Productive North

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 108, 28 July 1927, Page 15

Productive North

Dairy Herds of the Wairoa Progressive Company’s Record Figures HOW production is increasing in North Auckland is indicated by figures in the annual report of the Northern Wairoa Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd. Starting operations in 1902 with 84 suppliers, the company now has 683, and the amount distributed to suppliers has soared from £4532 16s 9a to £234,396.

HPHE amount distributed this year was exceeded in 1921, when butterfat was bringing the phenomenal rate of 29d a lb., and £255,151 ISs 5d was distributed, and again in 1924, with butter-fat returning 15.37 d a lb., there was a big distribution, £235,798 being paid out. Chiefly gratifying in this year’s figures, which will be placed before shareholders at the annual meeting on August 6, are the record number of suppliers (683) and the record production, 1,943 tons, compared with 64.5 in the 1902-03 season. During the company’s existence but-ter-fat prices have fluctuated considerably. The return in the first season was 10.35 d and in 1914 it was 11.38 d. Six years later it had reached the amazing figure of 29d, but has since fallen to 14.55 d. Among the questions to be considered by the shareholders are a proposal that the late manager, Mr. T. Downs, be paid £l5O in consideration of his valuable services to the company, and a motion by Mr. R. E. Clements, that the company purchase the Northern Wairoa Company’s lime works and plant, at Whakapirau, for the sum of £2,953 11s lOd. The progress of the concern is revealed in the appended table, which also sheds lights on the trend of but-ter-fat prices, and production in the North.

GRATIFYING RETURNS KAIPARA DAIRY COY. SUPPLIERS MEET DESPITE fluctuations of the markets, directors of the Kaipara Co-op. Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., indicate that, after valuing unsold stocks on a conservative estimate, suppliers will receive an average butterfat payment for the year of from 1s 4d to 1s 5d a !b.

Added interest is given to this statement as the. Kaipara Company, by a special agreement entered into with the Control Board, was exempt from the butter pool. The annual meeting of the company was held at Helensville this afternoon, when the chairman of directors, Mr. A. Hanson, presided over a large attendance of shareholders and suppliers. The season, stated the chairman, had been a record one, the output being 1,265 tons 15cwt of butter as compared with 99S tons for the previous year. This had been partly due to 34 additional suppliers, but mainly to a remarkably good season for production. The directors had given consideration to several schemes for the export of pigs and calves, and, if the initial difficulties could be overcome, would put forward a scheme to the suppliers. Such a scheme, however, would be financed and worked apart from the company’s present operations. The retiring directors, Messrs. A. Hanson, H. I\ McLeod and G. T. Mills, were re-elected. No small part of the company’s success is due to a herd-testing scheme inaugurated and conducted under its direction. This year a special prize of a pedigree Jersey bull, donated by the proprietors of the Vernon Jersey Farm for the supplier whose herd recorded the greatest increase in production over the preceding year, went to Brockliss and Leslie, of Waimauku, whose daily average of .7771 b of fat per cow increased to 1,1191 b. The need for increased activity in this direction was stressed by Mr. G. Mr. Hume at the conclusion of the general business during the course of an interesting address. He produced figures to show how, within the space of a few years, concentrated attention to herd-testing, followed up by a rigid programme of cull cow elimination and better breeding, would see the Dominion’s production more than doubled. A lengthy discussion took place on the question of the grading of cream, a number of the suppliers contending that too high a standard was set. This view was combatted by others, again, on the grounds that the factory had to maintain and improve the quality of its output.

Net Price Received No. Tons Paid for Butter SeasonSuppliers Butter Made, to Suppliers. at Factory. 84 64.50 4,532 16 9 10.3S 94 106.75 6,975 0 11 10.50 SO 101.00 5,898 3 4 80 122.00 7,815 1 L 11 . 122 187.25 14,806 2 . 133 12,645 8 10.92 . 130 171.75 12,688 8 3 216.00 18,086 li 9 . 191 291.50 24,036 4 4 11.11 . 210 392.50 36,632 17 1 . 263 451.50 41,934 11 11.75 . 296 572.50 52,410 13 0 1914-1915 . . 358 603.75 63,629 9 12.76 . 370 709.30 88,151 7 . 390 765.75 119,363 5 3 18.65 . 394 6S2.26 105,437 4 10 18.57 1918-1919 . . 421 724.74 111,010 6 18.67 . 4, 830.76 168,480 9 11 1920-3 921 . 509 1,074.20 255,151 18 29.00 1921-1922 . . 624 163,689 9 15.63 1,507.68 202,021 4 11 1923-1924 . . 657 1.565.4G 286.798 2 18.37 675 1,590.81 207,893 18 9 16.31 1925-1920 . •78 1,633.27 311.887 9 1 16.64 1926-1927 . . 6S3 1,943.44 234,996 19 11 14.58 17,*48.85 2,406;984 0 1