PROGRESS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 344, 4 October 1932, Page 6

PROGRESS

ROTORUA DAIRYING NGONGOTAHA " FACTORY GEOWS LARGE FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS. " VALUE, TO THE DISTRICT. A r Starting in Qctober, 1910, with a supply from 800 cows and an output of 30 tons of butter for the season, the Ngongotaha butter faetory expects to turn out 1100 tons of butter for the 1932-33 season if the weather is at all kind. How it all Began. The first beginnings of this industry, which is lost sight of by many in the pushing to the front of tourist and kindred industries, is extremely interesting. There was a move in 1909 to open up a certain amount of land for settlement and amongst those who were induced to eome into the thermal regions were some farmers from the Waikato, where dairying was getting on-its legs. This was the time when the old creamery system was giving way to home-separation and some of these farmers saw the chanees in the district. Trouble over Site. Their first trouble s'semed at first insurmountable, the acquisition of a freehold site. However, after eonsiderable diffieulty (the Ward Government was on the wane and the Massey Government not established) a special Act enabled them to buy the site from the Maoris. The Pioneer Directors. The initial step was talcen when Mr. David Lundon called a meeting in the Kaharoa school. The result of this after hours of debate was tliat a provisional directorate was set up consisting of Messrs. D. Lundon (chainnan), J. George, August F. Dittmer, C. Karlr .Tnhn White. J. E. Martin and W.

Johannsen. Of these, Mr. J. E. Martin and A. Dittmer are the only ones now living, for the other surviving director, Mr. Karl, died in the Waikato the other day. Mr. Martin, incidentally, is still a supplier — something of a record in dairy eircles. Thie Men Who Carried On. At first the company struck difneulties and the whole of the directorate resigned, but . arrangements were made and the young company carried on. The second chainnan of directors was Mr. J. George, who was followed in turn by Messrs. August F. Dittmer and J. E. Martin. The first rnanagei was Mr. Pearson. whom the company imported from Australia on the recommonnation of Mr. C. Downs, of Mason Struthers, Ltd., who incidentally was really che originator of the idea of a faetory in the district. Mr. Pearson was chosen as an expert in handling horaeseparated cream. Starting to Clirab. iln the first year the company lost £3500, mainly through not having the supply from the numbsr oi cows which were origmally guaranteed, but che next year tha production uoubled and 60 tons was the cutput. Steadily thc turnover grew untll it reaohed 150 tons and in 1923 the growmg business necessitated ihe buiiding of a new faetory. From tLai date ihe growth has been remarkable, and may be shown as fullows: —

In 1927 the company amalgamated with the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., and from then on has showed great strides. The local market is' being fully exploited and the., faetory is selling about 25,000 pounds of butter a month to the local retailers. In 1910 the total output for the season was 30 tons and now it is about four tons a day. Last year the biggest month saw 140 tons oi butter turned out. There are about 2-50 suppliers, nearly a dozen times as many as when the bold enthusiasts with vision launched their project. Much of the cream comes from down the line, Putaruru and similar places, but with tha Reparoa and other settlements reaching better production the local district aspect will gradually assume a more and more important point. An Efficient Faetory. It is a great industry and a growing industry. The faetory itself, under the management of Mr. C. E. Burrows, is a miracle of cleanliness and efficiency, and the three churns, holding l5cwt, 15cwt, and a ton respectively, are busy. There is another fact worth mentioning and that is that the butter boxes are the product* of local industry. They come from Te Whaiti, and employ a number of men in their manufacture. Benefit to District. Ngongotaha dairy faetory plays a very important p'art in the activities of the district and there is no day that passes when some business man in Rotorua and district does not reap the benefit from its establishmont. To the pioneers with vision who established it, to the men who carry it on (the manager and Mr. S. Parlane), to the hardworking dairyfarmers who supply it, the district owes a debt of graitude and a visit to see it should be made by any one who wants to realise what dairying means and will mean to this locality.

1»24 285 :ons 1925 307 tons 1926 350 tons 1927 35-1 tons 1928 '. .... 580 tons . 1929 754 tons 1930 796 tons 1931 920 tons 1932 (est.) 1100 tons