SALT IN BUTTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 10

SALT IN BUTTER

LOSS TO INDUSTRY An important decision was reached at last week’s meeting of the Dairy Board regarding the salt content of butter for export. The Director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture (Mr. W. Singleton) was present, and discussed the matter with the board. It was pointed out by him that statistics covering a recent period showed that approximately three-quarters of the butter exported was insufficiently salted, this defect costing the industry between £15,000 and £20.000 a year, while a proportion was unduly heavily salted. This was affecting the reputation of New Zealand butter on the Home market. Mr. Singleton submitted a draft regulation requiring that the amount of salt added to butter for export should not be below 15 per cent., or more than 2 per cent. In special cases where buyers required a higher percentage, this would be permitted on the production of a certificate of authorisation. The hoard approved of the proposed regulations, which would be gazetted shortly.

PIOPIO EWE FAIR From Our Own Correspondent TE KUITI, Monday. The Farmers* Co-op. Auctioneering Company reports holding a most successful ewe fair at Pio Pio. Although outside buyers attended in small numbers, competition was exceedingly keen and all the yarding was bought by local graziers, coast buyers and Otorohanga farmers. Mangaotaki ewes again topped the market, Mr. Verry’s draft of four-year ewes making 27s 8d: Mr. J. Davidson’s offering reached 27s Od; other fouryear ewes, 25s to 26s 6d; straight lines of five-year ewes made for the best 22s to 23s 4d: full-mouth ewes. 18s to 21s; aged ewes, 15s to 37s Gd: culls and broken-mouths, 7s Gd to 12s. according to condition. For two-tooth ewes there was strong competition, Messrs. Higginson and Yerry topping the market with 32s Gd each: other good two-tooths, 28s to 31s Gel: smaller, 24s to 27s 6d.