DAIRY EXPANSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 194, 18 August 1933, Page 12

DAIRY EXPANSION.

NATIVE SETTLERS ACTIVE. BAY OF PLENTY DISTRICT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHAKATANE, Thursday. The thirty-third annual meeting of the Opouriao Dairy Co. was held at Taneatua yesterday, 120 suppliers being present, inclufiing 56 Maori suppliers to the Ruatoki branch factory. The chairman, Mr. Walter Reid, in his report, mentioned that the output had been increased for the year by 155 tons, and that the increase to ,25 per cent in the exchange rate, although it applied for only about half the season, benefited suppliers to the extent of £5376, representing ljd per lb on butterfat over the whole season.

The increase at the Ruatoki branch factory, owing largely to the Ruatoki native settlement scheme, it was stated, would necessitate the erection of another vat next season, making six \ej& for this branch, where 505 tons of cheese were made last season.

I The total output of the company for i the past season was 1145 tons of cheese and 56 tons of whey butter. The total payout, including bonuses, represented 9.71 d per lb of butterfat to milk suppliers and 8.37 d to cream suppliers. Local sales increased to 210 tons of cheese for the season. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mr. F. Prideau was re-elected auditor. The retiring directors, Messrs. C. Old, D. M. Thorn and J. S. Rae, were re-elected.