ON THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 142, 15 June 1917, Page 9

ON THE LAND.

0 HONEY EXPORT TRADE.

jP GROWING IMIVKI'AM K. jfL HOPKINS in the "N..'. larmcr.":

_;__ Zealand, as k general U known, #__.Wl prom:-'-"tb as an e.Ti.-ul-r *lcountr>. if r-pu atioii in lhe prom ~f h ■■'■■ grade cattle. >h.■.•(.. totter, cheese, frail and honey is otah■jAedtliewoiUl over. i'"r clmiuic. soil. -I our .-untn settlers, rbeencon.l'.u-ivf to the growth .'. .. fri these i,.di.p.-n_i.U. requisites. __ar. i- 1 - 1 - 11, j_e_v,we i'J"' S'Pfn aid,, to build up an -eX-trade f a value at the present ___ rnnning into many million? *terJj.t amiualh . and that will a—-orb .ill »c can produce. In fact, •fere—rai prosperity of this country is _____ wholly duo to a profitable export. B-e. imoßg the more recent 01 our —Uv established and growing .rural jatostries is commercial beekeeping, tan which we are now obtaining snrJasioneT for export, and thereby addEjio the "general welfare of the courrtxy. Iti not "many years since beekeeping «_ looked upon more as a hobby than _;:_\y commercial iin |>ortance. of some j|r.ce to country settlers to supply ___elv_ with honey for household mroase, but oi no value to the coi—iuntoat large. This notion, however,, has mdereone a great change in late years. taiey rais"*"? on coniniercial hues, ow- __, to improved methods, has come to de front as an industry to be reckoned ___ when appraising the total annual t_ne of our agricultural output. Honey is now talcing, in a great measure', the pke it formerly bel.l both in the household and for manufacturing purpose*, mle the demand is keeping apace with tbe in(T—sed production. The expansion and prosperity of comEercial beekeeping in New Zealand nt tjxfuture must depend entirely upon be Bttcessofonr honey export trade, therelore it is the duty of both the State and car beekeepers to do everything pos>iblc to encourage it. Xew Zealand honey has always"borne a good name on tbe Engtsh tna-rkets since ISSS, when the Cr-i con?laments in quantity from myn?:i reache.i them, and in consequence iM always been in pood demand. L'ntil Hiae three years ajo. however, tbe ex-

pprtinj oi honey was not by any means I profit-hie business o»incr to the excessive civarjes and the manipulation ot the consignments on the Home side, mic'n oi course was debited to the producers. Tne exjwnses. even when trfi.hfc were low. usually reached from —I to i!!l per tou. wh:le consignments «: our i>est clover iumey. unless they

vprp fortunate in striking a hart' market, rarely brought more than JC42. and fry rarely indeei •-i:-,. Winn the lonj; l'-i oi expenses \\c;v deducted, it left t-ic unfortunate producer about £32 or ~:!3. and on r^re.occ—duns _36 per toiler fro— Hid." to Sfd. per lb., which isually took six months to reach him. toDipeiJinir hi— in most cases to £-ct a -ash advance against it—a further expense.

An important advance was made pome iree years aeo. whereby the bonev export trade has been established on a •»—d permanent basis, a much higher price is being obtained by producer*. ae demand in the home markets for all pdes of our honey has increased tre—ndously. and. what is of the utmost nsportance. it is now sold in Britain as New Zealand honey. Formerly our best grade was sold as " English " honey. s— brougLt retail 10<1. per lb.; it was Mt surprising that under former conditions the export trade in honey, instead oi increasing, fell off almost to a van-i-mg point. A little over three years ago two association I were established— "The Bristol and Dominions Producers' Association.'' with its head office at Bristol. England, and " Toe N.Z. Co-oper-fßve Honey Producers' Association," bead office at Haw-era. Taranaki. The *aole 0I - our honey export trade is r.ow "Jiiducte_ through these institutions, the local one looking after the business « this end, and the other at the Home oi

; ; ha 19H the X.Z. Association undertook •o supply the Bristol Association for * term of years with rot less than -JO Urns nor more than 500 tons of first pade honey on condition that it should j* sold in retail packages in Britain ***"*_ the hran.l of the local •sraeiation, and the words "New ZeaJand aoney m \___yr,, letters. The price then betw PPn the two associations I . " at the producer should receive 4d P*r lb for all fir.st-_rade honey on being ped at the grading store. This was I Z.T *""' re?ol,r - p - and after it was disced ot in England and certain expenses Wacted, whatever surplus remaineo I *_ s J added l o 'he 4d and returned to the | producers. The efficient manner in I rT a the trade has been conducted at \ **ii ends is very creditable to both in•wntions. and has done no end of good w cotmpcrcial beekeeping in New Zea- "■*"*• Notwithstanding that all overse—. has been completely disorgan«d and expenses increased "almost 100 PO "nt., t_ e N ew Zealand Association J*e now guaranteeing 4Jd per lb for all 0 oefT* 16 hone y for export to be paid -Otb of month following that in much the grading notes arc "issued. In «mit»n to this producers receive as 1°" f °Te all surplus on sales after exiles have been deducted. "c position of the New Z<-aland "toey business in England will be PWered from tbe following extracts oi J*«er received by the managing diree ** of the New Zealand Honey I'ro I ***?* Asso<r:ati °u—-Mr. GilUn_—from **>« New Zealand manager of the Bristol 2* Dominions Producers' Association, I ___ allowed to publish. As shows' the difficulties of keeping the busi- ""*« going in England Major Norton. Oe managing director, writes: — I am managing director, accountant, ™SEman, invoice clerk, and office boj *«d into one. All the heads of our "■""artments have been taken fur the £*">"". We cannot replace them, moncj *"»no value; it is simply a question o't "•"> power. Teznoting salaries bring no "PPhcations, if therefore, things do not •""■too well this season in tlie matter ot sales, etc, you will kindly make v, ,* ""egard to quantity and prices. " c letter states.--! a „* overjoyed at « prospect of receiving a fair quanJ (of honey). fa y, aUiut 'JOO tons, and "* h '"" ; y I'- r ohablc that he 1 a!l,e io return over 80/ per cwt. I by - £BfJ r "' r for hrst-grade, and 1 cv. k a * f; ° P" r r ' ,yt fr "" anything that ■__ J CalleH > ln: ,Illn <'''-' "• •• l f j »!z? Dd '" "•'"-non.'w- shall need | '<_■!£ 300 tond first-grade for this year

Pastoral and Dairy Interests.

to supply the demand in its entirety. Quality must be kept 11(1 for the Knglish market in order to get the prices."

The le-ttor further states: "The Major has had great difficulty in preventing the Government from command-

eering New Zealand honey, and is pretty sure- it is safe for tins season. Many ii—tances have occurred of New Zealand (troeips) inquiring for New Zealand honey in same pots as received in the- trenches, which is gratifying l."l:mony to our 'Trench' iulvcrti.se-

meiits.'' Dip Major winds up hy saving: "We- iiuii.t have liouey, and ions oi'it as feieen n* possible, in order to keep our roiiiuvtiem supplied."

Tlie' following, clipped from a recent huiiilm'i- of the "British Bee Journal," should encourage our X.Z. beekeepers to extend ilie-ir operations, with the certainly that they have a profitable oversous market for all the honey they can produce:— TOTAL VA-tTE OF 'HONEY IMPORTS FOR THE YEAR l_l6. {anu«ry _____ ~ ,P i; .r " a ry 3,035 M ;"' h 1.35. M-.y ..■::.":::::::::::::::;: 5;»~ ■'"!''' 35.887 •'"■y 3"3sa August £- M , September _n 4t« •Jctober __.S3<» November -).l(j.s I'CL-cmber ° _'___ _. Total £15T.292 vie- total value of hooey Imports for 1915 was il'L.ei.y. and for mi 4 It was £&7,6 i—:. Now, the foregoing is very satisfactory indeed, and it remains with our beekeepers whether they will respond to tne call for more honey to keep ai Home connection together or not. it must be understood that upon a permanent and substantial oversea trade will depend the obtaining of profitable returns from our local markets. If we cease to keep our oversea connection together, the trade already built up attci years of labour will fall away, and prices be reduced at both etuis. A word before closing regarding thr New Zealand Honey Producers' Association. I consider that had this institu tion not come into exist—nee our honey trade would have been practically in the same condition still that it was formerly. at the mercy of a few merchants and broker.*, with prices at sixes aud sevens. Considering the short time it has been in existence, its progress in hoth the local and export trade has been most satisfactory. The last balance-—teet tor the year ending 31st December last, shows a large increase of business over previous years. while the orders oil hand amounting to considerably ovei 100 tons of honey -for local markets and practically an unlimited oversea one. there is alreaely a <ertainty of a big in crease this year. The Association ha-. in_- emerged successfully from its most critical period, that is. Uie first three years of its life, and having demonstrated its deserving support from every commercial beekeeper in New Zealanu. we may expect 1t to mak* even greutor advance each year in the fifture.