HONEY CONTROL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5054, 19 November 1926, Page 4

HONEY CONTROL.

OPERATIONS OF BOARD. ADVANTAGES OF SCHEME. The New Zealand Honey Control Board has issued the 'following re« port:— “The first meeting of the beard was held on February 25, 1925. The board at that meeting assumed limited control over all honey exported to the United Kingdom and Europe, this control requiring that such honey should be shipped to and distributed by one agent only. The control taken htfs for its purpose the carrying out of the expressed wishes of the producers to have this system of marketing protected, the disorganisation of which could otherwise be brought about by shippers selling outside the organisation and creating a position whereby some would be paying all the costs of securing the enhanced price while others would be securing the full benefit of those prices, at the same time paying nothing towards .the costs of ■maintaining the. same.

“Limited control has operated over the 1925 and 1926 export seasons. That organised marketing has gained a premium for New Zealand honey, and that therefore the costs of maintaming the same should he equitably distributed is shown in the following figures: Sales of New Zealand honey for August were made at from 60s to 80s pen cwt. Quotations for the same month for Canadian honey, are at 40s to 565, per cwt., Californian at 47s to 58s, and Jamaican 4'2s to 495. Previous .to organised marketing New Zealand honey did not realise equal to Californian or Jamaican. While, a considerable portion of the premium obtained has been absorbed by advertising charges, the balance represents a considerable margin on the returns of our competitors. The total exports for 1925 amounted to 785 tons, some 265 tons more than in 1924. The export for 1926 was 550 tons, the reduction in the amount being due to an adverse season over portions of the Dominion.

“Sales of .1924 season were eomplettd. in October, 1925. On October 31, 1926, only 99 tons of 1925 honey remained unsold. This position is very satisfactory, as the export fo!r 1925 made it necessary to find a market for over one-third, more honey than for the previous year. Sales, from October to October, therefore, had increased tfrota 517 tons in 1924-25 to 686 tons sold over the s.ame period for 1925-26. With the lesser export for 1926 there should be no difficulty in clearing the whole pf our stocks on hand in the ensuing twelve months.

“While the economic conditions jn the United Kigndom have of late been unsatisfactory, and have considerably affe.cted the prices of Dominion products, we have been able up to the present to maintain our prices and make satisfactory sales. This is highly satisfactory, especially so as Northern Europe has for the second Reason running had exceptionally good crops, and Southern California’s crop is 140 per cent, of the previous year, a»d their local price is running one to two .cents lower than last year. Canada, on the other hand, is reported ot have only 70 per cent, of the crops last year. Business in Germany is developing satisfactorily. Since July l.as.t some 54 tons have been sold, all in retail packages. This progress in the introduction of our honey into Central Europe is satisfactory in view of the. fact that New Zealand honey bays a duty Kj"f 40 marks per. 100 kilos, or, roughly, 20s per cwt.

“Ini conclusion the development of organised marketing, as far as the honey producers are concerned, can be considered satisfactory, and the board is; Justified in primarily taking steps to- assure that the advantage gained will not be dissipated by competitive selling. It is now proposed hat the board investigate the marketing conditions, with a view to ascertaining if costs of marketing can be reduced while at the same time retaining a proportionate amount of the advantages gained, and also provide for the disposal of our increasing production.