DAIRY INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 204, 29 July 1937, Page 11

DAIRY INDUSTRY

OBSERVATIONS ABROAD. ADDRESS BY PROF. W. RIDDET. At the annual meeting, yesterday, of the shareholders of the Levin Dairy Company, Professor W. Riddet, Director of the Dairy Research .Institute, gave a very interesting talk on impressions ho had gained in his recent visit overseas, when ho had the opportunity of studying dairying conditions in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and several of the more important dairying countries of Europe, As far as our butter was Concerned, in tlie United Kingdom the quality was generally very acceptable, said Professor Riddet. in recent years Mew /calami had increased her market for butter there and at the present time supplied dO per cent, of the quantity required. However hard had boon the depression, we had reason to pat ourselves on the hack on being able to find, through it, a greater market. The low prices for butter in 19313-34 had been to the advantage of Now Zealand in that there had been an expanding market for it in competition with margarine. The buyers had come to know JNCw Zealand bipttcr, to know that it was reliable and that tho quality remained constant. When prices had risen again they hnd kept on buying our butter. That did not mean that the supply of other countries had been curtailed.' A now market had been created. Along with Australia, we now supplied tile greatest part of tile butter consumed in tho South of England. Touching especially on tho brand of butter produced nt the Levin company’s factory, tile speaker said that it was one of tiic butters which had prestige, hut however good was tho quality the company' could not afford to relax its efforts in that direction. In fact, there should lie an effort to improve it, for all countries were intent on improving their quality. Australian butter was being improved more than that from any other country, and while there used to lie a difference in the quality of Australian ; butter and our own, that had now very I largely disappeared. Although there I Was a slight difference in price, wo should not think there was necessarily i a difference in quality, too. j New Zealand blitter was not used 'extensively in blending, despite what iiad been said to that end, Professor Riddet added, tho product being too j expensive for the purpose. It was, however, used as a base in blending other ! and cheaper butters. Even then it was 1 used only- in minimum quantities. Most lof the New Zealand butter was sold | in some other form, either in pats nr as bulk butter, somo going on to the J market under brands, No matter which | way it was sold, it was finding n innrj ket and, was highly spoken of. When it hnd hc6n possible for certain people to buy butter and hold it expecting a rise in the price there hnd been occasions when stateness was evident. Tile changed marketing conditions now made , that development unlikely. Reports had been made that operators were strongly- opposed to our collective system of marketing, blit wliilo lie had been in Loudon he had been assured that they were well satisfied with the system. With continuity of supply assured, the operators could establish a market for a certain brand and could Imild up a demand for it. Whatever .1 ight be said locally ns to the lack of success of the scheme, those hearing the statements should inquire very closely into the remarks before accepting them. IN AMERICA.

Professor Jliddet addressed himself to the conduct of the dairying industry in America, many of his observations in that regard having been dealt with in reports from the Dairy Factory Managers’ Conference held a short time ago at the Dairy Research Institute. Were it possible to land New Zealand butter in the United States on reasonable terms its quality would create a selective demand, he said, especially on the eastern seaboard States, with their population of over 40 000,000 people and relatively high purchasing capacity. Dairy farmers in th#t area mainly produced city milk, and meanwhile New Zealand butter was never on the market long enough to be known to the public. The speaker proceeded to touch on the problems facing the dairy industry in the United Htates, pointing out that with proposals that a proportion of the arable land which had become affected by soil erosion should be laid down in a soil-binding pasture, it was natural to expect ail increase in dairying- ‘ „ . . The developments in Great Britain with the organisation of the dairy industry were also touched on, Professor Riddet outlining, ns in previous addresses, what had been done to put the industry on a sounder footing. He showed how the dairy farm products went through central organisations and how the" proceeds of sales were apportioned pro rata among the producers, special premiums being allowed for “level” supply, for milk from dis-ease-free herds, anct other such matters. Out of a total consumption of 200 000 tons of cheese Britain made 57,000 tons, or about a quarter, so it stood to reason that the more cheese New Zealand put on the English market the lower would be the price, but on the butter question there was less variation affecting the English farmer.

Professor Ricldet dealt with what lie had seen in the European countries lie had visited, touching on the plight of the farmers there when they had been fared with a disappearing market for their produce. 'lt had been necessary for them to restrict production, and there was nothing more sad than to see empty cow houses or pig pens and to be told bv the farmer that he was not allowed to have more pigs or more cows. We should feel very grateful indeed that we in New Zealand formed members of the British Commonwealth of Nations and that Great Britain had kept her ports open to our produce. The speaker dealt with the types of farming in the different countries and the size of the holdings. In dealing with the European countries lie spoke of the “remarkable uniformity” of Danish and Dutch bacon carcases; to see them dressed was to imagine that they had all come out of the one litter. The Danes had reached their present state through very rigid culling and the operations of the testing and breeding stations. In Holland the same state nf affairs was rapidly l>eing reached. There the industry had concentrated on the production' of porkers, but in as short a time as 12 years had changed over to baconers to reach the high standards they had already aliained. The New Zealand porker carcases were quite as good as the English ones, the onlv difference being that the New Zealand meat was frozen, but we had a long way to go in improving our baconers, attention bein" required to increase the length and °to increase the quantity of lean in relation to the proportion of fat. It Was Very gratifying to know that the Government had taken a hand with the institution of the national scheme of research, instruction and recording. We had to put our type and quality right before we could expect to create a big demand.

A number of questions were answered bv the speaker, who was accorded a vote of thanks on the motion of the chairman Mr S. A. Broad be It.