this/market is its unsatisfactory condition on. arrival. This has not yet been proved to be an in*, superahte- difficulty, but for some reasouwith -which we are not acquaint i ted, shippers have continued to ignore the instructions which we have so frequently 6eut that th^y should avoid shipping cheese as general cargo and should iufiist upon having cool' space provided for the transport of their produce. On this side, when %e' have : approached the . shipping companies, with a View to getting them to'' pro vide cool chambers for butter aud cheese, we have always been mot with ; a request- for information as to the quantities, likely to be shipped. Tq this we have been quite unable to give any satisfactory reply, the irregularity with which shipments -have come forward from jear to year rendering any estimate- upieliable. The matter must be taken up on your 6ide ; and already we understand 'that . some ..negotiations are now in prog ..ess, if not already carried into effect, with the New Zealand Company, Limited, , in this connection. But it should be taken up by all the shipping ports, in order to command the attention of the! steamship companies. The following more specific instructions may be of service to you in guiding shippers, should the necessary accomodation be forthcoining, yiz':''-^- : ' : ' "■■''"' _' Jf '° ■' ; " ' ' ; "' ; „' (ai) Size — The most suitable cheeses f or-; ibis, market^: when . of good, to prime quality, are those weighing fromj 56 to 701bs each. Smaller cheeßes, though saleable at a : reduc- . tion in price, are less suitable. ". ' Shape -The best is the " Cheddar"; shape. '■'*. ; r ■'. • : 1 .. ,(c.) . Flavour -k Should .be /.mild as possible. ;Hi ■ . - (rfj) Colour^Stratw r colour "is most' <ao;ught after, but cheese yf ' a : blightly reddish'hue will alsS 'sell well. ; (c.) Papting-.Bachf ; cheese should be packed, by itself in around wooden box with a close fitting lid, after the style! of theM well "'■- known American Cheddar cheese boxes one of which was sent to' Auckland per Euaphu on the 22nd : ;ultimo/ -"It is no use putting the cheeses in tins' for this market. ,-■ r Unifprmity, ,as regards eize, shape, colour, flavour, etc. in, each shipment,; is a f great desideratum., More important still, is uniformity in style of manufacture throughout New Zealandy which j if secured even ap'proxiniately, • would greatly assist colonial shippers in tLeir competition with America. ; , . (gr.) Temperature during the voyage to this country should uot exceed 50* Fahr., with 40- for a minimum record. Freezing must be avoided ■;■' at least until further experiment may justify its adoption^ In any cage, shipping in a cool chamber will undoubtedly be the more economical course to follow. Charges in London amount to a small fraction over Jd per lb, to which must be added . freight and primage, as may be arranged on your side.