PRICE INCREASE FOR HONEY DEMANDED

Chronicle (Levin), 6 May 1947, Page 3

PRICE INCREASE FOR HONEY DEMANDED

"I am not in favour of a m'ere 10M for our product. Our costs are going up all the time and the prices of timber, tyres and sugar have increased very recently. " This was the forthright statement of the president of the Manawatu Beekeepers' Association, Mr. L. A. Furness, at a meeting of the branch in Palmerston North last uight. The meeting was considering the forwarding of a remit to the national conference of the association regarding an increase for honey prices. The increase desired by the industry would be represented by 2d per pound for the increased cost of sugar and one penny per pound for other price increases. This would total au increase of 3d in the wholesale price of honey. "I think beekeepers are worthy of a five per cent. return on their invested capital, he said. "The present retail prices should becoine the wholesale prices." The ceiling price for honey in England at the present time was 2s 9d per pound. Canada liad obtained a big hold on the English honey market and Russia was expected., to make a strong assault on the market in the near future. It was decided that the national conference of beekeepers should be recommended that a rise in the price of honey . should be cousidered in view of the increased costs of prodncing honey. (No increase has been granted in the price of honey since 1938.) Other remits to the conference were: That'in view of the adverse weather conditions in the Manawatu and Taranaki districts something should be done regarding the subsidisation of sugar tc beekeepers in these districts; .that the Government be asked to exempt beekeepers from the Factories Act as at present constit'uted; that in the event of the honey section of the I.M.D. being retained the Government be aske'c! to set up a producer board consistinj of three members elected by producen gnd two nominated by the .Government.