EXPORT OF CHEESE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4401, 10 April 1922, Page 1

EXPORT OF CHEESE.

IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERATURES. CARE IN SHIPPING. Mr S. Turner writes as follows from the Panama Canal: “Sir,—Before leaving Wellington, it occurred to me that perhaps I might shed some light on the New Zealand cheese trouble. After giving the matter care/ul investigation, I have come to the conclusion that up to now, half-way across to England, two things must be carefully watched by someone on’behalf of the directorates T)f, New Zealand cheese factories. First, the sailing date from -Wellington must be made at the time set down, or cheese must be timed to reach Wellington in harmony with the shipping date. Second, the/temperature at which the cheese is handed to the ships should be taken, and each factory that, has cheese being shipped should be supplied with a certificate of the temperature at Which the cheese is taken bn board. The certificate should .bear the signature of the ship’s office. Every men interested in delivering 1 good quality cheese 'on to the London market will then be able to judge for himself'if he has these temperatures, and I will just say this to guide him. First of all, the high temperature cheese, when the middle of a huge stack, is hard. tp*cool, and the reduce tion of high temeprature cheese may lose the ship one day in speed to Panama, or half way across, owing to the extra power needed fol’ the freezer taking off the steaming. power. In this way wp have to pass the doctor at the mbuth of the canal at 6 o'clock to morrow morning, 22 days i from Wellington, but if the cheese ha 1 been handed to the ship at reason,able temperature, we would have been able to pass the doctor at Panama in .21 days.; This delay means £lOOO demurrage. Now, is it fair to inflict thid upon the shipping company ? Surely you cannot expect it to give a lower rate of freight while this loss and other serious inconveniences occur on account of the engine capacity running at high pressure to try and do the impossible, namely, carry cheese at the temperature required for z good quality to be delivered in London. The expansion caused - by severe freezing necessary when cheese comes on the ship at high temperature makes the cheese-press against the batten and heads, preventing any air circulating round the cheese. This pressure may cause crocking when the cheesp is thawed out.

My attention has been called to the fact that, crates 14 fept aerpss the head, instead of the usual 15 fleet, do not allow of any circulation of the air even when there is no freezing to be done. The damage tp the cheese, which cannot get the advantage of cool air on the voyage, is very serious. When this is added to irregularities, in the storage of cheese in New. Zealand, caused by congestion, the result is fatal to our industry.

There is not the slightest doubt that TaiTanaki must build a freezing store in; Wellington, and not let its cheese lie on the non-refrigerated wharf _(under sheds). Unless New Zealand tackles this matter seriously fanners.’ will not get the benefit of their Kabour, because, besides the loss of price owing to quality, there is shrinkage—and other losses', such as cold storage charges on the lost cheese, etc. The matter is so serious that, on making .a calculation with one of the leading dairymen in Taranaki, we estimated; the loss to be one crate in every el'eyen crates, or one ton in every eleven. This means 5400 tons on 60,000 tons, less 2000 tons fpr shrinkage, which is a liberal allowance for slack time and easy-going methods. This still leaves 3400 tops loss in excess of the highest reasonable allowance. •It means a loss of £340,000 at £lOO

per ton. This is not all.' What about our quality on the English market and the Id or 2d pep lb loss and the loss of our good name ? This question I intend to deal with in due course, when I have investigated the position of Nevz Zealand cheese to-day as compared with 1911, when I left England. All those in New -Zealand who arc interested in dairying will remember, when reading my letters on this, subject, that I-have nearly all my savings invested ,in concerns seriously interested, in the price of cheese, and I offer, constructive criticism thht advises without fear pr favour of anybody or any campanjy in the farmers’ interest.