THE CHEESE INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 398, 3 April 1937, Page 4

THE CHEESE INDUSTRY.

(To the Editor.) I Sir. —The question of ia suitable and I satisfactory premium for cheese as i against butter is again exercising the minds of those engaged in the management of the cheese industry. The. lid differential price of the past season hat proved insufficient to retain the supply to cheese companies, partly on account of labour difficulties on the farm and the better feeding value of the by'-product (skimmilk) for pigs, calves, poultry, etc., or alternately for casein manufacture, ' which with butter gives a consider- < ably highen (return tthe than will* cheese with its falling yield. Our cheese exports are worth many I millions of pounds st rling annuallv, and any shrinkage of supplies v.'iU be immediately taken advantage of by other countries who will be difficult and costly to displace when once established on ouv one and only mar—t—Brittain. A feature of casein manufacture is that it takes approximately half the number of hands in the factory .that the same supply of milk would need for cheese making, thereby throwin.it many cheese makers- out of employment. Is it the intention of the ‘Powers that be’ to put the cheese industry of this country on a sound basis by paying attention to the supply of raw nia rlal i.e., the milk supply, or to attempt to bolster up an unsatisfacory position by higher premiums. Recently the Arapuni power supply was the subject of a commission of enquiry a view« to rectifying faults which had developed and no time was lost in getting export advice from the other side of the globe and that advice has proved successful. Arapuni is as a drop in a bucket compared with the possibilities of our cheese industry. Would it not be wise to have a Commission of enquiry into the whole mall ?r and report to the Government of Dug country, I am, etc— OUTLOOK.