THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 11

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

NORTHERN CONCERNS. (From Our North Island Correspondent) The T. L. Joll Company's annual report showed that, after writing off £1624- 19s 9d for depreciation there was a credit balance of £29,010 9s lOd, from which the directors recommend a dividend at 5 per cent, on fully paid-up shares, and a further payment pf Sjd per lb on all butter-fat supplied by shareholders, absorbing £23,385 9s, leaving a balance of £625 Os lOd to be carried forward. The directors strongly urged the necessity of saving the veil of every calf Killed. The butter-fat tax amounted to £5134 15s lOd. Statistics for the season are as follow:—Milk received, 46,815,2711 b ; butter-fat, 1,765,5771 b; average test, 3.77 per oent.; cheese manufactured, 4,510,093ib; butter manufactured, 45,8341 ft; yield of oheese per lb of fat, 2.611 b; milk to lib of cheese, 10.131 b. The balance sheet showed receipts totalling £195,542 —-viz., cheese, £191,977 19s 4d; butter, £4553 9s Sd; butter-milk, £lO 15s. The sum of £132,257 3s lid was paid out to suppliers. N.Z. DAIRY ASSOCIATION. In their report covering the past year's operations the directors stated that the association's turnover for the year would exceed £1,250,000 when the accumulated stocks had been realised upon. Butter hold at the end of June was valued for stocktaking purposes at Is 5d per lb. To the end of June last the association paid £34,621 6s 7d to the butter-fat levy fund, and to the same date its compensation from this fund amounted to £6545 0s lOd. The quantity of milk received during the year was 97,790,7721 b for butter manufacture, and 20.870,1591 b for cheese manufacture. The quantity of cream received was 18,222,4501\ The butter-fat paid for for butter manufacture was 11.025.5C81b, and for ciieese manufacture 746,09621 b. The manufacture during the year was 13,219,5481 b butter and 1,989,6611 b cheese. Tho over-run was 19.3 Er cent., and 2.51 b of cheese were made >m each lib of butter-fat. The average tter-fat quality of milk was 3.788 per Cent., and of cream 40.2 per cent. The Bkim-milk test average over all creameries was 0.04 per cent. For all-the-year-round Supply, qualified by shareholding, including daily delivery from September to March direct to central factories at Pukekone, Kgaruawahla. Frankton, and vPaiuku the average payment for the year was 21.48 - practically Is 9£d—per lb butter-fat, lnolud-

ing tho butter-fat levy. The sum of £264,211 9s 9d had been allocated for the final profits on butter-fat, tho rate per lb being sid for supply to butter factories, and from 3|d to 2£d per lb for supply to cheese factories. With the butter-fat levy added, these rates would be 6d and 4d to 3fd respectively. The association had now live cheese factories, having erected a new lactory at Gordonton during the past year. Tho statement of accounts shows that in the butter department the sales were £914,020 3s lid, with stock on hand, £256,743 8s ld-a total of £l,l/0,763. Amongst the chief items of expenditure were:—Purchases, £992,203; export consignment charges, £65,444; and butter-tat levy, £31,936. The balance shown IS £62,486, which, with other receipts amounting to £597 14s, gave a total of £63,084 2s Id, and constituted the working expenditure, less £IOO 15s 2d balanco in hand. RUAWAI. The Ruawai Co-operative Dairy Co., North Auckland, had a successful year. Ihe total area occupied by the company's & supplies is 2507 acres, and the average return per supplied paid for the past season is £606. Supplies received Is 5.4 d per lb of butter-fat to June 30, 1917, in addition to which a bonus of 4d per lb. was to be paid, bringing a total over Is 9d per lb. Proceeds of part of the season's output to the extent of £llOO was yet to come in. Of the company's output for tho past season 97 per cent, was first grade and 3 per cent, second grade. The average grade was 90.66. which is considered exceptionally good, as the highest average grade for tho whole Auckland province was 92, which was scored by a factory working under the most ideal conditions possible. KAUPOKONUI. The Kaupokonui 'Co., which possesses one of the largest cheese factories in the Dominion, had a decreased output las>t season. The milk supply to the end of Novemb-i showed an increase of 5 per cent., but. at the end of June theiv was a shrinkage of 9 per cent, as compared with last season. Tlktc was, however, some compensation in the test, which has risen .07 per cent. The profit and loss account showed a surplus, after allowing £1794 14s 6d for depreciation, of £74,038 4s lid, of which £26.598 4s 9d has since been paid to suppliers at the rate of 3d per lb of butterfat over the whole season, leaving £47,440 0s 2d. out of which it was proposed to pay interest on shares (6 per cent.) amounting to £l4Bl Is, and a further payment tor butter-fat of 5d over the whole season (£44,332 14s 7d), making the total payment for the season (including the butter-fat levy) Is 11.86 d per lb of butter-fat, leaving £1626 4s 7d to be carried to reserve. t The following comparative statistics were attached, the figures for 1915-16 being in parentheses: —Pounds of milk, 54 764,397 (60.229,198); butter-fat, 2,127,9711 b (2,298,1741 b) cheese, 5,367,9701 b (5,930,6191 b); butter (creamery), 38,1351 b (46,9291 b); butter (whey), 96,9921 b (89,4881 b); pound of cheese to pound of fat, 2.56 (2.62); pounds of milk'-to cheese, 10.04 (10.004)j average test, 3.88 (3.815). KAPONGA. The nineteenth annual report of the Kaponga Co-operative Dairy Co. showed that 23,199,0491 b ot milk were received, giving 879,8971 b of butter-fat at an average test of 38. Of this 22,835,3961 bof milk water used in butter-making, yielding 13,8181 b of butter-fat, the test being 3.8. The payments made during the year work out at 13 6d per lb of butter-fat, the balance, as shown to credit of profit and loss, represents approximately an additional 3d. Of cheese 1025 tons 12cwt, butter 7 tons lewt, and whey butter 33,5041 b were manufactured. The extra payments yet to be received will when available bring the payment for the year up to approximately Is lOd or Is lid per lb of butter-fat.

CANTERBURY MARKETS. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. (Lyttelton \Times, September 8.) In the absence of any wheat offerings the principal subject 01 discussion among tne trade is tne suggestion that millers holding stocks of wheat should be '"sports" and distribute some among mills less fortunately situated. Tho general opinion is that this is beyond tho region ol practical politics. Millers were rivals when the local wheat was on the market, and each one, apparently, had his opportunity of obtaining supplies. On account of greater storage accommodation available, some millers were perhaps in a better position than others, and bought more heavily. It is stated to be a fact, however, that certain millers were of opinion that they would be able eventually to buy wheat at lower prices than those, fixed by tho Government for trade between grower and buyer, and they accordingly remained off tho market. Canterbury wheat was not wholly purchased by Canterbury millers. A big northern concern operated very largely here and in Otago, and is reported still to have abundant supplies. Meanwhile it is considered likely that another mill in this district must soon closo down owing to absence of supplies, the cessation of Australian shipping having proved the last straw by preventing the importation of the wheat purchased by the Government from the Commonwealth. There is still a fair demand for oats, quite equal to the task of taking up farmers' offerings. There is no alteration in prices. Chaff is steady at £4 10s per ton. Some that was bought many months ago is only now being delivered, owing to tho shortage of chaff-cutting plants. The North Island demand is not brisk. Prices are unaltered.

Reports concerning the potato market are conflicting. On tho one hand, a merchant refers to "the smaller offering, declaring that growers are following their usual custom of declining to sell on a rising market; and another expresses inability to fill requirements at the prices current. In most other cases, however, tho report is that merchants have been able to purchase all they required at £3 5s a ton. Auckland is reported to have big shipments just about landing, and the position there ia uncertain.

Butter is now selling at Is per lb wholesale for first grade factory, with a farthing less in somo cases. Tlio spring supply of cream is attaining quite considerable dimensions, well in advance of tho quantity available at this time last year. This is duo to tho growth of the homo separator system. No price alteration is expected in Christchuroh in regai-d to factory butter until tho Government has finally dealt with the dairy companies' offer ro sell to the National Government, and the renortcd willingness of the Imperial

authorities to purchase part of the Dominion's output. Tho quotations given below are for purchases from farmers, net cash,, sacks extra, delivered at country stations. in the ease of wheat the maximum prices are fixed by the Board of Trade, on an f.o.b. basis. 'L'ho quotations ar-3 as follow: Wheat—Pearl. 5s lid, f.0.b., Lyttelton; Hunters, 5s lOd, f.0.b., Lyttelton; Tuscan, 5s 9d, f.0.b., Lyttelton: oats—Gallons, 3s 8d to 4s; Algerians, 3s 6d to 3s 8d; Duns, 3s 6d to 3s 8d; barley—malting, 4s 6d to 5s 3d; peas—Partridge, 6s; bran, £3 10s; pollard, £6 15s; oatmeal, £22; flour, £ls; chaff, £4- to £4 10s; potatoes, £3; ryegrass seed, 3s 6d to 4s 9d; cocksfoot, 9d to white clover (farm dressed), 2s Id to 2s 2d; cowgrass, Is to Is 3d; butter—local factory (first grade), Is s£d and Is s|d; farm separator pats, Is 2d; dairy pat, Is Id; dairy (bulk), lid; hams. Is 2d; side©, Is Id; roll hams, Is 3d; lard pats, lO&d; eggs, Is to Is Id. TIMARU MARKETS. (Christchurch Press, September 8.) So little wheat is offering locally that it is thought that practically all that was grown last season has now been disposed of, as nothing could bo gained by holding since the maximum price was reached. There is a keen demand, and any amount of wheat could „be disposed of if it were available. A little business is passing in oats. Feed lines of good quality aro worth 3b 9d to 4s, on trucks, sacks extra, these prices being for both Gartons and Duns. A few seed lines are changing hands at 4s od to 4s 9d, for sowing this month. Oafcsheaf chaff is worth £4 5s per ton on trucks. Tho potato market has a firmer tendency, due to the fact that so many aro being held back. It is not considered that there is any shortage, but growers are disinclined to accept the low prices now ruling, compared with those offering earlier in the season. One grower is known to have between 4000 and 50CO sacks on hand, having held all the season for higher prices. The value to-day is £3 5s to £3 10s, on trucks, for whites, and 5s more for reds.