DAIRY INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 228, 25 August 1938, Page 9

DAIRY INDUSTRY

MANGATAINOKA DAIRY CO.

HOPELANDS COMPANY. ADDITIONAL PAYMENT. “The commandeer of cheese by the Government continues, the • price being fixed by the Minister of Marketing (Hon. W. Nash),” states the annual report of the Hopelands Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd. “It is quite evident that in fixing the price the Minister failed to realise the real market value of the produce, hence we again receive a lower price than the market warrants. Cheese unshipped has been taken into account at the Government price, and that for sale in the Dominion' at a price based on that received for export. For the previous year, the average price received for" butterfat was 14.998 d per pound, which was higher than anticipated in the last report, viz.. 14.040 d. The average advance was 13.99 d per lb of butterfat, and the amount in the appropriation account will add 1.87 d to this amount. As the directors are anxious to assist suppliers to the full extent, it has been resolved to make a further payment of 2d per lb on all butterfat. This will be available at the annual meeting. No account has been taken of approximately Id per lb butterfat which is promised by the Minister of Marketing to cheese manufacturing concerns. If this actually becomes available it will be paid immediately. “Mr J. Martin resigned from the board on account of temporary illhealth. the number of members of the board being thus reduced to four. The matter of increasing the number will be discussed at the annual meeting. The retjring auditor has again placed his services at the disposal of the company. The suppliers are cordiallv thanked for their efforts to bring milk of good quality, and it is hoped that these efforts will be continued. To the new suppliers who have joined the company the directors extend a welcome.” , »

Statistics are appended to the “’■report as follow, comparative figures for 1937 being given in parentheses: Payment previous year per lb butterfat, 14.998 d; current year, advance, 13.99 d; estimated surplus, 1.87 d; number of suppliers, 17 (17); lb milk received. 4.224,581 (4,436,991); lb butterfat, 200,512 (210,577); average butterfat test, 4.74 per cent. (4.74 per cent.); total charges, including repairs and depreciation up to f.o.b. at per lb butterfat, 3.108 d (2.805 d); lb of cheese (factory packing weight), 483,713 (514,892); lb milk to make lib cheese, 8.71 (8.57); lb cheese to lib butterfat, 2.418 (2.46); average grade of cheese, 91.602 (91.82); lb of butterfat recovered from whev, 8379 (7764); expressed as percentage of total butterfat received for cheesemaking. 3.98 (3.71); milk grade percentages, first, 98.04 per cent. (99.995 per cent.), second, 1.96 per cent. (.005 per cent.).

REVIEW OF THE YEAR-. The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the Mangatainoka Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd. was held at the factory, the chairman (Mr A. E. Oiliver) presiding over a good attendance. The report stated: “There has been a substantial reduction in the output compared with the previous season, and a further reduction is anticipated during the coming season owing to several suppliers going out of dairying or changing over to home

separation. If tlie present trend of handicapping the cheese industry with high costs, etc., continues, it will be only a matter of time when little or no cheese will he manufactured in the country. It is doubtful whether the guaranteed price. for cheese will permit of the average cheese manufacturing company paying a premium of 2d a lb butterfat over butterfat used for butter making. “The estimated pay-out for the previous season was 13.95 d, the actual pay-out being 14.837 d. Cheese unshipped has been valued at the Government’s price for the respective grades, including the additional payment of • 21d. Advances during the season were at the rate of Is Id per lb.; £? further payment of Id on July 5 brought the total to Is 2d per lb. Out of the amount available for distribution it is proposed to pay an additional 2d per lb on butterfat in milk used for cheesemaking, thus making the payments Is 2d for butterfat in inilk separated and Is 4d for butterfat in milk used for cheesemaking, or an average of 15.952 d for all butterfat supplied. After providing for a rebate of 3J per cent, on purchases by suppliers, there is a profit of £2B 14s 3d on the store turnover,_which is being placed in

store reserve account. Cheese for export graded as follows : —92 and under 93 points, 38.66 per cent.; 90 and under- 92, 56 per cent.; .under 90 points, 5.34 per cent., the average grade being 91.44 points. You w-ill be called on to elect three directors. Mr Williams, the .retiring director, is eligible for re-election. Mr Darley, who has given up dairying, has resigned his seat on the board. There is another vacancy that was not filled 12 months ago. It is desired to take this opportunity of placing on record the company’s appreciation of Mr Harley’s services during the long term lie served as a director. The retiring auditor’s services are again avaiP able.” Messrs R. A. Williams, E. L. Harvey, W. Adams, F. J. Staples and G. W. Keast, with Mr A. E. OUiver, are the directors for the forthcoming year. Mr G. Godfrey Taylor was re-elected auditor.