TUNA DAIRY FACTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1921, Page 2

TUNA DAIRY FACTORY.

AN ENTERPRISING CONCERN. (From Our Inglewood Correspondent.) Visitors to Inglewood recently were two gentlemen from that part of the Salisbury Road, in Stratford County, in which is situated the Tuna dairy factory. These gentlemen, Messrs. Hathaway and Kirkby, the latter a director of the factory company, were able to give interesting facts about the results of last season’s work there. It is not long since the company was started; it is, in fact, an offshoot from the old Midhirst company, to which the present factory formerly held the position o-f a creamery. Separation from the parent factory was followed by the establishment of the present company, and the manufacture of cheese on its own account. There were twenty-one suppliers for the season 1920-21, whose holdings do not average more than 150 acres, and the season’s returns show that they will have something over £26,000 to divide between them. The company sold 105 tons of cheese and have now some 30 tons on the water, or at any rate, yet to be included in the season’s sales. The pay-out for the season will amount to, at least, 2s 8d •per ib. butter-fat. Such are some of the particulars that the two gentlemen, above named, volunteered, which are, to say the least, very creditable for such a young company, some of whose expenses, inevitable in a new concern, are still in process of liquidation. They further stated that from four farms of 128, 126, 160 and 80 acres respectively, i.e., 494 acres in all, GOOOlbs. of milk per diem were supplied in the flush of the season, and one other item, on which they rightly prided themselves, they recorded the best grade for cheese for the Stratford district. Some of the farmers who are suppliers are the men who took up the land as virgin bush country, and they are still well and hearty. With such a record as this it does not seem necessary for Taranaki dairymen to seek a more profitable part of the Dominion on which to expand their energy.