DRIED MILK.
A REPRESENTATIVE MEETING. TARANAKI DELEGATION TO-BE SENT ABROAD. At a representative meeting of dairymen at Hawera on Thursday to consider the question of manufacturing milk powder, sugar-of-inilk and condensed milk, it wag decided to send delegates abroad to obt&iu all possible information. Mr Morton, who presided/ said he and Mr H. D. Forsyth had ■visited the WaiIcato and went fully into the matter of the manufacture of dried milk, etc., with the companies there, who held the patent rights of two processes of manufacture, and thereby controlled the industry. Any company requiring plant would have to purchase through these companies, and also have to pay a small royalty on the whole of their production. There were one or two companies in Taranaki large ejough to embark upon the industry individually, but it would be much better for all to combine. Skim milk powder might take the place of whole milk, and he believed tho demand would increase. War prices, perliapj, could not be maintained, but prices would be considerably above pre-war prices. Sugar of milk could be made from whey, and therefore could be made by cheese or butter factories making casein. Mr C. Cooper, of Mangatoki, had visited Southland and prepared a report, which was very valuable. .Among other things it stated that cows' miik contained from three to four per cent of sugar of which they could extract approximately two and ahalf per cent. There was further to be obtained another by-product, viz., the albumen. Of this "they would obtain three-quarters of a ton for every ton of cheese manufactured, and tho value was approximately £2O per ton. The price of sugar of milk before the war was less than £IOO per ton During the war if; reached £OOO per ton. but had now fallen again to only a little over £2OO. One of the chief problems in this business was the huge amount of fuel required A minimum supply of 5000 gallons of milk per day would be necessary to carry this business on successfully, and the cost of production i would, b«TOß»id»ra% dtertMtd if this
supply could be doubled. An approxi« } mate estimate of the cost of ruanuOse- , taring 200 tons of sugar of milk shows, ed that it would total about £IO,OQty ' and the 200 tons would return about £22,400; the albumen would realm at i least £I,OOO, making a total of £28*469$ , thus leaving them a balance of o*Hf ' £13,000. If the present price of fwtt ; 2a to 2s 6d per lb were maintained it '-. would be a profitaMe busmess for the ! d»iry factories The committee TO "- strongly of opinion that all source* ot - information in New Zealand had mm been exhausted, and if further information was required they would have tc send a delegation of two or more men ] to America and England, and, possftty, even further afield. The patent rights (for the Dominion) of three, different ■ processes were already held, and the committee unanimously agreed that information should be obtained concerning other processes that might be available. . The National Dairy Association had urged upon the Government the estafelishmcnt of an information fcureau and -, they had decided to shortly send #n expert (Mr Dempster) to America to (rather information concerning: .the dairying industry there. The National Dairy Association was also sending a representative (Mr T. Bra*), but he was of opinion that they would have to send a, delegation further afield. In conclusion Mr Morton declared that TaranaW was losing, at the very lowest computation, half a million sterling per year on the by-products of the dairying industry: there were big possibilities in thts connection and no opportunity for progress should be lost. Mr. H. D. Forsyth said: The coat of installing a plant for the manufacture of dried milk powder had been estimated at 6s per lb. of milk supplied for one day in the flush of the season. He described the process of manufacture, and suggested the use of condensers at small factories which would, he said, effect a considerable saving in carting. By utilising a portion of their present plants these condensers could be fitted up at a cost of about £2OOO. Condensed milk factories in America were at present obtaining even better returns than dried milk factories, while the sugar of milk business was considered a limited one. Conditions in America were somewhat similar to those of New Zealand, and he waa convinced that there were excellent prospects for the dairying industry in the Dominion.
Mr. Forsyth declared that the chairman had under-estimated the sum Taranaki was losing annually under the present methods adopted in the dairying industry—which, he considered, amounted to one and a quarter millions sterling.
Mr. Connett (New Plymouth) said it was very satisfactory to see all the dairying companies of Taranaki combining. It was most essential that they should have all the information possible on this important matter. He also men* tioned that the cost of sending each dele* gate abrpad would be £7OO. Mr. Power, representing the Pembroke, Waingongoro and Huiroa factories, was of opinion that the adoption of the dried milk industry would place a heavy financial strain on any cheese factories which had recently installed plants. Mr. J. Marx (Mangatoki) pointed out that it would pay to scrap any plant if they could instal a more profitable one. This method was universally adopted by ,the Americans, who seldom failed "to come out on top." In reply to tihe chairman, Mr. C. Cooper said he could not advocate reducing or condensing plants. Ike reduction of whey required a large amount of steam and heat, and the coat of the cartage of fuel would exceed the coat of carting the whey. Tho albumen referred to by the chairman waa a most valuable food for all young animals. All the remaining solids in the whey were extracted, and rendered available for calf 01 pig food. Mr. Marx referred to the difficulty of obtaining coal
The chairman reminded the meeting that hydro-electric power might be Uh ailable in a few years. Mr. Davidson (Kaimata) congratulated the committee on its decision to send delegates home. It was unfortunate that there was always a number of people who were slow and dubious of entering upon a new undertaking. The game spirit had handicapped the dairying industry in its earliest stages. The chairman said all companies con-' tributing to tho expenses incurred would be entitled to a full share of any benefits obtained.
In reply to further questions he said it was proposed that the two delegates comprise a mechanical expert andaousiness man.
Mr. W. Powdrell declared that it was most unfortunate that there wwre so many present who were of opinion that "folks should not enter the water until they could swim." So long as a lot of people held to that opinion bo long wouM stagnation reign. " Mr. Williams declared that many de< legates appeared to be like the fisherman "who begrudged the worm with which he had caught the fish." In reply to Mr. Ranford, the chairman said there were many' processes of manufacturing dried milk. Regarding a number of these they at present had no information.
Mr. C. Cooper said in 1914 nine different patents were taken out in Wellington for manufacturing dried milk. Hewaa sure that there were four or five, processes that were equal to the MerrellSoulc. •
Subsequently eight companies, representing an output of cheese totalling 10;-' 270 tons per annum, signified their intention of contributing to the cost of tho delegation, while many other delegates said their companies would also contribute, but had not empowered their representatives to commit them that day It was agreed that the maximum contnbution should be fixed at 2s per ton of cheese manufactured, the opinion being expressed that £IOOO would be required for each delegate.— Argus. M
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Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1919, Page 5
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1,303DRIED MILK. Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1919, Page 5
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