STABILISED BACON PRICE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 62, 31 March 1937, Page 15

STABILISED BACON PRICE

m e .. .... Wholesale Rates Throughout Dominion 0PERATIVE TO-MORROW (By Telegraph— Press* Association,) WELLINGTON, Last Night. A scheme for the stabilisation Qf the wholesalo prices of bacon has been formulated by the Internal Marketing Deparfment and will coma into, operation on Thursd&y night. In announeing the plan, the actingMinister oi Marketing, the Hon. W. Le& Martin, said that for many years " the distribution of bacon on the local market had been in a chaotic etate. This position has arisen mainly from the fact that the ofBoial price list from curer to retailer had been effective in the breach rather than the observance. The 'price list -had varied to retailers ; from the actual quoted price to a figure perhaps l^d per pound lowey thah the list price, due to the practiei that had developed -whereby certain retailers. had obtained rebates and conce.ssiong of varying amounts. "During the past few weeks,'* continued tho Minister, "steps have, been taken whereby this practice will be diseontinued, and a standard net price list wifi be introduced and rigidly adhered to. Negotiations have taken plaee between the New Zealand Bacon Ourers' Association and the Director of Internal Marketing in an endeavour to stabilise bacon pricea and the conditions itnder which bacon is distr-ibuted throughout New Zealand. An alteration in tho method of wholesale bacon selling will result in a xeduction in the association's present wholesale selling price list of an amount varying from Jd. to ljd. a pound. "The Internal Marketing Braneh is confident that as the result of the stabilisation plan which has now been agreed upon a more uniform quality of bacon will be available, and curera will not be under the necessity of jeopardising grade to enable them to meet the price. "The prices ruling for pigs have been on a higher basis this year than for some tirae past." continued the Minister, "due mainly to the increased demand on overseas markets. This factor, combined with the added costs of manufacture, haB been causing curers eome concern, and before the Internal Marketing branch be'caxne interested in the matter arrangements were practically complete for a general increase in the official list-price whieh would, have per> tained throughout the Dominion. The fact that an agreement new has beeh reached whereby bacon will.he sold at a net list price has enabled curers to reduce the level qf the list price rather than raise it "