TOO MANY EGGS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1940, Page 8

TOO MANY EGGS

PRICES FORCED DOWN The egg committee of the North Taranaki Council of Primary Production was instructed at last night's meeting of the council to take immediate action to deal with surplus eggs produced in the North Taranaki district. At present, eggs over the number that normally is sufficient to meet the requirements of the towns are a drug on the market and tend only to depress the price, without assisting to swell the volume of foodstuffs for Britain. "We are back just where we started," said Mr. D. LeC. Morgan, secretary to the council, when the matter of regulating the marketing of eggs in New Plymouth was mentioned. He briefly outlined negotiations that had already heen taken and stated that, while two firms at New Plymouth were prepared to install all necessary plant and handle all eggs, they, in turn, desired a virtual monopoly of the trade. This, he said, the Internal Marketing Department apparently would not sanction just yet. "Out of All Reason." "The position," said Mr. H. E. Blyde, chairman, "is out of all reason. As a council of production we took this matter up, but the only result so far seems to have been to depress the price of eggs in the town. Mr. Morgan: Eggs for export will have to come from the local market, but no organisation is in existence to forward them. "Crates," said Mr. J. McNeill, "are a difficulty. There is no recognised depot to supply them or to forward them to Wellington for export." Mr. L. A. Alexander said people were unable to dispose of their eggs. He knew of one man who had to take 60 dozen eggs home because the stores at Waitara, his market town, were full of eggs. "This council has asked for more production of eggs. Now that people are producing them they cannot get rid of them," Mr. Alexander added. He said that plenty of people would be satisfied with any price if they knew their eggs were going to feed Britain. "England, not New Zealand, has changed its mind- over the question of the irqportation of eggs," remarked Mr. F. L. Frost, M.P. ' He asked whether the price at New Plymouth was lower than at Wellington or Auckland. In reply Mr. Morgan explained that New Plymouth prices tended to follow Wellington prices, but the unfortunate position was that the actual price offered was governed by the supply. When farmers brought plenty of eggs to town the price fell.