Honey Markets

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 2, 25 September 1937, Page 17

Honey Markets

AUSTRALIAN BLEND Strong Objection Voiced By H.B. Producers RESOLUTIONS PASSED Strong objection to the selling of a blend of Australian honey in New Zealand in such a way that it gave the impression that it was New Zealand honey—a thing whieh speakers said was being done at present in Hastings and Napier in common with other parts of New Zealand— was voiced at a meeting of the Hawke'e Bay branch of the National Beekeepers' Association, held in Hastings on Thursday evening, The meeting was presided over by Mr J. N. Walker. Tho meeting passed, a resolution: "That imported honey. (even if in a blend) should be sold in a container showing clearly its country pf origin." Copies of this resolution are to be sent to the Minister of Marketing, the Hon, Walter Nash, the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. .Lee Martin, and tho Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. Objection was also taken to the blending of Australian honey With tho New Zealand product for sale on the Home niarket, and a further resolution was cari'ied;— "That this meeting of producers strongly urges the Government to refuse authority to the Honey-Control Board to purchaso or accept oversea honey, to which tho name of New Zealand will be attached, for. disposal in pur export niarket. It is of -vital importance that the outstanding flavour and goodwill of New Zealand honey should be maintained.,, Both resolutions were carried unanimously. The latter resolution is to be sent to the sain9 sources as tlio former, "Propaganda Against Oontrol Board," Tho South Canterbury branch pf the association wroto asking for support in a protest against wuat it termod 1 ' propaganda against the Houey-Control Board" contained in letters which Mr Bray, of Christchurch, wao writing to the newspapers and, in particular, oue letter in which Mr Bray quoted an opinion allegedly made by the Neu^ Zealand Higli Commissioner in Londout Mr W. , J. Jordan, that New Zealand honey should not be blended for export, and that when suppli.es of New Zealand lioney were scarce saies should be foregone rather than blend the honey. "Wo do not know much about this propagauda," Baid Mr Walker, " but wo do know that anything done to Uiidermine the prestigo of New Zculand'a honey is highly detrimental. ' ' Mr Shephard said that he know both Mr Bray and Mr Jordan jersonally. Mr Bray had stood twice for eleetion to the Honey-Control , Board and had beeh beatea by a five-to-one majority eaeli time. i ' There are two paeke of honey placed on the English market. _ I can assure ' you that there is nothing but New Zealand honey going into ImperiaJ B," he added, "but tne other pack, which is not labelled New Zealand, can contain Australian honey. We should be careful not to take any notice of the extracts Mr Bray quotes from a letter by Mr Jordan. Mr Bray's letter has' appeared i.n the Horald-Tribune. I should want to see the full letter. I know Mr Jordan, who was onee manager of a hpney-producing concern in New Zealand, and I know that if Mr Jordan thought for a mometft there »was any Australian honey going into the Imperial B pack he'd walk over here and kick us, so keen is he." At a recent conference in Wellington, Mr Shephard continued, Boxne etatements of Mr Bray's had been challenged, and he had had to admit misrepresentation. Mr Shephard then movcd the motion already mentioned, Australian Honey Cheaper. Mr L. Reisterer said that the Canterbury remit, although yague and inexplicitly worded, aimed to support the Oontrol Board in handling honey as loug as the overseas market was kept sup* plied. Mr Shephard, however, had put ' the whole thing in a nutshell without aifecting the Canterbury resolution. "By this resolution we do not oppose the Control Board 'e purehasing honey and marketing it," he said, "but we do not want oversea honey marketed on the Continental market as New Zealand honey, The Canterbury resolution gives the board an open hand to market as it likes, So does our resomtion, so long as the board does not put New Zealand 's name to any oversea honey it selis." Mr A. Lowe seeonded Mr Bheppard 's motion. The Canterbury resolution should bo deiinitely oppoeed, he said. it was an extremely dangerous thing for the Control Board to buy oversea honey and market it. Even if it wero not labelled as New Zealand 's, a wrong impression would be created in the miuds of tho public at Home since tho honey was handled by the New Zealand board. Cther speakers pointed out the danger of doing anything that would divert orders from New Zealand when our supplies wero short aud thug tend io closo the market to this country wheji wc again had supplies to dispose of. The resolution was carried unajnmously, the South Canterbury resoiu^on being "reeeived," Mr W. H. Ashcroft then drew attention to tho selling ia the New Zealand market of Australian honey, This was being sold in Hastings and Napier at the present pime, he said. The board had nothing to do with the New Zealand market, replied Mr Sheppard. This Australian honey bad been imported from Australia by a co-opera-tive llrm, New Zealand Honey. Ltd., because supplies in New Zealand were* short. "It is on sale here, but as a blend," he said, "If supplies are short in 0110 place you vnugt got them froni uuothcr. There is no secrefc made oi the i'act that it is Auslralian houey, What harin is there in itt" . "Tho harm is lliat Australian honey etin bo bought horo cltonper tlinn- our

■ :i 1 ' 1 1 ■ ' J — own," xetorted Mr Ashcroft. "When you get the people used to a cheaper blend while New Zealand honey ^ is scarce they won't buy New Zealand honey later, especially when it is more expensive." Deceiving the Buyera. "'Tfeere is deiinitely doceptipn when a brand witii which New Zealand buyers are familiar is used with the meauing'less term ' Empire honey' plaeed inconspicuously on it," said Mr Lowe. "AU New Zealand honey is Empire honey. There should be spmething to indicate that this blend is partly Australian honey." "This blend is sold in the same carton as the New Zealand variety," said Mr Walker. "We have no objection tp Australian honey being imported when there is a shortage, but i,t should not be sold as New Zealand honey. " Mr Lowe proposed a rosolution asking that imported honey, even if in a blend, should be sold in a coutainer showing its cpuntry of origin. Mr Sheppard; But you can gst out of that by ysing the word "Empire." The resolution is too vague. We ara making a fuss about this Australian honey, but our own New Zealand honey is being sold at times without labels. I've seen it sold in plain white jars, with the contents full of black specks. Mr Lowe's motion was carried. In regard to a proposal to jpin up with a federatiOn of primary producers, ii waa decided to find out lirst what wero the aims and purposes of the fcderation, ' The preparation of a field-day programme for the coming season was left tO .a committee of four. Mr Walker spoke on the need for new marketing methods and the poesibility of obtaihing a Government guaranteed price for honey. Individual marketing, he said, would have to be replaced by a eoutroUed system .of distribution. Mr Lpwe also diseugsed this subjeet in a comprehensive manner.