BUTTER AND CHEESE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1932, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE

MR PAISH’S RETORT

OUTLOOK ON BRITISH MARKET.

LONDON, October 13. Commenting on the butter position in the production section of his report on the economic conditions of New Zealand (Department of Overseas Trade)', Mi> L. A. Paish, O-.8.E.j H.M., Trade Oommisipner, says:; It is clear that New Zealand, in s,oite of the falling prices, is, quantitatively, maintaining her share; of the imports into- -her one 1 , consuming mitre ket.

There is a large, field for the expansion of the New Zealand butter trade with the United Kingdom. Thi& tariff on foreign butter imposed by the-Import Duties Act will doubtless play its part to this end. Increased knowledge, howovr, of the qualifies of the New Zealand butter ere required, particularly in the north and north-east parts of the United Kingdom. It is probably true that New Zealand butter dons not pi,itch ia flavour butter produced locally or supplied from near-by. countries. The reason is that owing to the unavoid-: able time taken in transit, it .is pec■efsirv to make a lpw . acid ' butter which is by far the best keeping but-: ter. A low acid butter means a mild butter; hence the New Zealand butter is not so hilly flavoured as high acid butter. New Zealand dairymen aim .to produce as highly flavoured a l'"tt?i a,s ?s. .consistent stith keeping, qualities. -There seems little doubt that.tin. dairy producers of the Dominion may look for .an increasing market in t’ lo United Kingdom.,. The high percentage of the butter which is graded Mfinest” is indicative of the manufacturing ‘ability, of the. factories, and, ns the butter becomes ..hotter known bv me-ns of the various publicity schemes now, in- force, it will become more and more appreciated.

CHEESE. The position with regard to cheese is not so, good, .it will. have, been npticed that the percentage: of cheese graded “finest” was for 1931-31 only 17-20. This was probably due to the endeavour to place what was known as standardised •«r cnedtjar cheese on the market, a cheese designed to contain, at the minimum, 50 per cent, to 54 per cent, faitvcontent in the dry matter. Now the fat-content of the milkof the Dominion has been gradually rising while the casein content lias not, been rising in the same ratio, and, as payment is on the basis of butter-: fat, . cheese companies manufacturing from low testing milk conkl easily -pay out a high rate per lb. of butterfqt.. ..... . < - ' ;

At the beginning of 1929, regulations were issued providing that full cream cheese must. be true to, name even though it contained.less fat than the percentages given above, - and standardised cheese must contain the mininipm fat specified. -Subsequently the percentages were raised and the chee-e called eheddar. The standardised and 1 eheddar cheeses, however, djd not meet with. approval of the trade and the export was .finally stopped as from August Ist.