Birdseed Inquiry

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29903, 17 August 1962, Page 13

Birdseed Inquiry

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 16. Proprietary lines of birdseed, one of which has been found to contain sweepings of ryegrass and other seeds worthless for food, have been referred to the Consumer Service for investigation. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Marshall) has advised Miss M. B. Howard (Opposition. Sydenham) of this action. Miss Howard has raised the question of birdseed supplies several times in Parliament. “You will recall that recently I undertook to inquire into the quality of birdseed," Mr Marshall wrote today in a letter to Miss Howard. “Because of drought conditions there is a shortage of seed from our normal source, Australia. and prices have increased substantially. “To meet this situation, additional provision for imports has been made to ensure that

adequate quantities of suitable seed could be purchased from any available source. It should be possible, therefore, for bird fanciers to purchase loose seed in individual varieties to make up a satisfactory mixture. “There is no reason to believe that the bulk seed imported in separate varieties is not true to specification, but I have had one proprietary brand of budgerigar seed analysed and the results showed that less than 40 per cent, of the seed contained in the packet constituted valuable seed. The remainder was sweepings of ryegrass and other seeds which are worthless as bird food. “As a result of this the matter has been referred to toe Consumer Service which is planning to investigate all the proprietary packs of birdseed it can find on the domestic market."