SOUTH ISLATD DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16215, 18 May 1918, Page 11

SOUTH ISLATD DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

The annual report of the South Island Dairy Association for tin; year ended April 30th. referred to the death of the late Mr John JJarnett. of Leeston, one of the oldest and most valued members of the executive, and to thu {ippDintmpiit of .Air E. Lord, ol Oho U.i, to temporarily fill the vacancy. lhe past year had been fraught with .ninny. difficulties, the chief of which had t been tho shortage of shipping, and the executive had had to give much anxious thought to the question of relieving the congestion at the various store?, and they were satisfied they had earned the gratitude of the lactones in this respect. The profit and loss account was in credit to the extent of £3150 IGs Gd, an increase of £1924 on the year's working. The turnover for supplies lor use of lactones was £36,876 4s Id, an increase of £'2*2,19'2 14s 4d for the year. The sale of butter and cheese was £28,035 '2s ()d, an increase of £4839 Bs. In spite of some irregularities in the arrivals of oversea ships the Association had always been able to keep faith with tho factories in the supply of their indents—a business which had now reached an important position in the operations of the Association, and one which was growing annually. As showing the immense strides that are being made j in tho cheesa and butter industries in I tho three Southern provinces, the increased output necessitated the erection of new storage buildings at Bluff. Dunedin, and Lyttelton. These stoves were proving of incalculable value, unci it was difficult to say how the factones would have fared without Uus means of relieving the storage congestion at the factories. The stores were now carrying heavy stocks of cheese and butter. Thanks were due to the Government for the assistance lent in financing the erection of the stores. The commission _ received through insurance business being placed through the Association amounted to £211 10s 7d, an increase of £8 9s 2d over last year's figures. The prices at which first grade produce was taken on behalf of the Imperial Government wore: Cheese lOd per II), factory butter 157s per cwt and 50 per cent, profit, tvhoy butter 138s 8d per cwt and 50 per rent, profit, all f.o.b. on steamer. * The membership of the Association at tho end of the financial .year was 114, as against 11 in 19T7. Tho following table shows the shipments of butter and cheese for the season ended April 30th : — Lvttelton. Dunedin. Bluff. Boxes. Boxes. Boxes. Fflctcrr butter .. 36,302 15,015 AVhey "butter ... 285. 455 — Milled butter .. — 5 s Crates. Crates. Crates. Factory cheese ♦. 13,373 18,632 12,034 Dairy cheese .. 631 — Cheese in store .. 9,410 17,200 39,800