THE DAIRYING YEAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 309, 22 May 1913, Page 7

THE DAIRYING YEAR.

INTERESTING REVIEW. REPORT OE SOUTH ISLAND DAIRY ASSOCIATION. A comprehensive review of the dairying year is given in the annual report of the South Island Dairy Association, which has just been issued. The report covers the twelve months ending May 31. Its principal comments are given herewith. it is recorded that the increase on ) cheese exported to Great Britain from the Dominion is about 2GVi per cent, (from this must be deducted about 14,000 crates lost in the Turakina, which brings it down to 2214 per cent., to land in London), and there is a decrease in the butter exported to Britain of about B'/ 2 per cent, from the Dominion. But the increase in the export of butter to Vancouver and South Africa more than makes up for this decrease to the United Kingdom. The shipments from Lyttelton and Dunedin both in butter and j cheese show most satisfactory increases. The shipments of cheese from Bluff from September to May (the usual export season) are short of last year by about 2000 crates, but if June shipments are included, this year is a few crates over last year. DISAPPOINTING HOME MARKET. The Home market both for cheese and j butter has been a great disappointment to all in New Zealand, more especially j the cheese market. Butter has had sev- 1 eral adverse conditions against it. The 1 unusual mildness of the autumn and winter on the Continent and in Britain | caused increased production of butter, j The large quantity of secondary quality butters constantly landing from Australia had a depressing influence. Here it may be noted that Australian butter, generally a few choice western district factories only excepted, has ruled 6s to 8s per cwt. lower than the average of' New Zealand. The inferiority of much of the Australian butter pulls the market down for their own best butter, and affects New Zealand as well. Then butter has a formidable antagonist in mar-! garine. • 1 COMPETITION OF MARGARINE.

Probably as much margarine is made in Great Britain as is imported, for there are factories all over the country. Quality has been much improved, and probably hundreds of thousands of people living in hotels, lodging houses, or taking their meals at eating houses, never eat butter, only margarine, and don't know it. Grocers push the sale of it, as there is much more profit in its sale than in that of butter. But despite these drawbacks New Zealand butter should have maintained a better price, as choicest butter was always scarce, and most of the New Zealand butter was of the class choicest. There seems little doubt that butter as well as cheese suffered from the unwholesome rivalry of many .selling agents; many of whom were always nervous and anxious to sell, and ; there was no real attempt to co-operate and lipid up prices, which in "choicest" lmtter should never have been difficult if our butter had been all in the right bands—the fewer the bettev. ! GROWING CHEESE OUTPUT.

Cheese this time last year was 73s to 74s per cwt.; this year it is about 58s. Last season Britain suffered from a drought, and this season the make of cheese in Britain would be greater, but probably not above normal. The position as to the imports of Canadian and New Zealand cheese for the past thrtc. years is given in the following tabic from the London Board of Trade re turns during the four months from November to February, which shows that the increase in New Zealand imports is about counterbalanced by the decrease in Canadian cheese, and also shows that during these months this season the New Zealand and Canadian imports combined are less tlmn they were in the two previous season's:—

1910-11. 1011-12. 1912-1?, Canadian 18.14!) 1,5.802 13.829 New Zealand.. 7,810 9,514 11,307 Total .... 2.5.005 25,310 25,1!)0 Canada's export of cheese goes steadily down year by year, mainly due to her rapidly increasing population consuming a greater quantity. It does not, therefore, appear that the statistical position of the cheese market warrants such a big drop in prices as has occurred this year. Tt appears there are other reasons. But it may be confidently said that prices have suffered from the multiplicity of agents employed to sell New Zealand cheese, manv of whom are: only on the fringe of the cheese and butter trade, and employ brokers to sell their goods in Tooley street and elsewhere as quickly as possible.

DOWNWARD TREXD OF PRICES. Several attempts were made to stop the downward trend of prices, for by February, the short selling on top of the forward selling had completely demoralised the market. The fact is. the market has been controlled by the short sellers, and even those who had sold forward largely seem to have become alarmed and anxious to "stop the rot"; and some of them wore anxious to bring agents together and confer about keeping prices up. It was only when Mr. Ellison, the Xational Dairv Association representative, stepped in and called a meeting of those handling New Zealand cheese that anything was attempted. Several conferences were held; it was agreed to sell at a minimum of 01s, hut now the market is down to 58s. The distrust of each other, and the divided interests of those who had sold forward and those who had not, was apparent at all these conferences, and there was no real unanimity. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

The South Island Dairy Association put forward various schemes for uniting to improve matters, and the National Dairy Association have done the same, hut 110 good has come of them because factories did not anything like unitedly come into these schemes. "Home Rule" government prevails at most, factories, and it is not surprising that directors of factories like to manage their own affairs and deal with their own produce as they please. Now. the question for consideration is—should anything more be attempted by this Association in the interests of those consigning cheese? It in a most difficult matter. If it were possible for all factories in New Zealand to combine—North and South Island together—and consign their cheese only to four of the strongest and best houses in London for sale, some good would certainly come of it. Or if North and South Island together agreed to sell monthly or even fortnight!v, at one centre or two. (lie chae.ee shipments for the month, listed on the lines of the wool snles. some good would he done, as eventually n large number of houses would have ."genls here to buy whiit they reonired. lactones in 0 - in:id:v consign nothing, but sell everything about monthly. y, ( > could really unite r>:i either of ilm ,'ilioye schemes good might be done. Hut Hie "if" is „ very big one. Factories no doubt will consider the matter. Tt may he here slid that there is no man or hodv of directors cm nil hie of safely forecasting the future of the cheese market, and deciding whether to s"ll or consign: nor is there any man in Lo"don who could do so. Evidently sc:::c of t.'ic Lest Onus La

London had faitli in the future of the cheese market, for they oll'ered in September from (j'/id to 6%d for the season's output of cheese and up to Is oV!>d for butter outputs.

COMPLAINTS ABOUT QUALITY. For the first time the quality of New Zealand cheese arriving in London lias been seriously complained of. Mr. Wright, of the New Zealand Dairy Division in London, has found these complains to be well founded in many eases, and has duly advised Mr. Cuddy, the Dairy Commissioner, who issued a strongly-worded and plain statement to factories in a circular dated March 1, 1913. The faults complained of are—bad flavors and openness in the cheese, softness, and too moist cheese. In the North Island, some factories were advised to get more moisture into their cheese. Such advice was against that of the Dairy Division. This practice never obtained to any extent in the South Island, but the main remedy is to be found in getting better and cleaner flavored milk supplied to the factories, and this has all along been the main difficulty. The report quotes extensively from Mr. Cuddie's circular, in the course of which the Dairy Commissioner wrote:— •'As to the need for more care in handling the milk on many farms and the thorough cleansing of all dairy utensils, much has already been written and said on the subject. The experiences of the dairy instructors this year prove conclusively that there is yet a great deal of room for improvement in this connection. Many of the milking machines in use have been found on inspection to be in a deplorably insanitary state, and in some cases parts of them have had to be taken to the factories for cleaning. There is not the slightest doubt that tlie dirty condition of a large number of these machines is a serious menace to our dairy industry. Some are found to be so very unclean that it would be impossible for milk to pass through them without beaoming badly contaminated and so spoiled as to be totally unfit for the making of good cheese. The rejection of such milk at all costs is the only effective cure for this evil, and managers of factories should' be given a free hand in this matter in the interest not only of those who deliver sound millto the factories, but also of the reputation of the particular brand and the good name of New Zealand cheese. The attempts that are being made to abnormally increase the yield of cheese are proving disastrous, and if continued will end in heavy financial loss. No further comment on this point is necessary, as the remedy is obivous." PRICES TOO UNIFORM.

Continuing, the report says:—ln connection with this question of quality of cheese, it has always been disappointing to cheese-makers and others interested in this matter and who do make a highclass article, that so far, the high-class article, when account sales are compared, brings nothing more than what we know to be a secondary or even thirdclass article. All, good, bad and indifferent, seems to be sold as New Zealand cheese, at a certain price. Doubtless, the grocer or merchant who buys the cheese picks the best, but so far as the factory is concerned the same uniform price comes to nil, although the r.eal difference in value may be 3s to 4s per ewt.

In conclusion, the report declares that all interested in the trade, from cheese and butter makers to directors of factories, are thankful to Mr. Cuddie and his staff for the excellent work they have done, tactfully and effectively at all times, in some matters that require tact more than anything else. Their duties are numerous, including supervising the erecting and planning of new factories, the testing of cattle, the inspection of dairy fanners' premises, instruction in cheese and butter-making and grading at the shipping ports. In all this work they have given valuable help to all, and 110 Government department is more deservedly popular than the Dairy Division.