MILK AND CREAM GRADING.

Shannon News, 24 May 1929, Page 4

MILK AND CREAM GRADING.

CONTROL BY GOVERNMENT. A request that the Government should take over the control of cream and milk grading and the testing of milk and cream ■at factories throughout New Zealand was made to the Minister of Agriculture, lion. G. W. Forbes, ,by representatives of Cue New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, in Hamilton lust week. The chairman of directors, Mr Dynes Fulton, said it was felt that little further progress could be made in improving the quality of dairy produce unless the department exercised a greater measure of control over! the grading than was the caso' at present. It was true that the grading of cream was compulsory throughout New Zealand tc-dav, but owing to the peculiar nature of the dairy business it appeared to be almost impossible for the officers of the Dairy Division to enforce the regulations de ; finitely, and lie hoped tli'e Minister would cause the compulsory grading of the cream to be transferred from the companies’.graders, to the government graders. v •

The manager of the company, Air O. J. Parlane, said that testing was clpsclv associated with grading, for while the testing remained in the -hands of individual* companies it no doubt contributed tp the keen competition for supplies, and it enabled companies to collect cream ovc/long distances without cost to the supplier. Mr Parlane felt sure it would give a much greater measure of confidence to the dairy farmers if the department had full com trol of the cream and milk samples and the actual testing of these at the end of the period. In referring to dairy farm instruction. Air Parlane said his directors advocated what is known as the “block” system, which meant that all dairy farmers would be subject to instruction irrespective of the company to which they supplied cream, while an - added advantage would be that v all companies would contribute their fair share to the cost of this work, which Was regarded as. a national one.

The Minister replied that he would have the points raised investigated by departmental officers. . He would also be glad if these matters were discussed at the National Dairy Conference.to be held in June, arid to have the decision of that conference, for he had to _ re-, member that regulations were subject to criticism, and what might meet the requirements in the Waikato might not be well received in the South Island.