NGAERE DAIRY COMPANY

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 13 September 1930, Page 8

NGAERE DAIRY COMPANY

IN CREASEIS IN PRODUCTION

37TH ANNUAL MEETING

The 37th annual meeting of the Ngaere JJairy Company was Acid. yesteruay, ALr. H. C. Taylor presiding over an attendance of 00 suppliers. A heavy increase m production was shown, the total output for the season being 702 tons of cheese and 50 toil’s of creamery butter, an increase of 43 tons of cheese and 40 f-ous of butter over the previous season. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman said tnat the past season had been rather disappointing. It was finely the story would not roach a popular finish, as the selling price of cheese to-day was lower than the value assessed for the unsold produce on the balance-sheet. There had been a big increase in production, however, and a substantial reduction in the cost of manufacture, which stood as low as 2.80 d!. per lb. fat covering all costs to f.o.b. Air. Tayior had not- seen any jither factory that could show such low operating costs, and in ths connection lie extended hearty congratulations to the manager (Mr. E. Pedersen.) He congratulated Ai r. Pedersen upon liis show succease* and mentioned that Ngaero’s reputation at -shows had been well maintained.

The production of the company was g.,57 tons, made up of 1 1)2 tons of cheese, 50 tons of creamery butter and 15 tons of whey butter. Thus the increase represented 43 tons of cheese and 40 tons of butter. No doubt the increased supply had materially contributed to the reduced manufacturing costs. 'While all knew companies that had been iortunate enough to sell had made better payouts than consigning companies during the past two years, Ngaero had maintained its consigning policy, there had been no definite offers before the board though ha believed a sale could have 'been effected at S-j-d m January, but that did not materialise At the date of the balance-sheet there were 2140 crates of cheese unsold of a total of 10.798 crates. Since five balance-sheet closed, only 250 crates had been disposed of , so there were still 1900 crates unsold. Cheese in store oi afloat had been taken in at the estimated price of 755, oil which basis the payment should be Is s£d Cheese today however, was not realising / ss, so the final payout might not -reach the estimate. , , s[js[j- Thomas moved that the diiectois be recommended to l cease pasteurising the milk, but after the manager had strongly advised against this proposal the rnotion was decisively lost.

STANDARDISATION QUESTION

About the middle of September standardisation was commenced at tire lactory and was continued throughout the season, only one vat being graded as modified. Strangely enough., cheese from that vat, when, tested at the laboratory. showed that it did contain the necessary 50 per cent-, or fat, but when examined at the cool store was classed as modified. It had been the practice of the company not to iskim below 15 to 17 per cent, to make standardised cheese, but, as was to be expected, even this reasonable- skimming had had an effect on the- yield, winch was somewhat lower than that of recent years.

Dealing with the question of waxing, tine chairman said the- process was still being debated and reports from Britain were very conflicting. Possibly the position was that the- very best cheese would stand waxing, but inferior cheese would not. Certainly, there was no doubt that waxing meant- a saving in shrinkage. Answering, Mr. J. Thomas, sen., the chairman said the opinion of nearly all people interested in the cheese position was to the effect that pasteurisation was a very good thing. Mr. Thomas drew attention to the fact that- Canadian and British farmers did not pasteurise. Personally, he thought the company should experiment with unpasteurised cream. “What lias Mr. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, to say a,bout •pasteurisation?” asked Mr. O. Harrison. “He is very definite,’’ replied the chairman. “He says that many faetores hot pasteurising would be- well advised to install pasteurisers.” The manager said bo would be very sorry to see the pasteurisers abolished. In -any ease, if the machines were thrown out a fair amount of milk would have, to be returned to suppliers if good cheese was still to be made.

COST OF PRODUCTION

Mr. Maxwell commented upon iueicasing costs l a producing, nnik, and urged that the question 01 reducing oositis tshoujd bo made. a vital sjourcei oi investigation by leadens ox the industry, ine most important tiling one. could taiK about was now to- reduce costs ot production. Tnere. was no doubt costs of production were higher than tine industry could stand at the present prices, agreed tlie chairman. The 1 actor of costs was (seldom taken into account by those, who. stated that the increased .production would compensate for the lower price. Questioned' bv Mr. H. Nowell, the chairman said it was better to leave the question of standardisation m the hands of the directors. Mi . C. Harrison asked m the event of Ngaere joining the premium cheese pool would whole-milk cheese be graded apart from standardised cheese. The chairman: So many companies have kept out of the pool that I think it very unlikely that it wiil ever matesriMr Ha.iri.son commenced a lengthy dismission as to the advantage accniincr from tlie expenditure of over £IOOO mTiisukvting the curing room last year. He criticised the directorsi for being unable to supply any definite information of the estimated saving. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. , T T 1 Messrs. W. Wickham and J. A\. Pratt retired from the directorate by rotation ,and as there were no other nominations they were re-elected. Mr. J. H. Thomas was re-elected auditor. Directors were voted the same, fees as last year, and the chairman thei same honorarium.