N.Z. HONEY.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1927, Page 4

N.Z. HONEY.

AIR J. RENTOUL’S MISSION. WELLINGTON, April 29. Among the passengers by the 0. and I). liner. Port Caroline, which will leave Wellington to-morrow morning for London via Montevideo, is Air •). Rentoul. chairman of the New Zealand Honey Control Board and of the New Zealand Honey Producers’ Association. lAfr Rentoul said to-day that he was going abroad to look into the marketing arrangements with a view to their extension, and to gain a more intimate knowledge of selling difficulties and possibilities. During the ship's short stay at .Montevideo he hoped to visit Buenos Ayres to enquire into the prospects of regular shipments of honey for the market there, lie would spend about three months in Britain, chiefly in London, and would subsequently visit the Continent.

Under the existing arrangements. Now Zealand honey was distributed through ihe agency of one firm in London, hut Air Rentoul said there was a possibility that more than one agent might be employed in future, and he would examine the position very carefully. A certain amount of success already had been achieved in the marketing of New Zealand honey in Britain, but the competition of other countries was becoming keener. The world production of honey had doubled during the last four or five years, notably in California, U.S.A., Canada, and the British West Indies. Last season 7,000091)11) of honey was exported from Jamaica. California was a strong competitor in the British market, and asked less per lb than New Zealand.

Australia had exported practically no honey to Britain since 194 7. hut was now trying to get back into the market. Australian agents had recently been making enquiries in the Dominion regarding our methods of marketing, and would shortly be establishing a London agency on tbe same lines as ours. The Commonwealth Government had promised assistance in advertising Australian honey in Britain, whereas the New Zealand Control Board had to do this on its own initiative without Government aid. The Australian producers would lie satisfied with Id per lh less than New Zealand, and tlveir competition was a factor to be faced.

Mr Rentoul will visit Germany, France, and Italy to investigate the possibilities of extending the New Zealand honey trade. New Zealand already did a fairly ertensive business in Germany, where we were strong competitors with the locally-produced honey (chiefly synthetic). Weisbadcn was the distributing centre for New Zealand honey in Germany, and 70 tons in 22,000 retail packages were sold there last September. Our honey was sold in small packages bearing a distinctive label describing it as “pure New Zealand honey.” On his way hack to New Zealand, Mr Rentoul will visit Singapore and the Dutch East Indies. The Control Board already did a fairly extensive business handling retail packages of New Zealand honey. He would visit Sourabaya to trp to open up business, and would go to Hong Kong and Shanghai, if the political situation permitted, to establish permanent agencies at those places where the Board had already done a

small business. He also proposed ti visit Manila in the Philippine Islands, where, in spite of a duty of ltd pel lb. New Zealand honey had got a footing in the local market. Four consignments. a little bigger each time, had already been shipped to Manila.

AH’ Rentoul expects to return to New Zealand about the end of the year.