EXPORTING POULTRY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 984, 2 March 1910, Page 7

EXPORTING POULTRY.

The following interesting letter | appears in the current number of | the New Zealand Poultry Journal": ; "Dear Sir, —Your article in last l month's journal describing the ship- j ment of eggs to the London market I read in conjunction with the extract from the London paper shows that the export tiade of eggs from this country only requires developing to make it a standard industry of the colony before many years are over, and if poultry keeping is to be made a sound commercial business this export must be developed and organised or I fear we shall soon be met with a complete supply of eggs and no market. Eggs this last season have been at a very low priced, per dozen, for an unusually long period. The Wellington market is also keeping very low and, strange to say, at the present time is only the same as the Auckland market, which seems to show an ample supply of eggs in bothi y these centres, and considering the summer prices, no doubt large consumers have stocked heavily with eggs m pickle to meet the winter scarcity. Now, what would happen if one fine large poultry farm were developed in the course of the next year or two, producing say an extra • 250,000 eggs a year, could the colony absorb these extra eggs? I venture to say no, and as the possibility of this small increase of production is great, another market must be found or eggs sold at unremunerative prices. Apparently from the particulars given, the cost of preserving, etc., is about 3d per dozen, this doubtless would be reduced considerably, if larger shipments are sent, but even if the charges remain at 3d, the sellng price brings Is Id, lOd per dozen is netted to the producer, for eggs selling at 8d and 9d par dozen, and not only does the producer obtain the extra Id, but he has the satisfac- v tion of knowing that the eggs are cleared out of the country and cannot be brougnt out of cold store.or pickle later on to* keep down the winter price of eggs. The Home market in the winter months, November and December will take far more eggs than can be produced here even if all were exported; now, how is this phase of supply and demand to be met? Is it to be done by a syndicate who will take all the extra profit, or on the co-operative principle, when all surplus profits would be returned to the producer. Either method would be greatly to the benefit of the producer, as even if worked by a syndicate, the summer market would have minimum price of 10a per dozen, and undoubtedly an advanced price on the winter eggs. I„ however, cannot help thinking that the better method would be somewhat on these lines:—-Let the Government be approached to assist the first year's operations by leaving at each grading depot a machine to treat the eggs, and let the Government preserve the eggs at the bare cost. The large producers to be approached in the meantime and asked to guarantee a certain number of eggs during August and September, such eggs to be guaranteed new laid. Let the easual man, who finds a nest about 20 and "puts them in with i the rest," be left out of the question; he is not. wanted for this trade. Let the eggs be shipped under each producers' brand, so that, should he violate his guarantee of new laid, he alone is the sufferer when the returns come in. By adopting in some way this methtod, the necessity of grading, for which the Government charge Id per dozen is done away with and the producer gets the full benefit. I teel confident that if one fairly large: shipment is made, and the results well published, the 01.l familiar question, j "does poultry pay" will be answered forever, and the foundation of a large and sound industry will be laid. I*wiil say at once that should the latter course be adopted I will guarantee eggs, if the syndicate be formed I will take up shares, the amount of either depending on the support given by other poultry farmers.—Yours Faithfully, W. H. COMPLIN. The Poultry Farm, Bombay, Auckland.