PIG MARKETING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 95, 3 August 1945, Page 8

PIG MARKETING

SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH AND

DEVELOPMENT

13 YEARS' CO-OPERATIVE

EFFORT

"Although in many respects it has been a year of difficulties to which war-time staff shortages anil other factors have contributed, both the parent Company and its subsidiaries have produced results which are considered to. be extremely satisfactory-" These were the. opening remarks of the Chairman of Directors, Mr W. A. Phillips, in presenting the Directors Report to the 13th Annual Meeting of the New Zealand Co-op-erative Pig Marketing Association held at Milne and Clioyce's Reception Room Auckland on Wednesday Ist August 1945. The meeting was at-< tended by 300 shareholders-dele-gates representing every district in the North and South Islands. In summarising the year's activities the Chairman; pointed out that the Company's turnover was £900, 000 while that of the subsidiaries amounted to £700,000 making a total of £1,600,000, representing a substantial increase on the previous year. Addressing the delegates j Mr Phillips said: "It is somewhat striking to reflect that 13 j'ears a £° the Company's total turnover was only £149,000 hence the outstanding progress shown is a fitting testimony to your determination to co-operate for the common good." Mr Phillips went on to say that although to some extent the. Company's position was affected by the operation of the Pig Quota Scjieme nevertheless a total of. 106,649 pigs were collected during the year, this being well up to the average of the collection over the past six years. Supplies to the Company have increased very considerably had it been possible to accept pigs from those farmers wishing to join up but Avhose business could not be accepted because of the restrictions. Season's Payments "The rates of final payment*" said Mr Phillips, "brought the total payments for the season to levels entirely competitive with the cash values offered through other channels and in addition your Directors approved the payment of a cash shareholders bouus of %d per pound, which is the maximum figure which can be paid under Economic Stabilisation." The Directors had also decided to again appropriate %d per pound in the North Island, to be credited to suppliers share accounts. Record Turnover in. Bobby Calves Mr Phillips said: "During the season 322 938 bobby calves were handled for a turnover totalling £265, an increase of £24 205 compared with the previous season, and an all time record for this department. The average at works realisations on the calves collected from all districts was 14/6.8 d and after meeting charges for railage, skin committee trucking and administration costs, producers received an average at the farm gate payment of 12/1 per *ealf, this figure of course being the Dominion average over all the Pools. Once again these figures show the powerful strength of collectively marketing 322,938 calves (approximately onethird of'the Dominion's total) which has enabled us to secure returns on the average substantially better than those of other Pools."

Cull Cattle Increase During the year 6, 063 head ol' cull cattle were handled an increase on the previous season. The turnover would have increased even more had it not been for.the congestion at the various Freezing Works during peak periods when it was impossible to secure anything like sufficient killing space lor the cattle offering. ■ Income and Expenditure Mr Phillips revealed that the total value of sales of pork, beef veal skins hides and offal together with the estimated realisations ot the stocks on hand at 31st May 1915 in freezer New Zealand amounted to 9 ? £92(J 1 1'04. Payments made for bobby: calves, cull cattle and pigs totalled while slaughtering and freezing collecting costs ? insurance and administration expenses was £115,648, leaving a surplus of income over expenditure of £50949. The appropriation set aside of

per lb. on all pigs supplied on consignment in the North Island and l-16d pen lb. in the South Island amounted to £13,496 for crediting to suppliers share accounts. This left a net surplus available for final cash distribution of £37,451. Subscribed capital stood at £53,204 at 31st May 191.5. With the. addition of shares, allotted since then amounting to £5,194 the Company's subscribed capital totalled £58,398. Paid up capital was £29,479, but with the shares credits available in respect, of the past season's supply the total amount was expected to increase considerably. Three Successful Bacon Factories In commenting on the successful functioning of the Company's three bacon Mr Phillips pointed out that the extent of their activities could best be appreciated when it was realised that of the 100 licensed curing establishments in the Dominion, the three owned and operated by the company represented the biggest individual group. They were actually processing approximately one-fifth of the bacon and hams manufactured in the country. "The Regulations called the "Ham and Bacon Order 1943" continued to limit the quantities of bacon and hams for civilian consumption," added Mr Phillips, "but ,as the quantities manufactured over and' above these limits were required for the Armed Forces turnover had in consequence, been avgll maintained." Successful Marketing by Producers Reference was made by Mr Phillips to the Company's association with .the Co-operative Producer Distributing Organisations which hacl been established in a comparatively short space of time and made such excellent progress. "These organisations " remarked Mr Phillips, "have by their activities to" date demonstrated how necessary it is that the producer should co-operate to conf trol not only the manufacturing processes through which his product must pass, but also retain this, control right through to the point of distribution to the retail shops." Today Farm Products Companies were in operation in Gisborne Hawlce's Bay, Manawatu Wanganui, Nelson and Westland. The P.M.A. had an, interest in each of these cooperatives, while another link existed with the Canterbury Co-opera-tive Distributors Ltd. As a result of this link up the egg producers in Canterbury and the Company were marketing eggs, bacon an,d man5 r subsidiary lines on a co-opera-tive basis.

lii concluding his report to the Annual Meeting the Chairman of Directors gave the following summary of the year's operations:— Pigs handled 106,649. Hoo'ks weight 14 395 0001bs. Bobby calves handled Hooks weight 9 f 927 } 0001bs. Cull cattle handled 6^063. Hooks weight 2^423^0001133. Total 435 650. 26 745 OOOlbs. .» » * Total pigs handled during the pa£t thirteen years 1,521 153. Total calves handled in 12 years 2 877 796. u ' Total cattle handled in: G years 32 515. Retiring Directors Re-elected . The retiring Messrs, W. H. Allen Tauranga, and James Kennedy of Te Aroha were re-elected unopposed lor another term. 18