THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 7, 9 June 1913, Page 6

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

LARGE MARKET FOR EGGS.

■ PROFIT POSSIBLE, TO FARMERS. In, am address to farmers at Christ- : church last week, Mr. J. B. Merrett said that one of the most promising industries in New Zealand to-day was the poultry industry. Recently, the Government 1 passed an Act that will prohibit the use of imported dried albumen; and yolks of eggs for making' pastry. Custard pow--1 ders and' baking- powders, also, were to be labelled so that housewives might ■ know that there were none of the nutri- , tive el'ements of eggs contained in them. This measure, said Mr; Merrett, would ; mean an increased' demand for eggs, and I it was to the farmers that the consum- ; ers yvoul'd' Took for-supplies. Canterbury could easily double its production if ex- : tra chickens were hatched and raised, and better attention given to poultry, i ' No fewer than 2,000,000' extra eggs would :be required next year, and farmers should J i seek to meet the demand, or else there would be an agitation to have the Act ' repealed'. ' "The price of eggs- i's almost prohibi- ! ti've this winter;" - continued Mr. Merrett,; i "while table poultry promises to be short jih supply. The sudden cold weather-in April put hens off faying early this year, j and, consequently, eggs have been scarce, i We have been accustomed to have eggs | at 2s a dozen for- a week or two in the i year, but this year they have remained' lat 2s for- several weeks. The high prices I for eggs- and table poultry are a call to I the farmers and their wives to give pouK 1 try-raising- more attention, and to make/ 1 it a profitable adjunct to farming." Recently, said Mr. Merrett, a farmer'ii daughter bad drawn £l7 for a week's Siile of table poultry, while her takingsfor tlie year from her .flock' of poultry were nearly £l3O, more than half of' which was profit. Canterbury couW easily add £IO,OOO anually to its income' by greater attention to its poultry.