OAONUI DAIRY CO.

Opunake Times, 22 July 1947, Page 3

OAONUI DAIRY CO.

ANNUAL MEETING directorate"" unchanged The Chairman of the Oaonui Co-operative Dairy Co., Mr. R. H. Baylis presided over a large attendance of suppliers at the 51st Annual Meeting of the Company which was held in the Oaonui Hall last Saturday. The. Chairman and retiring directors, Messrs R. J. O'Rorke, E. M. Gibson and J. S. Stronge were re-elected, and Mr. E. K. Cameron was re-appointed auditor. Chairmen's Report In his Annual report the chairman stated that the season under review gave early promise of a substantial increase on the previous year, the early spring intake showing an increase of 10 per>- cent./ 'but unseasonable weather affected later supply find the company finished the year with an increase of a little over 1 per cent. However, with normal weather conditions prevailing in the northern district general butterfat production. for New Zealand increased by 10 per cent, to the end of May, over 22,000 tons more butter having been graded for export this vear, he added. Farm and Wages Cost allowances and Factory Cost and Wages Allowances were also detailed in full and showed that the total of all allowances to be £26,818-6-3. Capital items authorised totalled £4,254, which included an order for a plate pasteuriser at the main factory ~(£2,690-10-0), Automatic cheese press heads at the Arawhata and Kina branches (£615 and £433 respectively) and £516, which was set aside to increase the capacity of the A.P.V. machine at' Arawhata which has been overtaxed for some time.

As instructed at a previous Annual Meeting, your directors joined up with the Rahotu Veterinary Group with the object of supplying a veterinary -service tb suppliers, continued the report. Unfortunately the Rahotu Group has been unable to secure the services of a .Veterinary Surgeon. In the meantime temporary arrangements to join up with the Opunake Group are being made. The cost to the company will be a butterfat levy of .07d per lb fat, plus a charge of 7/6 first visit and 5/- for re visits of the vet.

Grading totals, with the previous season's figures shown in parenthesis, were as follows: Total crates graded, 15,742 (15,330). Finest 6.479, 41.15 per cent. (4.077, 26.6 per cent.). Basic nrice 8,264, 52.49 per cent. (9,935, 64.8 per cent.). First erade butter under basic price 910, 5.78 per cent. (1,232, 8 per cent.) and Second Grade 89, 56 per cent. (86, .5 per cent.) It will be seen from the above figures that a great improvement had been made in the grading, only 6 per cent, being below basic price as against 9 per cent, the previous year. £487 was received by way of premiums _on grade against £275 the previous year. 1,158 tons (1,128 tons) of cheese and almost 8 tons (6} tons) of Creamery Butter was manufactured in the season. Further sums available for distribution, from extra wages allowance and rebates, etc., totalled £19,015-9-7. It was shown that the average final payment to suppliers for cheesemaking will be 24.3168 d per lb fat. Stating that the Renewals Reserve Account totalled £1,262-16-4. Mr. Baylis advised that Jd per lb fat be placed to reserve from this year's surplus, in view of increased capital costs detailed earlier, earlier. "In conclusion gentlemen, I wish to thank our managers and their staff for tin.- excellent results they have obtained during the season, my fellow directors for the attention they have given to the affairs of the company and <o the suppliers for their loyaltv and co-operation. I wish them all a most successful season during the coming year." Mr. 11. V. White provoked a general discussion on the high costs of cartage and he moved as a recommendation to the directors . that consideration be given to the possibility of the company controlling its own cartage service. The motion was c anied.