HONEY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1919, Page 5

HONEY INDUSTRY.

RAPID EXPANSION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The sixth annual conference of the National Bee-kepers' Association opened to-day, there being an attendance of about eighty delegates. Mr. W. Barker, president of the association, was chairman. Dr. Reakes, Director of Agriculture, said that at Ruakura Farm a number of returned soldiers were learning the industry. A great deal of experimental work had been carried out at Ruakura. At Tauranga Farm there was a queen bee and rearing apiary, and the farm had made rapid progress. In regard to the export trade, Dr. Reakes said during the war it had shown an exceptional profit. He did not think producers need fear a very great drop in prices so long as the present high standard of honey was maintained. The weight and value of honey exports for the years 1915-19 were:—l9ls, 2456 cwt. £4763; 1916,2390 cwt, £606"; 1917, 1572 cwt., £3554; 191S, 2818 cwt., £7991; 1919, 0619 cwt., £32,018. Dr. Reakes advised that, while tvery effort should be made to foster the export trade, the interests of the home consumer should be looked after, and good quality honey "should be supplied to the New Zealand buyer at a fair and honest price Considerable discussion took place on the desirability of seeking legislation defining the apiary boundaries, and a committee was set up to wait upon the proper Government authority for the purpose of discussing the regulations on which to base the Bill to be introduced to Parliament.

It was decided to urge the Department of Agriculture to conduct x series or experiments in the treatment of honey. The conference continues to-morrow.