Cheese Factory Closes

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30188, 20 July 1963, Page 6

Cheese Factory Closes

A NOTHER cheese factory *" on Banks Peninsula has closed down. This factory at Little River on the main road between Christchurch and Akaroa is to be converted into a motor garage. It operated for the last time as a cheese factory on May 8. The old factory was owned by the Wairewa Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., which was due to hold its forty-

fifth annual meeting later this year.

Mr T, G. Lee, of Puaha, this week recalled being present at the opening of the factory. He said he understood that the original part of the factory was dismantled in Southland or Otago and rebuilt at Little River where it was operated for two years by a Mr Bacon, who made cheese at a ’certain price per lb butterfat, before it became a co-operaitive factory. The first manager for the cooperative was Mr C. Dutton. Mr Lee believes that there may once have been as many as 30 suppliers. Abandoned homesteads in the surrounding valleys were the homes of some of these small suppliers. Before World War 11. most of the milk was brought to the factory by horse-drawn spring carts and four-wheeled waggons. Mr M. P. Wilkins, who was the last manager of the factory, said that during World War II the number of suppliers was up to 26 with farmers living within a certain distance of the factory being required to produce for it It was at that time that the factory building had to be extended.

Mr Wiikune, who is also a local farmer, first joined the factory staff in 1937 and was first atastnot for a number of years. He said that during his association with the factory. annual cheese production had been up to 201 tons. In the test season it was 120 tons wife the number of suppliers down to 12. Production was severely affected

m two recent drought seasons with the output in one season being down to 114 tons, which was about 40 tons below what was expected at that stage. About 95 per cent, of the cheese output was exported. A considerable casual market. had, however, been built up for tlhe 121 b cheese loaf Wlmoh was regularly sought by passers-by. Mr J. E. Evans, who has been chairman of the company for the Last three years, said this week that several problems had contributed to the decision to close down toe factory. One was the difficulty of securing staff. Mr Wilkins was not able to carry on as manager and although the position had been advertised, the company had not been successful in securing an applicant. The first assistant bad also indicated that he would not be available again. Standards for plant were alsc steadily being raised and the factory was faced with replacing its vats. (The old vats are incidentally likely to become children’s swim-ming-pools.) The tootling of the factory with 'these costs would have meant that it would have hardly been possible to match the butterfat pay-out. Most people said that it also east about 2d per pound butterfat to cart their milk tn the factory. Former suppliers of toe company will now separate their milk and send their cream into Christchurch

More than half of the suppliers have been running pigs on whey, but from now on all will be carrying pigs to dispose of the skim milk.