CHEESE MANUFACTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 July 1919, Page 6

CHEESE MANUFACTURE.

QUESTION OF STANDARD BUTTERFAT. The advantage that the man who supplies high-testing milk lias over the man who supplies low-testing milk to a cheese factory has been the subject of discussion at factory meetings for some time past, as also the disadvantages that a factory with a high average test labors under when a comparison is made of its pay-out with that of a low-testing factory. At recent coastal meetings lately the matter has been further discussed. At Rahotu last week the chairman expressed gratification at the increase in the test, which had risen from 3.1)3 to 4.07, which meant £2OOO to the company, It was, he said, also hehl that high-testing milk would only yield from 2.4 to 2.5 lbs of cheese per pound of butter-fat, but their manager had obtained a yield of 2.63 lbs. Mr Gibson held that high-testing milk was not the more profitable to make cheese from, contending that milk testing from 3.6 to 3.S was the most profitable. He submitted figures which he had taken from the year's workings month by month in support. These figures taken from month to month showed as follows: Lbs. milk lo i Test. lb cheese. September 3.C2 9.80 October ♦ 3 65 9.79 November 3.79 8.71 December 3.89 9.47 January 4.05 9.71 February 4.14 9.63 March 4.29 9.24 April 4.64 8.02 May 5.1 8 Estimating the coat of milk at 2s per pound butter-fat and ,the value of the cheese produced at 9Jd per pound lie showed that the lower testing months gave the best results as follows: Lbs cheese to Cost of Value 1001b milk. 1001b milt, of cheese. September .. 1014 7/2% 9/1 October .... 10.21 7/3% 9/1% November .. 11.48 7/5 10/3% December .. 10.06 7/9% 9/5 % January ... 10.20 8/1 9/2% February ... 10.38 8/3% 9/3% March ..... 10.82 8/6% 9/8% April 11.6 a/3% 10/4% May ....... 12.5 10/2% 11/2% In September and October the profit was nearly 2s, whereas in February and thereafter it was only Is. Those figures were incontrovertible, he considered, and showed that when the test got above 3.7 or 3.8 they were losing money. An argument .then ensued as to the respective merits of the Jersey and Holstein, the advocates of the latter holding that they were losing on the present system of pay-out by butter-fat test and that the higher testing cows were gaining. They held that there should be a standard set. Advocates of the Jersey considered that but for the Jersey iit the early part of the season when milk was testing j low New Zealand cheese would not get I such a good name. It was the.fact that all milks were used in the manufacture of New Zealand cheese that gave it eucli a good name.. Mr Gibson considered that the 'matter should be looked at from a sound business basis. | The chairman pointed out that it must be borne in mind that September, October and November were the best months for cheese making, as thereaner there was the hot weather to contend with, A Okato on Monday the chairman (Mr J. Wooldridge) referred to the notice of motion which Mr J. S. Connett ; (Bell Block) intended to bring before the next meeting of the National Dairy Association relative to a standard butterfat content in cheese, and stated .that he considered their shareholders should support it. He then asked Mr Connett, who was present, to address the meeting. Mr Connett said that factories with a high average test suffered considerably in the matter of pay-out, and he could not see why the butter-fat content in cheese could not be regulated, as the water content was in butter. AVl)en the average test of a factory got above 3.7 or 3.8 they were putting more butterfat into the cheese than, was necessary, and the fact that the factory with less than a 3 7 test received the same for its cheese showed that it was not a sound business proposition to put more fat into cheese than necessary. As far as he knew no grader could distinguish the difference in the cheese with the extra fat content, therefore the purchaser would not be hurt by fixing a standard fat oontent, and this he strongly favored. At Okato thev were not feeling the pinch in the same way as Bell Block. Okato's pay-out had been reduced owing to decreased supply, whereas at Bell Block they would have a reduced pay-out pn account of the increased butter-fat content in the cheese. The test at Bell Block factory averaged 4.35, and they had to try and incorporate the whole of that butter-fat in the cheese, because the Government would not permit them to bring down the butter-fat content of the milk. Bell Slock had an excess of bu,tter-fat amounting to .85, which had to be put into the cheese and sold at IOJd per lb, whereas butter was worth considerably more, and what was squeezed out of the cheese by the press had to be made into whfy butter, and sold at a reduced price as compared with creamery butter. Okato was not affected very much at present, but the Jersey cow was coming into favor, and thev would be affected as the average test increased. The factories round the other side of the mountain, whose average test was in the vicinity of 3.7, had not felt the pinch. Otherwise, they would have made some effort to call attention to it. Bell Block factory was worked as economically as any other factory, and ye.t on account of the high test they could not pay out as high as other factories, and it was the pay-out that appealed to many of the suppliers.. He thought they would get considerable benefit if they were able to bring down the butter-fat, content of a portion of the milk, and bo reduce the average butter-fat content- By so doing they would be able to sell a portion as creamery butter and not at the reduced price of whey butter. After the few remarks at Palmerston, when the question was briefly discussed, several directors had met him and promised him support at the right time, as they considered it a step in the right direction. Certainly Mr Cuddie's remarks at the time were opposed to the proposal, but he thought that public opinion would more than overcome Mr Cuddie's ideas. Mr Grey asked how Mr Connett proposed to deal with other solids. If they extracted butter-fat from the hightesting milk they would not be dealing fairly with the meij who supplied milk with a great quantity of solids other than fat. Mr Connett said that it was true the richer the milk was in butter-fat the greiter the quantity of casein, but the Casein did not rise in. the same proportion as the fat did, and so there' was a greater percentage of fat than was n«i(. Jti,.. AMh mu would btjMid on £h*

butter-fat content of the milk, but the idea was to devise a fair' and equitable basis of payment. It was unanimously resolved that .the company support Mr Connett's action re standard fat content in cheese.