DAIRY PRODUCE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 40, 16 August 1921, Page 7

DAIRY PRODUCE

QUALITY AND RETURNS AUCKLAND'S EXPANDING s '■ • ~ TRADE. g High quality of both butter and cheese for export this season, should represent bigger returns to producers who consign or who sell outputs on grade, Effort* made in North TaranaH to Secure it for this' Season, however, failed at the recent meeting of the Waitoitoi Company. A proposal was mad« that a -group of neighbouring factories should combine for the appointment of a, Government instructor for the district. Mr. J. E. Phillips, chairman of the Waitoitoi Company, made out a strong case for the proposed* appointment. The directors agreed with him, he said, that it was futile to expect a really good article to be turned out at.ihe factory if the milk supplied was not good. Th* man appointed would have power to forbid milk being sent •to the factory by a supplier whose shed and plant were not made sanitary, thus helping the manager and, the other suppliers to secure the best results. Herd testing and-.als6.the testing at the factory could, bo carried out by the officer, and this would divert unpleasantness from the manager. If. four or five factories contributed towards the cost on a tonnage basis, the cost '.to each would not be very great. It was reported that \the matter would be discussed at a further meeting of delegates of factories to be held at TJrenui. GAIN OP £189,000 A \ Mr. A. J. Kurth, speaking at New Plymouth on the need for .inspection of dairies in the direction of improvement or _ maintenance of high quality, said dairy factory, directors or managers -themselves could not carry out inspection, and a totally disinterested person was required for the work. Mr., Kurth said that a member of a hospital board had recently stated that a great many cases of infectious diseases admitted to the _ hospitals came from defective dairies, so that the matter had now almost become the concern of the health authorities. ■ Apart from 1' this aspect there was a great financial gain awaiting the dairy industry if by the strict inspection of dairies the milk supplies could be so improved as to make the production of a higher^grade of butter and cheese possible. * .;'. ', Mr. G. H. Buckeridge agreed with Mr. Kurth that if a more uniform quality of produce were exported the prices obtained would probably increase at least a farthTng per pound, which >would mean, on the total 1 output of cheese from the Dominion^ about £189,000 a year. , CONSIGNMENT ADHERED TO.; Consignment of produce continues to find favour with/that great concern the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd. The directors report : "Cheese has again been placed on the open London, ■ market, and your directors have adhered to their regular policy of open consign* ment. Undoubtedly this is in the long run the best policy, although the past season has been one of.the exceptional years in which selling factories have received better prices than consigning factories. "Owing to the, fact that the shipment, of cheese was considerably delayed during the summer, a number of shipmentsare still unsold, and'at the'date of "closing books for the financial year some cheese was still in New Zealand, awaiting shipment. The unsold cheese was taken into stock on the basis of lOd per lb f.o.b. New Zealand. .-.. . In view of the- fact that during the coming season New Zealand butter will be sold on a free market Britain, the directors decided that it. was very necessary for the managing director, Mr. 'W. Goodfellow, to proceed to London before the arrival ,of the new season's dairy produce in order to personally make'- arrangements for the selling of the company dairy produce in London to the greatest advantage. ,Mr.. Goodfellow is ■> by this time nearly arrived. in London. He will be absent for several months. The directors feel confident that the' result of his visit to London will prove to be of great, ad vantage to the business." The company owns its own coal mine and is proceeding with its own butterbox fabtory at Plankton, for both of which a levy of id'per pound on butterfat is to be, made for three years. The company's sales of butter last season were £2,736,646; and of cheese £674,702. It had. on 31st May Butter in stock £137,763; cheese £66,750. \