STANDARD MAINTAINED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 568, 27 June 1933, Page 4

STANDARD MAINTAINED

For some time past there has been an uneasy feeling* among those interested in the dairying industry that other reasons besides ordinary market fluctuations have been responsible for the falling prices realised upon our butter in London. Suspicion has been fairly widespread that a decline in quality was in a large measure a reason for the slump in prices and it is therefore decidedly reassuring to have the director of the Dairy Division declare that our output has been well up to the standard of previous years. It is not likely that Mr. Singleton would make optimistic statements just to please the Dairy Conference and he told the dairymen present that the quality of the butter had been more than maintained during the past season. More butter had been graded finest than last year. This is good news as, if the quality of our produce is steadily improved, we have nothing to fear. Cheesemakers, he said, had begun the season by producing high quality cheese, but the prevalence later of hot weather had impaired the quality of some of the milk supplied, rendering it more diffieult to 'make good cheese. There was j some looseness or openness still j evident, but up to the present jtime no seriously unfavourable j reports had been received, except one on discoloration. This statement will go far to reassure those who have been alarmed by some of the reports brought back from Britain by private persons. It cannot be doubted that in the past some very bad cheese has reached Britain and that it has injured our market. It is not surprising that out of the many thousand tons of cheese sent Home some should be inferior. It is not possible to secure perfection in all branches of butter production, but the assurance of the head of the dairying division should not be allowed to induce apathy. It is vitally necessary to exercise the greatest vigilance regarding our dairy exports in view of the increasing keenness of competition.