EGG PRICES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25092, 25 January 1947, Page 8

EGG PRICES

ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK POULTRY KEEPERS’ DIFFICULTIES An announcement about egg prices to producers will be made soon, according to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr E. L. Cullen), who was asked last evening about poultry feed costs and the prices paid-for eggs and birds. Mr J. W. McGlinchy, of Hornby, chairman of the New Zealand Poultry Board, yesterday received a telegram from the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash) saying that Mr D. G. Sullivan (Minister in charge of Stabilisation) would make an announcement early next week. Mr McGlinchy recently presented to the Economic Stabilisation Commission a cost survey made by his Soard. Asked to comment on the situation of poultry Mr McGlinchy said he did not wish to make a statement at this stage. From other inquiries yesterday, it was learned that widespread dissatisfaction with the prices paid for eggs, compared with high feed costs, has been felt for several months, particularly since the introduction of the standard poultry mash. The subsidy on eggs of 4d a dozen was inadequate. Several large poultry runs have recently been offered for sale. Cost of Mash It was estimated that fowl feed costs had risen by fully 40 per cent, since poultry keepers had • become obliged to purchase the standard mash. One holder of a large run said yesterday that whereas the standard mash cost £l2 a ton, not including delivery costs, he had previously been able to mix a high-grade mash himself for £8 a ton. Poultry keepers had not been completely- satisfied last year; but their position has become intolerable since bran and pollard supplies had been taken off the market and the standard mash substituted. He did not believe the standard mash was as nutritious as that usually mixed by poultry farmers themselves. He believed this was evident from the way stock had gone back in condition. Scouring was fairly common after feeding with the mash. “About the only compensating factor in the fowl feed position is that milk powder is fairly plentiful and we have been able to improve the standard mash with that,” he said. Another poultry keeper elaborated on another consideration of those leaving the industry. The average holding would occupy a man and his wife 60 to 70 hours a week, he said. It was a healthy and interesting life; but under present conditions it ■ was possible to return only wages. When other employment, returning equal or better wages from a 40-hour week, was readily available, it was not surprising that many poultry farmers were considering going out of business.

Inquiries from poultry markets indicated much heavier entries at recent sales than was the case last year. It was noticeable that most of the birds were being taken for table poultry, whereas fully 90 per cent, of the young stock formerly returned to the industry. The demand for pullets was poorer than, for many years. About £1 would buy a pair of pullets to-day which would have cost easily 30s at the same time last year.

A man who has been connected with the egg trade for many years expressed fears that unless the financial returns of poultry farmers were improved considerably, production would drop to such an extent that city residents would have to depend on backyard poultry runs or imports from Australia for their supplies. The difficulty in securing eggs, except in the flush season, compared poorly with the production from 1933 to 1938 when eggs could be exported from New Zealand. Even during the war. output was sufficient to .furnish the heavy additional demands of the armed forces.

Half a dozen poultry keepers, whose holdings had been advertised for sale in the last few months, would have between them about 20,000 birds, he said Reckoning on the production of 200 eggs a bird a year, anyone could assess the‘loss to the market.