BUTTER GRADING.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1917, Page 2

BUTTER GRADING.

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. NIEED .FOR RAISING THE STANDARD. (By Our Own Reporter). As the outcome of the paper read by Mr. Wright, late Dairy Commissioner in London, on the marketing of our produce on the homo market, an important discussion took place ir Palmerston last week regarding the need for raising the minimum standard of first grade butter. Mr. Prouse (Levin) introduced the subject. He considered the present first grade, which was for butter over 88 pointe, should be again subdivided. Let those people, he said, who wished to go in for lower class butter have a brand on it to that effect, and the higher class butters would also bo distinctively branded. The .whole tone of the industry would be improved. The dairy industry was drifting at present, and it was time they turned.

Mr. Cuddie, who was asked to speak, said that in his opinion dairymen should be very careful before they made such a change, They might prejudice the sale. When one knew that there were only 13 factories in New Zealand who could produce butter at ah average of 93 points they must not penalise the remainder of the factories. He did not

think that New Zealand dairymen could attain a much higher standard than at present. Mr, Wright considered that there .was no doubt but that the grade should be stiffened.

Mr. P. Nathan held that the quality of the butter had to be raised. The danger facing them was in regard to the competition of margarine. The English people wanted quality in butter, and if producers sent home an inferior article then they would he*p to popularise margarine. The only way to improve the matter was to raise the standard of first grade from 88 points to 90 points. Mr. H. G. Hill said that unless drastic action was taken against the dairyman who was turning out inferior butter and causing the industry would seriously suffer.

Later, Mr. Prouse (Levin) moved, That this conference of New Zealand dairymen recommend an alteration in the system of grading our butter by dividing the present first grade of butter and making a new grade from 88 points to 01 points, .which would bo branded fair, whilst butter grading over W would be branded fine. He claimed that there was no reason why butter manufactured under modern conditions and with care taken in the production of the raw material, should not grade at least 82 degrees. He admiffed that there were factories in districts that owing to roading, etc., only received cream every other day, would have difficulty in attaining this standard.

Mr. Phil Nathan seconded. Mr. Powdrell moved as an amendment, That there be two grades as at present, but that the minimum standard for first grade be raised. This was seconded.

Mr. Buchanan (Thames Valley)' considereH that the resolutions would penalise both good and bad alike. Factory managers were trying their best to improve the article, and he thought an endeavor should be made to get at the root of the matter, viz., the supplier who supplied inferior milk or cream. He thought that the Government should appoint suppliers to grade the cream at the factory and pay suppliers according to grade. At present he understood the Government could prevent any supplier from supplying if his milk we're bad and he suggested tl«»4 this conference should give the Government its backing. Mr. Wright stated that the designation of the two classes on the London market were fine and finest, and Mr. Prouse^altered his resolution accordingly. Mr. Cuddie (Dairy Commissioner) considered while there was a good deal to be said in its favor there was an.element of danger in making three classes. Butter at times changed in transit, and it might be difficult to ensure that it .would; come out the same grade on the London market. Therefore a little ma'rgin was required in the grading points. The change therefore might do a grave injury. If it lowered the price of medium butter less money would come into New Zealand, and it was doubtful if that would be made up by the extra price received for the higher grade. He favored raising the standard of the first grade from 88 to 89. If it was raised to 90 he pointed out that IS per cent, of the butter manufactured would be second grade. .Raising to 89 would only affect a small percentage. Mr. Cuddie "said the Department was strongly in favor of grading cream, and were keen to see it adopted all over New Zaland. He promised that the Department would do its best to foster this. Mr. Buchanan pointed out that in some districts a company was afraid to grade cream too low, as the supplier might go to another factory. He suggested that the Government instructor should have power to say to a supplier who supplied second grade milk that he 1 should not supply milk to any other factory until he had supplied his own fac- • tory with first grade milk for a certain 1 time.

The president supported the amendment, as ho believed the standard should be raised to, say ,90, as a stimulus to factories to endeavor to improve Hie quality of their output. He pointed out that his own company, handling a large ■proportion of home separated cream, had graded not less than 03 points as an average during the past two seasons, whilst a factory which entirely manufactured home separated cream had nearly headed the grade for the season, thus showing that with proper supervision there should be no difficulty in maintaining a high grade. The amendment was carried.

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