THE' DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1399, 31 May 1923, Page 6

THE' DAIRY INDUSTRY.

MEETINGS OF SUPPLIERS. HELD IN THIS DISTRICT. The annual meetings of suppliers in tlie Korakouni, Te Kawa, and Te Mawhai districts to the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company were held last week, and were well attended. Mr J. T. Young, director of the company, was present, and congratulated suppliers upon the improving prospects of the dairy Urdus try and t'he progress made during the year. Mr A. J. He'ighwav. of the executive staff of the company, stated that the company had experienced a very successful season, and would manufacture approximately 22,000 tons of butter. As indicating the growth of the business. he quoted the following figures, giving the company's out put in butter since the year of the amalgamation: 1919-20, 900 tons; 1920-21. 12.600 tons; 1921-22. .18,218 tons; 1922-23, 22,000 tons. The company’s output of cheese for the present season amounted to 4690 tons, which was a decrease of 25 per cent compared wilt hv-d year. Th. : s decrease was due to 'he company’s cheese factories deciding to make butler in the early pari of the season. There had been an iM.-reve in manufacture of casein amounting to 60 per cent, the total quantity manufactured being 800 tons, and 3500 tons of skim milk powder had been turned out at the Waitoa, Waharoa. and Te Awamutu dried milk factories. The value of the company’s turnover for the season would approximate £4,500.000. The number of v. ■■ ihinn. compared with 7500 last year. High Quality.

Mr Heigh way congratulated the suppliers mi the remarkably high quality of tlie cream and milk supplied during the past twelve months, thus enabling the company to beat all previous records for quality. lie said that S2A per c-eii; of the company’s exportable ouipm had been siii.orlinc. 14 per com lir.-d grade, and nicy 21 p.-r cent secou ! grade. The company's output of sec-ond-grade butter had remained stationary at 8 per cent for the previous three years, and it was gratifying that so large a decrease in the percentage of low-grade butter should coincide n the large increase in ;he total manufacture. The quality of the . cheese manufactured had also been exceptionally high, some factories touching 944 points. He stated lii.it reports from the company’s London manager (Mr J. 15. Wright) indicated that S“ w Zealand cheese could now claim equality with the best Canadian make. Details relating to the improvement in the quality of casein and skim milk powder were also given by Mr Heighway. and he stated that while the utmost, credit was due to the suppliers it was fitting that a tribute should tie paid to the managers and employees in the factories, as well as to the members of the company’s outside staff. Prices. A list of the company’s advance payments. month by month, was then read to the meetings by Mr Heighway. He stated that the average advance payment for blitter to the end of April amounted to is 4.08 d. He showed Hie suppliers how impossible it was to arrive at the average advance payment for the season simply by taking the nraubh advances, and staled that this average could be found only by dividing ibe total amoun. oi mo net ncid to the suppliers by the total pounds of butter-fat supplied. A further payment would lie made to butter suppliers at the end of August, hut it was impossible to state the amount, as the company had about 25 per cent of its output still to sell. He added that there was about. 25 per cent of a final statement being made to suppliers about the end of August. (Applause.) The Butler Slump. Mr Heighway went fully into the causes of the present slump on the English market, and stated that fortunately the company had not been seriously affected so far. This was due to two causes—first, the moderate advances made hv the company earlier in the season; and. second, the sale to America at Is 5d per lb free on board at Auckland of 120.000 boxes of butter which would have realised only Is 2d free on bo-ard if it had been con-'gned ti the United Kingdom. He stated that it was unfortunate that the Americans would lose about £50.000 on this deal, but they were not free from blame because they had diverted 90,000 boxes to the United Kingdom, whereas the butter had been sold for consumption in the United States. “At any rate.” said Mr 'Heighway. “ we are trying to solace wira the thought that it is better that this loss should be borne by a few wealthy •Americans rather than that it should fall upon the poor, hard-working suppliers of the .Yew Zealand Dairy Company.” (Laughter.) He indicated that the company had about 2m).0)0 i oxcof butter due to arrive in the United Kingdom within the mi :l month (> r two. and the directors had given instructions that as much as possible should he placed in store, because information to hand showed there was hound to lie a big improvement in prices during July. August, and September. He pointed out that this would tie up a considerable amount of money and might hamper the final settlements toward the end of August, but the directors believed that this policy would meet with suppliers’ approval, especially as, in any case, a very substantial portion of the final payment would he made in August. (Applause.) Marketing.

After submitting details of the savings effected by the company’s box factory and dealing fully with the company's coal urine, Mr Heighway outlined the efforts made by the company to find new markets for its produce in America. Canada. France, i 1..-.-nolulu Japan, and China. He stateu ihul: the Yew Zealand Dairy Company in undertaking pionee. work of this kind was conferring a bencr# on a e wille!e da:r; industry, but in order to secure the 'rest results the whole of the New Zealand produce should be under one control Mr Heigh way concluded iris address !j> outlining the provisions -q v i Prodtie Con- : Hill • r:u-i: r.ivvi : appreciation was expressed of the work done during tin- yeai and votes of thanks accorded