PLAINS DAIRY COMPANY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4739, 18 August 1924, Page 2

PLAINS DAIRY COMPANY.

THE YEAR’S WORKING. SOUND POSITION SHOWN. During the season just ended the Hauraki Plains Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., manufactured at its factory at Turua 432% tons of cheese, 35 tons 2cwt of creamery butter,- and 8 tons 6cwt of whey-cream butter. This is much less than the output of the previous season, when t,he total was equivalent to 748 tons of cheese. The drop can be accounted for by the abnormally wet season experienced. For cheese-making 9,679,3721 b of milk was received. The average test was 3.87, and the yield of. cheese to milk 9.971 b of milk to 11b of cheese. Tiie butter-fat totalled 375,6581 b. and the yield of cheese to butter-fat was 2.6581 b of cheese to lib of butter-fat. In the previous season the yield was 10.11 b of milk or 2.681 b of cheese, while the average test was 3.86. The average grade for the season was 91.97 points, compared with 91.35 points last season, and the factory was third on the season’s grading list in the Auckland province.

From every. 1001 b of butter-fat received for cheesemaking 3.971 b of butter-fat was recovered from the whey. Altogether, 15,4611 b of whey butter-fat was recovered, and from this was manufactured 18.6141 b of whey butter, which sold for £1370 3s lOd.

In the butter branch 165,7531 b bf cream at an average test of 39.42 per cent, was received, and the overrun being 20.3904, 78,6391b’0f butter was made from the 65,3201 b of butter-fat received. The average grade was 91.4 points.

The average advance payments made to cheese suppliers was Is 3d.94d, and to cream suppliers Is 3.86 d.

There remains unsold 1530 cwt of cheese and 35cwt of butter. This has been taken in at a conservative valuation.

The balance from the working account for the year to be distributed to suppliers will give a total payout to cheese suppliers of Is 5.1 d, and cream suppliers Is 7d. In addition, interest at the rate of 6 per cent, on all paidup shares would equal .3 of a penny per pound of butter-fat, and if paid out or. a butter-fat basis would increase the total payout by that amount.

The above and much more information was given by the chairman of directors at the annual meeting of suppliers on Tuesday last. Mr A. H. •Rogers also said that' the directors were very pleased to be able to report that the quality of both cheese and butter had been very high on the average during the season, and this reflected credit both on the suppliers and the factory staff. Owing to the gradual fall in the prices realised it was necessary that the quality of the company’s product should be maintained or increased, and to that end suppliers were urged to still (further improve the quality of the milk and cream brought to the factory. The sound financial position of the company- was favourably commented upon by suppliers, as also was the result of the year’s operations. Votes of thanks were accorded the secretary, Mr J. E. Green, the manager and factory staff, and to Mr A. Wilson, manager of the Bank of. New Zealand, for the assistance rendered by his bank and for his own personal interest in the welfare of the company. Tn accordance with the Articles of Association Messrs H. H. Hicks, A. C. Ansford, and C. Dale retired from the directorate. The first two were reelected. but Mr Dale did not again offer himself and Mr K. Fox was appointed in his stead. Votes of thanks were accorded Mr Dale and the chairman and directors. At the conclusion of the meeting interesting addresses on the advantages of herd-testing were given by Messrs Hume and Tattersail, of the N.Z. Coop. Herd-testing Association. Tn the evening the annual dance was held in the Victoria Hall, and was well attended.