THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 197, 21 August 1929, Page 21

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

MONEY IN WHEY.

CONCENTRATED STOCK FOOD.

METHODS AT EDENDALE

Mr. D. Sandys Wunsch, M.A. (Oxon.), B.Sc., managing director New Zealand Sugar of Milk Company, Edendale, Otago, returned to Dunedin last week. To a press representative Mr. Wunscli described the operations now being. conducted by the company in the new treatment of whey from cheese factories, as waste products in the past to be turned into creeks to befoul them or fed to pigs, with but little real nutritive value to the animal. As a result of comparatively recent laboratory research work in England, and now being carried on in New Zealand, whey is definitely proved to be an article of high commercial value if cost of its treatment is kept down. Mr. E. R. of the great London softgoods firm of Debenham and Freebody, has for many years devoted himself to highly scientific dairy farming in Dorsetshire, and he is one of the pioneers in the utilisation of whey, according to Mr. Wunsch. To-day at Edendale whey is being treated at the rate of 28,000 gallons a day. It is dealt with in vacuuo, the sugar of milk being extracted, and the 30 gallons of the liquid reduced to one gallon of a paste similar in appearance to peanut butter, and used as a highly concentrated stock food, helping the animal to utilise its ordinary ration to the greatest advantage, and to about double the weight increase due to other foodstuffs of the same analysis. The paste is said to be quite suitable for human consumption and an export market is waiting for it. The process is that of Dr. Harding, of Cambridge University, and the company working at Edendale is English. New machinery and equipment of entirely British manufacture is being installed at Edendale to deal with the whey. It is probable that concentrating plants will be installed at all large cheese factories in the Dominion to turn whey into a profitable by-product. BAY OF PLENTY.

The Bay of Plenty Dairy Association held its annual meeting in Te Puke last week. Mr. C. L. Luke, chairman of directors, presided. The annual report stated that the output of 1505 tons was an increase of nearly 200 tons on the previous year. The balance-sheet showed the factory to be in a sound financial position. So far the directors have sold 16,000 boxes of the new season's butter and spread delivery to the end of December, at a price returning 1/61 for superfine. , It was resolved to recommend to the directors that as much freight as possible be placed over the railway, irrespective of charge. It was agreed that £200 be divided equally amongst the factory employees as a bonus. The election of three directors resulted : Messrs. C. L. Luke, D. F. Wickham and Inness Vercoe. Mr. H. W. Earp was elected auditor. KAIKOHE. The initial statutory annual meeting of the Kaikohe Dairy Company was held last week, Mr. H. F. Guy presiding over a large attendance of suppliers. The chairman reported that very satisfactory progress was being made with the installing of the machinery, and the water supply. The factory would be ready to receive cream towards the end of the month. Meanwhile the suppliers' cream was being treated at neighbouring factories by mutual arrangement. All the provisional directoi's, Messrs. H. F. Guy, C. Edwards, G. Lindo Ferguson, T. Guerin, K. K. Hatrick, H. M. Rockill, and J. Rousley, were re-elected. At a subsequent directors meeting, Mr. H. F. Guy was elected chairman. TE AROHA. Te Aroha, from a dairying point- of view, takes a prominent position among the productive parts of the Dominion. In the past season 2200 tons of dried milk were manufactured at the Waitoa factory, 150 tons full cream powder, 1740 tons of butter, and 934 tons of condensed milk: At Waharoa 1309 tons of skim milk powder were made, while at Waihou 1600 tons of butter were manufactured. Taken at the rate of 1/6 per lb butterfat outputs of Waihou and Waitoa would be £282,000 and £292,000 respectively. At Tatuanui the amount paid out to suppliers was £61,389, and at Te Aroha the dairy company paid out £185,240. Te Aroha West and Manawaru factories' amounts would be in the region of £200,000. The total dairy production from a radius of about 10 miles around Te Aroha can be taken as a million and a-half pounds sterling.