TARATA DAIRYING

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1935, Page 5

TARATA DAIRYING

SPLENDID QUALITY OF PRODUCE. COMMENDATION BY AGENT. • A further successful season was reviewed in the 38th annual report of the Tarata Dairy Company, presented to suppliers last night. There were over 20 present and Mr. A. J. Webb presided. Butter made amounted to 141 tons 6cwt 41b, a decrease of 11 tons 6cwt 2qj- 191 b compared with last year, stated the report. The total butter-fat received, 261,8471 b, was less than last season’s supply by 18,9201 b, a decrease of 6$ per cent After the writing off of £l5O 4s for the depreciation, there remained a balance of £1578 Is. x Suppliers had received advances amounting to £8640 9s 9d, an average payment of 7,92 d per lb of butter-fat supplied, and the balance wpuld provide a further 1.44 d, a total of 9.36 d. At the date of balancing there were 685 boxes of butter shipped, for which realisation advices were not to hand, and 699 boxes in the cool stores, which were taken into account at 86s per cwt. It was anticipated that the disposal of the unsold portion woul 1 show a surplus over the estimated value. Statistics were shown as follow: Cream, 680,5161 b; butter-fat, 261,8471 b; average test, 38.47 per oent.; butter made, 316,516 lb. “The present season has again been very disappointing as far as prices realised on the British market are concerned,” said Mr. Webb in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, "the first few shipments realising 655, 68s and 70s per cwt, and then gradually rising to 91s 9d, but falling again to 72s 6d. 'The latest advices are to the effect 1 that the market is firm and active ai 945, and the realisation of the unsold portion of the output will show an increase oyer the estimated value. Until the finalaccount sales are to hand it is not possible to say what the final payment will amount to.” Since the date of balancing a further payment had been made, and it was proposed to make a further payment, bn August 20, of Id per lb over August, September, October, November, December and February, absorbing £656 14s 4d and bringing the average payment to within a small fraction of 9d per lb. Further payments would be made as funds were available. The quality of the cream received had. not been quite so good as in the previous season, 85 per cent, being graded finest, 14$ per oent. first and | per* cent, second. The year before the gradings had been 90 per cent., 9.9 per cent, and 1-10 per cent, respectively. The hot and dry summer had a detrimental effect on the keeping qualities of the cream. , • Of the 5386 boxes of butter exported, 5304 boxes, or 981 per cent., were graded finest and 82 boxes, or 1J per cent., first grade; There was no second grade. The official average grade for the year ended July 31 was 94.225, and the manager’s position on the grading list was sixth. The season before the grade was 94.048 and the position on the grading list eleventh. The costs to f.o.b, were slightly higher than last season, being 1.859 d per lb of butter-fat, compared 'with 1.714 d, an increase of l-7d. This increased was mainly due to two causes—the drop of 6$ per cent, in the butter-fat supply, and the curtailment of the use of water power owing to the unusually dry summer. Messrs. Webb, W. Ludemann and. J. W. Simmons were re-elected unopposed ?to the directorate and Mr. G. Pullen was reappointed auditor. Mr. Vaile, agent’s representative, said that the Tarata company had been able to equal the results of ‘the best companies close to New Plymouth. His firm had handled Tarata produce for many years and had never had a complaint. He thought the returns and the quality of Tarata produce would compare well with those of any other company in New Zealand. He had compared the returns with those, of 15 other companies and only, ope had been better.