TOWN MILK SUPPLY

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29206, 17 May 1960, Page 20

TOWN MILK SUPPLY

“Quality Maintained During Year”

The quality of town milk had been well maintained during the last year,, said the sixth annual report of the New Zealand Milk Board.

Figures showed that of the 66,380,061 gallons of milk handled through the milk treatment stations the finest grade premium was paid on 62,913,890 gallons, 93.42 per cent, of the milk handled. Of the remaining milk. 3,913,696 gallons were graded as first grade, and 452,475 gallons were second graded. In addition, 9,468,457 gallons that did not pass through milk treatment stations were assumed to be finest grade.

This meant, said the report, that over-all the finest grade premium was paid on 92.24 per cent, of the total gallonage eligible for the town milk price. Tables in the report showed that 99,497 gallons of milk were produced during the year ended August 31, 1959. Of this flgufe. 59.391,829 gallons were town milk sales and 3,023,085 gallons Were school sales.

Sales of raw milk were 2,673,109 gallons, while pasteurised sales were 56,344,582 gallons. Bottled milk sales were 53,398,961, compared to loose sales of 5.992,868.

The cost of the subsidy on town milk and surplus, milk amounted to £3,446,931. The cost a gallon was made up as follows: , Payments to producers, 28.575 d; cost of handling surplus production, 2.055 d; Wartage - frorn djartn* (1958/59 average), 1.546 d; treatment and bottling, 6.065 d; distribution, 11.445 d; administration costs, .669 d. This was a total of 50.355 d. said the report Consumer prices and other realisations were 36.364 d, leaving a net subsidy of 13.991 d a gallon.

School Milk Cost

£652,285

The cost of the milk-in-schools scheme was £652,285 for the year ended August 31, 1959, said the annual report of the New Zealand Milk Board.

During the year 3,023,085 gallons were distributed to the schools, an increase of 132,774 gallons over the previous year. The school milk supplies were standardised to contain 3 per cent, butterfat content, and 37.04 per cent, was homogenised. The treatment stations for school milk were at Auckland, Hastings, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt and Dunedin, said the report