DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1922, Page 8

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

OMATA COMPANY. THE ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Qmata Co-opera-tive Dairy Co., Ltd., was heid at New Plymouth on Saturday, Mr. G. H. Bell (chairman of directors) presiding ' over an attendance of about sixty. The twenty-third annual report stated: Tn presenting their report for the year ended May 31, 1922, your directors are pleased that', in spite of the generally reduced value of butter over the greater part of the season, the balance sheet shows a sound position, and payments for butter-fat have been as good as could be expected. The balance to credit of profit and loss account on closing the books w/is £2594 Os Id, out of which £l5l Os 7d was applied as depreciation of the main factory, buildings and plant, and £1354 14s 2d has been used to pay a further 5d per lb butter-fat on the months of January and February, in which lOd per lb only had been advanced, leaving a present balance of £ 1088 5s 4d. Your directors propose a further payment of I’/jd per lb butter-fat over the months December to May inclusive, which will absorb £9Bl 9s Id, and leave £lO6 16s 3d to be carried to reserve or otherwise dealt with. The supply of milk and cream during the year increased very considerably, and the output of butter exceeded 125 tons. During the year the price of butter has fluctuated to a greater extent than ever previously, and the greatest care has been requisite in dealing with available stocks from time to time, and as advances had to be drawn on a very conservative basis, payments from month to month varied considerably. Prospects for next season’s butter are at the present time very bright, as the present buying price for London appears to justify optimism in respect to the price at which sales of next season’s make will be possible. The balance due of 1920-21 casein has not yet been received, but payment is promised for October, 1922. A summary appended to the report showed that the number of suppliers was 87, whilst the quantity of milk received was: Hurford Road, 1.204,675 lb (51,808.31 lb butter-fat; avarage test 43) ; Koru, 68/234 lb (28,256.63 lb butter-fat; average test 4.1), and Oakura 1,355,426 lb (53,396.80 lb butter-fat; average test 4.3). Details of the cream received were: Barrett Road, 78,639 lb (28,141.99 lb butterfat; average test 3.58), Hurford Road 71,567% lb (24,777.87 lb butter-fat; average test 3.46), Factory 309% lb (94.69 lb butter-fat; average test 3.06), Koru 114,899% lb (40.830.86 ’b butter-fat: average test 3.55), and Oakura 31,380% lb (10,555.08 lb butter-fat; average rest 3.36). Thus the total milk received was 3,247,339 lb (138,461.74 lb butter-fat; average test 4.2), whilst the cream received totolled 296,796% lb (104,400.49 lb butter-fat; average test 3.40). Other details shown were; Total pounds butter-fat. 242,862.23; pounds of butter made, 289,375; pounds of butter made per lb butter-fat. 1.196; average price per lb received for butter, 1/3 3-5 d (a further advance of l%d per lb had sinde been malle, whilst another %d per lb advance was announced at the meeting) ; average grade, season 1921-22, 93.81.

The adoption of the report and balance sheet (as summarised in the report) was moved for adoption by the chairman, who said the company had had a very satisfactory year. Referring to grading, Mr. Bell said that last year the record grade of 93.03 had been achieved, whilst during the past season the standard of grading had been still further advanced to 93.81. This had been achieved in spite of the fact that last September the company had in store 20 boxes of butter which had developed a weedy flavor. The assistance jf the Dairy Division graders for their offer to locate the cause for this was acknowledged. The weedy said Mr. Bell, was attributable to the land cress in the young grass, and the speaker appealed to suppliers to see that this should not happen this season. Discussing the dairy pool, Mr. Bell said some sup pliers had asked if the directors had committed the company without consulting them, but he explained that the directors had never had anything in concrete form from the pool promoters, and when the South Island virtually ‘‘killed’’ the proposed scheme the matter was natunlly dropped. Mr. A. S. Frost seconded, and the report and balance sheet were adopt ad. The matter of taking cream from non-share-holders was discussed, and, on the motion of Mr. T. Thompson, seconded by Mr. Marsh, the matter was left to the directors to deal with. The retiring directors (Messrs. G. H. Bell and G. Green) were re-elected unopposed, on the motion of Mr. Smith, seconded hy Mr. Wells. Both gentlemen returned thanks for their re-election. Three gentlemen were proposed for the position of auditor, the retiring auditor (Mr. Vai Duff) being re-elected at the same remuneration as last year. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the chairman, directors and manager (Mr. J. Lynch), which was carried by acclamation. The chairman was granted 60 guineas, he to pay his own expenses; whilst the directors were granted 10 guineas, the same as last year. The question of whether casein should be made at the Hurford Road and Barrett Road factories was raised, the secretary stating that the casein company led dairy companies _to i believe the market for casein was improving ■ but were indefinite as to the price. It was : thought the company’s supply was too small ■ and the matter was allowed to drop. The secretary (Mr. H. Bayly) was accorded i a hearty vote of thanks for his services during the year.