RETAIL EGG PRICE

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1940, Page 6

RETAIL EGG PRICE

BIG EFFECT ON SALES Surprise at the recent criticism regarding the price of eggs was expressed by a provision merchant at New Plymouth yesterday. "The prices that have ruled during the last few months and are ruling to-day are the highest that I can remember at this time of the year in my long association with the trade," he stated. In a review that covered many years of close association with the trade in eggs at New Plymouth, the merchant expressed the opinion that, in general, the system of allowing the supply to govern the demand had operated satisfactorily to the storekeeper, the producer and the customer. He knew from experience that the prevailing selling price exerted a tremendous effect upon the number of eggs sold. The recent drop from 2s 6d to ls 6d for instance had resulted in more than double the number of eggs being disposed of. It would be futile, he said, to hope that saies at even 2s would effect a clearance comparable with that enjoyed when the price was ls 6d. He felt that the idea of the establishment of a pool v/ould not have the desired effect. There would immediately be extra costs that were not involved under the preesnt system. Storage and grading would cost money as had proved the case in other pooling attempts. He thought the recently published statement alleging that grocers had refused to take producers eggs because of a flooded market was an exaggeration. All grocers, he said, took the eggs of genuine customers, but they could scarcely be blamed for declining to do business with strangers having a large quantity to market. A comparison of the grocers' prices and those of the wholesale auction showed few differences, thus proving that no undue profits were possible in the retail side of the trade.