DAIRY PRODUCE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 January 1930, Page 6

DAIRY PRODUCE

QUESTION OF QUALITY

-AIR J. B. MACEWAN SPEAKS

PLAINLY

WELLINGTON, Jan. 8. Mi 1 J. B. Mac Ewan returned from a trip through Great Britain, America and the Continent last,week, ..inore than ever before impressed by the vital importance of New Zealand gilding up its loins in a sustained effort •to ensure its dairy .products ranking at least equal to those of its rivals in the world’s markets.

“file first essential,” lie said in the course of a brief review of the situation to-day, “is to study more closely, and more persistently than lias been the o use in the past, the tastes of British consumers and the interests of retailers. In offering oar products to consumers, through tin medium of the retailers, it must be recognised that they will pay good juices only for commodities that meet with their approval. Im.perial sentiment is in every wav desirable, but it cannot be expected to cover defects in Imperial products nor does it. Whatever the source of supply, it is quality that ultimately determines its value on the open market. “While the general quality of our butter on the Home market, as far as I could ascertain by inquiry and personal inspection, is satisfactory,” Mr Mac Ewan went on to say, “it is obvious that competition is rapidly increasing, both in quantity and in quality, it is the best made and best marketed article that is going to survive and, this being the case, it behoves the producers, at all stages, to strive towards this end.

“Cheese, in this respect, presents an even graver problem than, does butter. While we have increased our ex'ports of cheese during the last few years enormously, we have not succeeded in even maintaining the quality of former years. Frankly, the quality has gone back, and the position has become a grave one, not only for the producers but also for the community at large. Some effective steps should be taken at once to avert the catastrophe which will inevitably overtake a large section of dairy farmers if matters are allowed simply to drift.

“I-consider the position so grave,” Mr Mac Ewan emphasised, “that I should like to see a meeting of representatives of the Dairy Board, the Butter and Cheese-makers’ Association and the State Dairy Service with the object of discussing the position and fnding a remedy for the existing .grave state of affairs. Personally I would strongly recommend the immediate recall of Mr Ross from London to assist the Dairy Service in its work. Mr Ross has an intimate knowledge of the needs of .British distributors, retailers and consumers, and .no- one is better equipped than be is to explain and demonstrate to factory directors and managers what is wanted 4mm Ithem. I (also should like to see Mr H. E. Davis, the Daiiv Board’s London manager, visit the Dominion at the earliest convenient moment. He could personally explain to those concerned the general position of our jjroducta upon Bi itish markets, and the prospects be'Vo them. Three years’ .service in London has made him a vety competent master of that end of the business.” Mr Mac Ewan touched upon sever-1 other matters of urgent consequent to the dairy indhstiy, the burden of his' appeal being that those in authority should give immediate attention to the threatening conditions that had arisen.