THE CHEESE INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1916, Page 6

THE CHEESE INDUSTRY.

LARGE INCREASE IN OUTPUT LIKELY. The use of pepsin. (From Our Own C,orrespon'lent'J'. Wellington, October a. Late reports from the country districts confirm tlie opinion that tho production of cheese luring the present season is going to be substantially in excess of last year's production, -owing to the stimulus given the factories by the very high prices. Most of the factories having dual plants are stated to be concentrating their attentio- on the manufacture of cheese, which offers a better return than butter even at the present high- values of that article. Cheese is coming into the stores quickly, and apparently there is some ground for anxiety with regard to shipping facilities. The Government has not been able to give assurances- on this point, and the present indications that there will be less refrigeratirg space avai.a-ble this season than there was last season, when the.output of the c-fieese factories was smaller. The shortage of rennet reported after the loss of a large quantity of that article on the- Tongariro does not appear to have affected /lieese production to any appreciable extent. The factories have been a.ble to make temporary arrangements in cases where the shortage was serious, and they are not em'ltar-rnss-ed by having to pay high p-ices for fresh supplies of re.nn4t while cheese commands its present high price. The experiment made by the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture in the use of pepsin as a, substitute for rennet is not yet complete. The cheese manufactured by'the. use of pepsin in the Kaupokonui factory, South Taranaki, is under observation, and its condition up to tho present time is considered entirely satisfactory. But- the department officers will not give a final decision regarding the suitability of ! pepsin for cheese production until the experimental lot has been examined at maturity.