No Change Wanted In Egg Grading

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31632, 19 March 1968, Page 9

No Change Wanted In Egg Grading

No alteration or simplification should he made to the egg quality grading system, it was decided at the annual conference of Registered Poultryfarmers in Christchurch yesterday.

An Otago-Southland remit that egg quality gradings be simplified to enable a more practicable application was lost.

“Training staff under the new grading system must be chaotic as they have to know the 60 definitions as to how a good quality egg should look,” said Mr I. D. McClintock (Southland). Producers would be better off without the present system of grading as so many poor eggs were slipping into top gradings. “I think in 12 months you will find this system works very well,” said Mr C. R. de Latour,, president of the Egg Distributors’ Association. “We will be very sorry if it is broken up.” To Investigate

The Egg Marketing Authority was asked to investigate the possibility of a marketing area being made of all New Zealand cities and towns of an agreed population, including their suburbs. “This recommended system is inequitable and unfair but we will support it as a second line of defence,” said Mr L. W. Hunter (Palmerston North). “We would much prefer to have an increased chick levy but we don’t know if we will get it.” Mr A. H. Rowlandson (Auckland) said this system was imperative. “If we have reasonably sized areas the contract system can work but

if there are large areas where the Egg Marketing Authority has no authority then the present system will eventually break down.” Licences

A remit that the New Zealand Poultry Board approach the Government to legislate immediately to licence all eggproduction . poultry units of greater than 10,000 birds was passed without dissent. It was possible that broiler chicken production would become established in the hands of two or three companies, and the same thing could happen with egg production, said Mr Hunter. “Mammoth units would ruin us all. We don’t object to fair competition but a unit of 100,000 birds would not be fair competition.” He said that he envisaged that the Government would issue licences, and would peg applicants to a number. Possibly a special licensing authority would have to be set up—either by the Egg Marketing Authority or by the Government.

AMBERLEY.—March medal: T. Kotlowski, 86. IS—6B. Senior stroke: P. Fleetwood, 78, 9—69: B. Russell. 78. 4—74': F. Hobbs. 79, 3—76. Intermediate: T. Retallick. 85, 12—73; I. B. Stocks, 84. 10—74: S. Dyer, 86, 12—74. Junior: T. Kotlowski, 86, 18 —68; N. Withell, 87, 17—70; K. Cumberpatch. 89, 19 —70. President's grade: J. Patrick. 103. 32—71; T. Croft, 109, 36—73; L. Stacc. lit. 36—75.