DAIRYING AT WHENUAKURA

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1930, Page 6

DAIRYING AT WHENUAKURA

NEW FACTORY FOR SUPPLIERS. MANUFACTURING COSTS REDUCED. The erection of one of the most modern dairy factories in the Dominion was the biggest undertaking of the Whenuakura Dairy Company during the aeaeon. The ccet of erection and the equipment was £15.462 and suppliers now have a factory that will serve the requirements of the district for many years.

At the 29th annual- meeting of the company at Whenuakura on Saturday the chairman of directors, Mr. F. Parsons, stated that the payment to date for milk was Is 4 l-8d and the balance at the credit of the appropriation account would allow a further payment being made when stocks were realised.

The statistics for the season were:— Pounds of milk received. 13,354,440: pounds of butter-fat (milk), 556.234; pounds of butter-fat (cream), 188.157; average test (milk), 4.16; cream. 41.90; number of suppliers, 72; total charges (including repairs and depreciation) up to f.o.b. ocean steamer per lb butterfat on butter 2.45, on cheese 2.90. Cheese-making.—Pounds of milk, 13.309.683; pounds of butter-fat, 553.794; pounds of cheese made (factory packing weights), 1,409.167; pounds of milk "to make lib. of cheese, 9.44; pounds of cheese to lib. butter-fat. 2.54; '"average test, 4.16. Butter-making.—Pounds of . milk, 44.757; pounds-of butter-fat (milk), 2440; pounds of cream received, 449.048; p nds of butter-fat (cream). 188.157; pounds of butter made (including starter butter). 232.225; over-run. 21.84; average cream test. 41.91; average milk test, 5.45. Whey butter made. 15 tons 4ewt.

Main factory (cheese-makin?). — Pounds of milk received. 10.942.037; pounds of butter-fat (including starter). 456.115; pounds of cheese made (factory nackingr 1.173.087; poundn of milk to make 11b. cheese, 9.3; pounds of cheese to 11b. butter-fat, 2.57; avera?" test. 4.16

Pura Pura factory (cheese-makinsr). — Pounds of milk received- 2.367.646: pounds of butter-fat (including starter). 97-679; pounds of eh°ese made (fretorv peeking 1 wei?ht°). 236,080: nounds of milk to make lib. cheese.. 10.02; pounds of cheese to 11b. butter-fat. 241; average test. 4.12. The weight of butter made from each pound of hntter-fat used for butter was 1.2184. The weight of cheese made from each nonnd of butter-fat used for cheese we 2.54. No nnsflifed butter was mad". Tn moving the adoption of the report, and balance-sheet the chairman stated that the past season’s results were fairly satisfactory taking into account the co’d. drv snring and the very dry autumn. Th°re had been only about three months of the season that eou’d have been termed good months, and despite those conditions 332.474 more It • of milk was handled and 28.929 more lbs. of butter-fat paid for. while the m<mber of cows supplying the factory had remained about the same.

The prices received for both butter ar ’ cheese had been disapnointing, due mostly to the competition New Zealand produce met with on the English market and the adverse effect on the marof the economic depression. The depression had not been confined' to dairy produce alone but affected prae-v tieally everything New Zealand had to export. The directors had adopted the policy of consigning the cheese and a large portion of the butter. F.o.b. offers, which had. been few, had. not been tempting enough to accept, although had they been able to foresee the market some of the offers would have proved good. However, they had not felt justified in taking the risk of accepting the low offers received.

“The quality of our butter and cheese still shows improvement,” continued Mr. Parsons. “Taking into account the fact that standardised cheese was made for most of the season and that it is generally admitted that standardisation -lowers the grade one point, the grading of our produce must be considered satisfactory. The quality reports from London of our cheese have been very d'sappointing and an effort is being made to put the matter right.”

Air. Parsons wenf on to describe the formation of the pool in South Taranaki, and the various reforms which it was hoped would result in the manufacture of a bettor quality cheese. The manufacturing costs had been consider-: ably reduced, due to the up-to-date factory and plant and to the careful manner in which the business had been managed. There was a reduction in the cost of cheese on any previous year of id a lb. butter-fat and on butter of jd lb. butter-fat.

The company had paid for the season on cheese Is 4. l-Bd. One penny bonus would be paid that day and there would be a further penny pay-out when stocks were realised, bringing the payment on cheese to Is 6 l-8d on all finest milk. On butter Is 31d had been paid on all finest cream and a further bonus of Id would be paid.that day, bringing the total pay-out to Is 4£d for finest cream. The report and balance-sheet were adopted with little discussion. Congratulations upon the progress the company was making were extended by the company’s banker, Air. Thomson. Overhead expenses were being kept down and that was a most important factor when a world-wide depression was being' experienced, ho said. In reply to a question the chairman stated that the factory would discontinue tho practice of supplying boiling water. The retiring directors, Messrs. H. Boyer and F. Parsons, were re-elected. Mr. S. R- Veitch was re-appointed auditor. The offer of a good position in another town. A splendid opportunity tor advancement. How often have such chances been turned down because of the seemingly immense problem of removal? Yet a removal from one end of New Zealand to tho other is quite a simple matter when handled by the New Zealand Express Company. Everything is taken out of your hands. Packing, transport ar.d unpacking at the other end—all are attended io by experts, and goods arrive at their destination on time, in perfect covlition.