MORE CHEESE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 170, 20 October 1941, Page 5

MORE CHEESE

DOUBLE SHIFT INSTITUTED

FACTORY OUTPUT INCREASES

Lorries laden with crates arriving at the Whakatane wharf are evidence for townspeople that the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company's new cheese factory is definitely playing its part in the production front and that farmr •ers of the Plains are "doing their bit" efficiently in the war against Hitlerism.

Although the factory is not yet "'fully equipped owing to shortages of required units, five vats have been operating, and on Saturday night commenced to increase largely their output when the double shift was instituted. For the first time milk was collected twice daily and men at the factory commenced at 6 p.m. to ■carry on from where the day shift had concluded.

Favourite Topic

to the residents of the town the activities of the factory are brought to mind only by the passage to and from the wharf of the company's large six-wheeler trucks stacked high with crates, cheese production is still in the "favourite" class as a topic of conversation amongst the farmers of the Plains.

It only too fully occupies the minds of those producers who have "been changed over from the supply of cream to the butter factory to milk for the new institution, while other suppliers and men on the land show a lively interest in the new departure of the company.

During the weel-end the first 10day summary of milk supplied and their tests was received by suppliers to Pupuaruhe, and to those who had hitherto not been associated with cheese production these Avere of great interest. Shortage of Cans The supply of milk cans on hand until the week-end was sufficient to make the system of collection convenient and simple. The trucks arrived. at farmers' stands to< collect full cans and leave empty ones which tfiade only one trip from shed to gate by the farmer necessary. Now, however, the cans available will not be sufficient and milk is to be t collected and cans returned at about 10 a.m. making two visits to the gate stand necessary.

The spirit found amongst local businessmen that "Things are difficult, but we do not mind and cannot complain," is echoed by those "farmers who were required to change ■over. Expense, much extra work, difficulties at every turn owing to •equipment shortages, and many necessary alterations on farrfis, have been faced cheerfully in the knowledge that every pound of cheese will be gratefully received by those in England who so willingly are sacrificing such a tremendous amount more, and braving the hazards of the ""front line."