OUR DAIRY PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 97, 21 May 1909, Page 4

OUR DAIRY PRODUCE.

HIE DANGER OF WATER-LOGGING. ti hi tVHERE IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED, tf There is at present in New Zealand ci Mr. J. K. Pearson, managing director of c< the well-known British dairy produce ni inn of Messrs. Pearson Mid Butter, ill Limited, oHe of the oldest firms handling qi Sew Zealand dairy produce on the Home ni markets. Mr. Pearson is visiting the Dominion in the interests of lxis.' firm, P' uid, having just come from the work of p: :ontrolling the sale and distribution of o fftiw Zealand butter and cheese on Brit- tl isli markets during the 1908-0 colonial tl dairy season, is specially qualified to p speak of matters a fleeting the market if end of the business. At this juncture a the views of this' market authority are t of special value, for the reason drawing o to a close is probably the most eventful t in the history of the butter industry. 5 That New Zealand butter mid cheese 1 manufacturers have something to learn i before they may be considered to be in ' a position to eater to the British trade ' in a thoroughly effective manner will be • at once seen by a survey of his timely comments. In presenting his views for the benefit of readers (says the New Zealand Times), Mr. Pearson needed r .io prompting. He lias a message for New Zealand dairymen. (His remarks on tlio fatal trend towards increasing the water content of factory butter are specially valuable. Here is the interesting message from our markets— THE MOISTURE QUESTION. "The tendency this season has been towards a wider margin between Danish and New Zealand butter, and this has been caused partly by market conditions, due to persistent efforts on the part of interested parties to depress market values; and partly on account of the lowering of the standard of New Zealand butter by reason of the general tendency to leave more moisture in the butter, a fact quickly recognised by the Houi-e buyers. If the same conditions continue next season I fear the difference between New Zealand and Danish I butters will be. still more marked. In I my opinion it is entirely against the interests of the Ne>w Zealand producer to deliberately leave ail excess of moisture in his butter. "It has become a very general thing at Home for buyers to analyse butter for moisture content by one or other of the simple methods now in vogue. They are undoubtedly influenced in their buying by this' consideration, and are avoiding brands which contain an undue amount of water. Preference is invariably given to a ibutter containing not more than ten to eleven per cent., other conditions being equal. THE BLENDER. "This is particularly so with the very large and important section of the trade known as the blenders, a trade of v-erv great value to the New Zealander, in that the blender is more particular as to the quality of the butter he uses. I | and is, therefore, willing to pay a better price for the choice qualities. The deiimihl from this section of the trade also lias the effect of taking, a considerable portion of New Zealand butter off the market, thus enabling agents and holders to make a better price for New Zealand butters sold on. the open market than they otherwise would do. "I h'ave frequently heard producers i protest against New Zealand butter going into the hands of blenders, and thus not being sold urofessedlv as Kew j Zealand butter. The above considerations, however, must be borne in mind, and as the blending business as now conducted is free fro,in objectionable features, I consider that, so far from j being a detriment, there is an advanI tage in the New Zealand'er being able to cater to this particularly lucrative trade. And he will not be able to cater to it unless he makes a dry and choice [ article. ! SHOUT WEIGHTS. "Then there is the question of short weights, which is' always a bone of contention between buyer and seller. Some factories_ltavc made a practice of shipping their butter with little or no provision for shrinkage; and the friction between buyer and seller arising from this is bound to be greater now that more moisture is being put in the butter. : Hitherto New Zealand enjoyed an excellent reputation for correctness of butter weights, but there is nj>w a danger of her losing her good name in that respect. "The question of weight lias' another aspect, inasmuch as claims for short weight having to be met, buyers invariably avoid brands which are persistently of short weight, and give preference to those which, by experience, have proved to be reliable in this connection. Buyers say their men have something better to do than weighing every box, and so they prefer to buy brands with which an occasional test for weight is' sufficient. "The net amount of butter packed in each box should: be not less than a(i'/„lb. Experience lias proved, that nothing fess than half a pound allowance will "show the correct weight when the butter leaches the hands of the British retailer. Qt'AUTV QUESTION.

••Frequent complaints as to the decline in the quality of New Zealand butter have, I understand, been made this season. For the most part I tlu'nk these complaints may be largely dismissed as being the natural consequence of bad markets at Home, which invariably give rise to keener criticism on the part of buyers and to complaints founded on insufficient grounds. Apart from the deterioration on account of excessive .moisture, which is undoubted, 1 do not that the average quality of New Zealand butter has declined. ' A FUTURE OF KEENER COMPETITION.

'Wo art', however, approachiii" the lime when New Zealand butter wilWiave to lace greater competition hitherto, inasmuch as the high prices of the past three years have given an impetus to dairying all over the world, and as soon a s climatic conditions readjust themselves we are. sure to have a vcw large increase m tile quantity of hutte'r reaching Britain. The fact' to be remembered when fi uclt a position is reached is frliat when a -market is glutted With supplies buyers are more par 'cu ar criticism is keenet, and eve* slight faults cause Imtter to he passed '»■ Tt therefore hehoves Xcw Zealand producers, if they wish to maintain the extremely good position thev held in the past on British markets, to make strenuS. i° i i T- 1 ' f|U,llit - v "P to the higli standard which then distinguished -New Zealand butter, and- to avoid anv FnTlf n t l '' l ! 1V ? lId Tesi,lt iu the lowe r* ing of tlmt standard, IMPORTANCE of details. tin,! strongly advocate attention to all details connected with butter and eheese ",ak",g which will contribute - 1 «!«•"- amongst othei tilings, to the use of the host ™. 1 0r ' a ' S ",1 tlu? "'•'""facturing process, su li a„ s alt, parchment paper, rennet coloring matter, etc. It has become recognised that excellence and quality in the materials used has a. great influZd^v' !tcn, ! ini "S t,,<! quality and selling value of the product, espwil- I I,I , e " SPS where the market is'so far distant from the point of production ,Kn W f l'i W Zealand-. For instance, the tllc vcr .V best description of parchhH self P( l' a^^ou "' l apparently triflhg in itself, has a marked effect -on (he selling value of the butter, as where a number Of sample'! are submitted to a buy er eye as well as the palato has din l '!i''' 1 ; Is '""'"al'lv found that butter of c q„ai quality wrapped in e- i ' dean paper will command a /.refercace and poanbly a premium, over butter of equal qualitv but contained i l n inferior dingy-looking wrappi,, Vv„ I !.v the same thing allies Kiufi >s now admitted to have a considerable

effect on the quality'of the finest article, whether it lie butter or cheese. Chemically pure salt, free from earthy impurities, which cause decomposition, must have its effect on the quality of the product, and this effect is more apparent after a lapse of two months, the time taken for it to reach the consumer. .Precisely the same may be s'aid of rennet, coloring mutter, etc., used in ehcesomaking, as in all these tilings there is an important bearing on the intrinsic quality and merit of the goods submitted

"Attention to these details, and especially to conditioiis surrounding the production of milk, is becoming essential on account of the high price of land and the labor difficulty, and from the fact that the natural te'udency of the finished product is' to decline in quality after it is made. It is only by the most careful attention that the producer can, under these conditions, continue his business on a permanently profitable, basis. Particularly is this the case with the New Zealand producer, whose commodities have to travel sonic twelve thousand miles to their markets, and there to compete against the products of his rivals, who are not a tenth of the distance away. STATE EXPERTS IN LONDON.

"The locnting of a Government grader in London, such as is proposed, would, in my opinion, be of the greatest possibie bsnefit to the Department and its experts, and through thorn to the industry. The visits to Britain of such representatives of the Department of Agriculture as Mr. Cuddie, the Dairy Commissioner, would invariably be welcomed, and every assistance would be given them on the part of British importers and merchants."