POULTRY KEEPERS WANT EGG PRICES RAISED

Chronicle (Levin), 20 December 1947, Page 5

POULTRY KEEPERS WANT EGG PRICES RAISED

WEIJ.IXCTOX, Dec. 19. The opinion that the present shortage of eggs would liecome rapidly more acute hecause poultry keojrers throughout the Dominion were ■lindiiig the in dustry a " losing projiosition, " was ad- , vanced tonight hy Mr. E. J. Matthews. president of the Hutt Yalley Pegistered Poultry Keepers' Association. North Island produeers, he said, were today , netting at least 2L1 a doxen helow the cost of production of eggs. They had recently submitted a cost of production survey to the Btabilisation Uommission calling for an increase of 5d in the priee. a do/.en. ' The Comraission had granted just lialf that increase and had" refused, on suhsequent representation from the X ew Zealand Poultry Board, to reconsider its decision. It appeared, said Yr. ^latthews, that the Stahilisation Commission Avould not recognise any increase in lahour costs. Its decision meant that produeers in a small way would quit their tlocks aiul commercial produeers who had capital tied up in their plants and were unahle to sell out, would reduce their docks to solve the lahour expense prohlem. Already, he said, ttvo-year-old birds were being disposed of instead of at the usual time hetween Fehruary and March. He knew of oue keeper who had disposed of 300 laving birds to a vendor of table poultry. "The egg shortage position will not right itself. " added Mr. ^lattheAVs, "until such time as the grower receives a return for his labour and inves'ted capital comiuensurate with that at pre sent enjoyed in other walks of livelihood. ' '