THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 19

THE NORTH ISLAND.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) STORMY WEATHER. Auckland is unfortunate in the number of wind and rain storms it has been subjected to this last few weeks, another serious blow, with heavy rains having occurred during the current week. Along the west coast in the Taranaki province there has also been a heavy fall of rain, while further south beautiful weather has been enjoyed. At the week-end. however, the Wanganui district and. well down in the Wellington province a heavy storm prevailed. The rain was not cold, but all the same it will be hard on the poor little lambs, thousands of which have been born on the hill country. Some farmers lost many lambs during the last cold wet snap, and it will go hard if further losses are recorded.

IN POVERTY BAY. The dairy season in Poverty Bay is opening up well, and the remarks made by Mr G. Purvis, dairy produce grader, at Gisborne indicates that production is likely to be well maintained. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Tolaga Cooperative Dairy Company’s annual meeting, he said that there were prospects of last season’s record butter exports from Gisborne being increased during the season just opened. Based on the early conditions, the anticipated increase should be a substantial one, for the season has opened with great promise. The winter was a mild one, and there was an abundance of feed for the herds, which have entered their new lactation periods in the best of condition, and ready for a heavy season’s milking. Reports from the coast and also Poverty Bay factories indicate that the cream supplies show a considerable increase on those for a similar period last year, w'hen the conditions were considered to be extremely favourable. In one instance the increase in manufacture is given as 100 per cent. Information sought from the Kia Ora Co-operative Dairy Company showed that the factory commenced daily manufacture a fortnight earlier than usual, and that during the first 20 days of this month 40,7961 b of butter had been manufactured as against 20,7741 b for the first 20 days of August last year, an increase of almost 100 per cent. The Okitu factory also reports that supplies appear to be coming in much earlier this season, and the cream arrivals are heavier than was the case a year ago. On the coast,: too, dairy farmers appear to be enjoying a good spring, and the Tolaga Bay factory is receiving more cream now than at this time last seasoa.

DAIRYING IN THE WAIRARAPA. The “Wairarapa dairy factories, despite the summer drought, enjoyed a ■ good /season. as evidenced by the annual -meetings of several companies. The directors report presented at the annual meeting of shareholders 'of the Parkvale Cooperative Dairy Company, stated that 376 J tons of cheese were exported to Great Britain. The average gross price realised was 99s Id per cwt., and the average shrinkage 2 per cent. The exported cheese graded in. New Zealand, 84.2 per cent, finest, 1'5,69 per cent,, first, and 11 percent, second grade. The total ' amount of milk received was 8,178,8221 b, containing 334,642.721 b of butter-fat, with an average test of 4..09 per cent.- The recovery; of butter-fat from whey skimmed was equal to 5.14 per cent, of - the total butter-fat received for ,cheese making. Advances amounting. to £25,098 3s 7d were niade to suppliers during the season, equal to Is 6d per lb ;of butter-fat received. The 972 cwt of cheese unsold has been estiniated. at a gross sale price of 107 s 6d per cwt. ' Should this estimate be realised. it r will enable the directors to make a further payment equal to 2Jd per lb butter-fai, making a total of Is BJd for the; season/. A dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum was recommended on all paid-up share A further ■payment of Id per lb butter-fat received Was made at the annual meeting. The Taratahi Dairy. Company’s report presented to the annual ‘meeting of shareholders stated that 216 J tons cheese were consigned to Great Britain during the season. Average price realised was 98s 7d per cwt, and the average shrinkage was 2 per cent. Milk' received totalled 4,693,6491 b, containing 181,921.881 b of butter-fat, with an. average test of 3.875 per cent. The. recovery of butter-fat from whey skimmed was equal to 4.343 per cent, of the total butter-fat received for cheesemaking. Advances amounting to £13,644 Is 2d were made, eoual to Is 6d per lb butter-fat received. The 572 cwt of cheese unsold has been estimated at a gross sale price of 107 s 6d ner cwt. and should this estimate be realised it will enable a further payment of 3d per lb butter-fat, making a total of Is 9d per lb, fnr the season. A 6 per cent, dividend was recommended on paid-up share capital. A further - advance of one penny per lb butter-fat was made at the annual meetexn°rted cheese graded in New Zealand 77.19 per cent, finest, 22.53 per cent, first, and .28 per cent, second grade. At the annual meeting of the Carrington Dairy Comnany. the directors’ report ’' : stated that 1344 tons of cheese were ex- ' • ported by the New< Zealand Dairy Pro- ,; ? duce Board, under control; Advice to date showed that an average gross price per ;■ , cw.t/of che,ese sold Was 83s. The average estimated shrinkage, will not exceed 2.5. pej>ceni.:,-4The exported cheese graded in •New Zealand; >77.06 per cent; finest, 21 5 cent. ,54; cept; second ,'j. premiamzhSs Imem.wdvanced bv theUward on finest'.grade cheese equal to 3s 4d per crate, amounting to £244 3s 4d.

Milk received totalled 2.892.4401 b, containing 115,526.761 b of butter-fat, with an average test of 3.994 per cent. The recovery of butter-fat from whey skimmed was equal to 5.498 per cent, of the total butter-fat received for cheese making. Advances amounting to £6739 Is 4d were made during the season, s ” equal to Is 2d per lb of butter-fat received. As the whole of the realisations for cheese will be pooled by the Dairy Board, it is not at present evident what final payment will be made. The market is steadily rising, and it is hoped that the final realisations will exceed what was at first anticipated. Taking the season’s output of cheese at' an average gross price per cwt of 83s, which is the Dairy Board’s estimate, the company should be able to make further payment for milk supplied up to Is 3?d per lb of butter-fat. A dividend of 6 per cent, was recommended on paid-up capital. IMPORTATION OF STOCK. .The Marton A. and P. Association are quite definite that under no consideration should stock be permitted to be imported into the Dominion. Members of the association expressed themselves in those terms at a meeting a few days ago. when the danger of foot-and-mouth and other diseases was being discussed. Every effort, it was contended, should be made to keep the Dominion’s stock clean, and the prohibition of importations was considered the greatest safeguard. TARANAKI DAIRY PRODUCE. The twenty-seventh meeting of the West Coast Refrigerating Company was held at Patea on Monday , last, and the annual report stated that from the comparison returns it would be noted that the tonnage received and shipped exceeded any year since the company’s inception. “ It is recognised that cheese has now become o'E .main product,” stated the report. This has again exceeded- last year’s total; butter also has shown an exceptional increase, being our largest output since 1911, when this product was then our main export. Such results are very satisfactory considering the period of drought the district had to contend with in the early months of the year. Working costs have decreased, and all shipping allotments maintained to schedule date, which this season were considerably heavier in the given period as compared to past years. In April we lost by fire our mam store chambers in Hawera. Reconstruction is now proceeding so that working operations can resume m September. We are: writing down on our usual scale of depreciation the sum of £1998 10s, leaving a balance of £529 5s Id to be carried forward to appropriation account.” Interesting statistics were given with the report, figures for ,the .year, with 1927 figures an parentheses, showing the remarkable growth of the export of butter fljd cheese:-.Received during season 192728, 243,864 crates (241,725) and 66,916

boxes (59,581); shipped; 249.939 crates (237,195), and 73,869 boxes (50,732). The amount in store at the end of the season showed a reduction of 6075 crates and 7000 bo- .

The report as tabled and read by the manage, (AlrA.fi. S. Hodge) stated, inter alia: ‘lt is satisfactory to note that the total results have again exceeded all past records, in spite .of the fact that in the early months of the year an abnormally dry period for this district threatened to considerably reduce the average production anticipated. All shipping allotments were completed to date, even though the weather at the early and • later stages of the season . was by no means favourable. Expenses in office, general and working accounts have again been reduced, which goes to show that the extra output handled did not increase the company’s staff and plant; consequently less cost per ton is reflected in the balance sheet.

“It is now becoming a recognised fact that cheese has become this district’s main export, but it should also be noted with interest that our butter export this season from this port is the largest since 1923. In regard to our share of the Dominion’s export both in butter and cheese from Batea, as compared with some other ports m the Dominion, the following precentages as received from the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board are of interest:—

ItiWill be noted by the annual comparison return of season’s produce handled that the tonnage increase is 1009 tons, and considering the fact that season 1926-27 produced an increase of 1626 tons, the total increase in the district’s productions through the company’s works in the past two years’ operations have reached the satisfactory figure of 2635 tons. " This season the board maintained a consistent policy of shipping practically as fast as production would permit it, ln early stages of the season our allotted export was ahead of produce receipts. In consequence a very considerable tonnage did not exceed one month’s storage, which financially would benefit the factory shareholders when shipping on consignment conditions, but’ incidentally. reducing the revenue of this company in its storage receipts. In anticipating the coming season’s export programme, the months of November and possibly December, we understand, may be under last season’s rush conditions, but the policy for the early months of the year is awaiting the board’s future consideration.” BUTTER BOXES FOREXPORT. At the last meeting of the New Zealand ;.Dairy Control Board correspondence from several organisations in the South

Island was received protesting against the recommendation made at the preceding meeting of the board that the weight ot butter packed in export boxes should be increased from 561 b 6oz to 561 b Boz in order to provide the buyer in Britain with the- full quantity of 561 b after the stripping of the parchment from the package. It was considered that the factories making the protest were not aware of the conditions. According to the rules of the trade, if a stripped package weighed half an ounce less than the 561 b, a deduction as for a quarter of a pound was made, thus penalising the exporting factory. By packing the 561 b 6oz only, factories were operating far too close to the safety line, and experience had shown that factories were being penalised deficiencies up to 41b. Following representations made by the director of the dairy division; it was considered that factories, in their own interests, should revert to packing 561 - Boz in each box. to allow the buyer to get the net weight of not less than 561 b.

The facts are to be placed before the industry.

Cheese. Patea N.P. Wan. Wei. Season 1926-27 22.96 20.2 6.07 15.19 Season 1927-28 23.37 Butter. 19.7 7.51 15.51 Season 1926-27 2.16 9.4 5.68 11.34 Season 1927-28 2.3 8.08 4.51 12.43