ASHBURTON EGG PRICES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27603, 9 March 1955, Page 7

ASHBURTON EGG PRICES

Sir,—Twice since the new year, the daily papers have advised that eggs have advanced Is a dozen. Our local egg floor “advanced” us 6d the first time and 4d the second; so we have not yet had the equivalent of the first advance, although our friends at Timaru and Christchurch got it at the time. We cannot be hoodwinked, at this time of year and the present scarcity of eggs, with, “Ashburton cannot consume what eggs she produces, so they are pulped.” Common sense tells us they go on to a bigger town. But why do we producers not reap the benefit? Do our hens lay more prolifically than elsewhere in New Zealand, or is our feed supposed to cost less? Perhaps the Egg Market Department would tell us if we producers are allowed to send our eggs to Christchurch individually and realise more than the 3s 6d now paid us.—Yours, etc., EGG PRODUCER. Ashburton, March 4, 1955. [“Ashburton producers are at liberty to send their eggs to Christchurch or to Timaru as they please,” said the Christchurch representative of the National Egg Marketing Committee (Mr C. J. P. Bashford) when this letter was referred to him. “The committee does not fix the pay-out for the Ashburton floor,” he