DAIRY INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 227, 24 August 1938, Page 4

DAIRY INDUSTRY

NORTH TIRAUMEA CO. ANNUAL MEETING. At the 24th annual meeting of the North Tiraumea Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., Mr J. Hose presided over a somewhat larger attendance than usual. The report stated: “The average payment for butterfat for the previous season was 13.125 d per pound. The advance made during tni's season was 13.86 d per pound butterfat, the monthly advance being the highest of all dairy companies operating in the district. From the amount available a | further 1.78 d per pound butterfat is j available and final payment will be | made at the annual meeting. The total j payment will, therefore, he 15.64 d on all butterfat received. It is the intention of the board to continue the factory entirely in the interests of suppliers. The supply is so small through the desertion of the bulk of the shareholders that the only way the concern can be kept going is for the interests only of suppliers to be considered. All costs have been kept down to the minimum during the year, and tins severe curtailment of expenditure will be continued until either the factory is closed and the concern liquidated, or shareholders again forward their milk to us.” Statistics were appended to the report as follow Payment previous year per pound butterfat, 13.125 d ; payment current year per pound butterfat aclvance, 13.86 d, estimated surplus 1.78 d; number of suppliers, previous year 5, current year 3 j pounds milk receiv ©cl, 2 714,830, 1,741,795; founds of butterfat 123,006, 78.862; average butterfat test, 4.53 per cent., 4.53 per cent.; total charges, including repairs and depreciation up to f.o.h- at per pound butterfat, 3.864 d, 3.491 d; pounds of cheese (factory packing weight), 300 741, 193,921; pounds milk to make lib cheese 9.027, 5.981; pounds cheese to lib butterfat, 2.44, 2.45; average grade of cheese, 91.52, 90.714; pounds of butterfat recovered from whey, 7-59, 4798; expressed as percentage of total butterfat received for cheesemaking, 5.901, £.084; milk grade percentages—first 100 per cent., 98.73 per cent.; second, —, 1.27 per cent. CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW.

“It is true that had the Government not commandeered the cheese we would have received a better pay-out than Is 3!d per lb, the market for cheese being quite good at Home and in New Zealand,” said the chairman m moving the adoption of the report ‘ Another great difficulty is securing labour both

for the farms and for the factory. Not only is much of it unsatisfactory "hen it is obtained, but the wages demanded are out of all proportion to the value of the work. It is no use our shutting our eyes and our mouths to this tact. The fact that we have been able to pay suppliers Is 3Jd per pound for butterfat lias been brought about by reason of the careful work of the factory manager. office staff and directors. An examination of the figures for the year will disclose that we have cut costs to the very bone. Comparing our average test for butterfat with that of close neighbours, it will be found that our suppliers have nothing to complain ot in this respect. Our monthly advance to suppliers was Is 2d per lb butterfat, and this will be continued through the c-ning year. Our costs or manufacture are lower, our cheese is better, and our factory is an up-to-date one.”

The chairman stated that the serious position which had to be faced during the coming season caused concern. Wages were far too high both on tne farms and in the factories v hen e price paid by the Government tor cheese was considered. The retiring auditor, Mr G. Godfrey Tavlor, was re-elected. As Mr F. Bolton was retiring from the board of directors and there were no other nominations. Mr J. G. Brechin was elected and the meeting 1 nd■cated its approval of a suggestion that the other vacancy be filled by resolution of the directors. ; A vote of thanks to the manager (Mr H. Zeinert) and to Mrs Zeinert, was earned. , , „ In moving that a vote of thanks be accorded the secretary and .his staff, Mr W Fulton made reference to tne manner in which the accounts were controlled. The fact that their monthly advance for butterfat had never fallen below Is 2d and that they were receiving an additional ljd per pound ot butterfat indicated, said Mr Fulton, that, although they were the smallest unit in the industry so far; as the dietrict was concerned, they had nothin*, to be ashamed of.