TWENTY MILLIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 138, 10 May 1930, Page 8

TWENTY MILLIONS.

DOMINION’S BUTTER-FAT PRODUCTION. DAIRYING COSTS IN DETAIL. (By Telegraph—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, May 9. A complete statistical review of the dairying industry has been made fy tho Government Statistician, who has had to handle big figures in the process, for the value ot butter-fat purchased from suppliers dufing the dairying year 1928-29 —the “pay-out’ —reached the largo total of nearly £20,000,000. This was al3 per cent increase over the preceding year, and the total value of the manufactured products went nup by two and analf millions sterling, equal to 11 per cent above the previous season. There were increases in practically every phase of the industry. Persons employed in manufacture, 4,"88, increased by 3 per cent, and the wages bill, which amounted to £945,005, represented a 4 per cent rise. Other operating expenses of importance were:—Milk and cream cartage, £297,693; boxes, and cream cartage, £297,693; boxes, rennet, other materials, £930,889; other manufacturing and other operating expenses, £954,548; marketing expenses, including levy, £1,087,248. The number of home separators m use shows a decline, tho total being 41,773 compared with 43,096 in the previous year, while increased efficiency in factories has reduced the number of separators from 584 to 502. The value of lands and buildings used iu the industry is £2,160,567, and the plants are worth £1,743,480, representing £3,904,047 invested iu tlio manufacturing side. Suppliers, who numbered 55,947 in the previous year were 57,823 in the period under review, and their average receipts from the “pay-out” were £345. A comparative table shows that cream cartage, where it is provided by the dairy companies,, is a large item of cost which went up by 6 per cent during the year, while materials increased by 31 per cent (this being due mainly to the larger output) and other expenses of manufacture rose by 18 per cent. Finally, the survey traces the distribution of every £IOO received by dairy factories for their product as follows: —Salaries and wages £3.88, milk and cream cartage £1.22, pay-out to suppliers £81.92, materials £3.82, other operating expenses £3.92, marketing expenses £4,46, undistributed surplus £0.78; total £IOO.