MARKETING EGGS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1393, 20 March 1912, Page 8

MARKETING EGGS.

UNIFORMITY A NECESSITY. In the marketing of any product, it is recognised in these days of keen competition, says ilr. I" 1 . C. ifrown, in the Agricultural Department's Journal, that uniformity and attractiveness are practically equal to the great consideration of finality. In all lines of farm produce this is being forced home to farmers ill a manner they can 110 longer atl'ord to ignore. New Zealand dairy, produce has now earned for itself ail enviable reputation on oversea markets by reason of official classification. | Fruit-growers are awakening to the urgent need of packing their produce in a uniform anil attractive manner. Poultry-inen have yet to learn the lesson. The other day, Mr. Brown says, he saw preserved eggs on tho counter of one of the leading grocery iirips of Wellington which were as uninviting as they coulil well be. The eggs were all colours and sizes. Some were blue duckeggs weighing up to 'Soy,., and others were little brown eggs which would not turn the scale at more than 1-Joz., the bulk of the eggs ranging between these extremes. The preservative was thick upon the eggs. The ticketed price was Is. ad.—a big return, for, if appearance goes lor anything, the eggs were not good value. It is such eggs coming on the market first which sets a low valuo for preserved eggs in general. Preserved eggs arc announced, and if the first supply is of such a"wretched description as the case in Question, it is obvious that the consumer will not rush them. So the price lias to be reduced, perhaps a second or a third time, till the price is so tempting to the consumer that a sale is made possible. A price has thus been established for preserved eggs as a whole. Tho supplier of a good article—systematically put fresh into pickle, of even size, and with colours distinct—suffers seriously in consequence. His reliable eggs have to be sold at the value of the unsatisfactory lines.

The same trouble exists with fresh eggs. The marketing of these in jumble lots has the effect of reducing tho value of eggs in general. Again, the packing of different-coloured eggs together is a market weakness. . The man who is anxious to build up a high-class trade must have regard to this feature. It .will be a simple matter for liiin if he keeps only due standard breed. Then nil his eggs will be uniform, and uniform in shape and size as well as colour. In tho marketing of eggs all the blame of the very unsatisfactory methods in vogue.is not attachable to the producer. The middleman is not always as careful as he should be. Instead of keeping' the uniform lines intact, there is a tendency to mix them together in order to make a big show in a window.