THE HONEY MARKET

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 105, 28 January 1929, Page 7

THE HONEY MARKET

NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS GROWING

GOOD RESULTS FROM ADVERTISING “The total export of bulk iginey for 1928 was 2,300,0651 b.” states tfifc quarterly report of the New Zealand Hdpey Control Board. "As is the rule in good seasons,” the report continues, “the honey was for the most part a high quality, white honeys being in larger proportion than usual, and making nearly 50 per cent, of the total. At the same time the proportion of rejects for various causes was unduly large, being 9 per cent, of the total submitted. In most cases the cause of rejection was due to faults in handling at the apiaries. “The large increase in the amount of our export, the increase being double that of the average for the preceding three years, made it imperative that vigorous steps should be taken to stimulate sales on our export market, and with a view to this the National Beekeepers’ Association passed a resolution at its annual conference last June agreeing to an expenditure of up to Id. ner lb. for advertising in the United Kingdom and Europe. In view of the considerable advertising already done by honey producers in the Home Country and the necessity for further effort to absorb our increasing production, the Government was’ approached to assist, and promised to do so to the extent of a grant of £9OOO. Confirmation Of this promise by the present Government is being awaited. The effect, of the extended advertising and propaganda has already resulted in the amount of sales being doubled at, for the most part, previous prices. Markets. “The policy of selling all the honey possible in retail packages is proving a sound policy. While the sales of bulk honey have risen proportionately with those of packed lines due in large measure to other packers of New Zealand honey benefiting by the publicity campaign, there is still a decided limit to the amount of bulk which can be sold to make returns equal to that of the packed honey. It is difficult to make sales at prices competitive with other imported honeys on' account of the low price at which these are offered. The Intermountain States Association of the U.S.A., controlling honey from eight western States, and responsible for a large portion of the export from that country, have fixed their selling price for the current year at 7j cents (33d.) f.o.b. shipping points, for all honey for Europe, United Kingdom, and other outside countries. “Germany is a large importer of honey in bulk, her imports last year amounting to 17,234.8001 b., which is mostly obtained from United States, Canada, Russia, Chile, Mexico. San Domingo, and Guatemala. The honey, required is light amber, and the price offering is round about 4d. per lb„ Hamburg or Bremen. This price would net us about 3id. per lb., f.0.b., so that Germany does not offer us a market at the price which we require for bulk sales. Sales of our packed honey in Germany are, however, growing, and the development of this class of business will be much more remunerative. Production. “A correct estimate of the current season’s production is not yet possible, but prospects indicate that the crop will be rather less than last year owing to the unsettled climatic conditions during the earlier part of the. season. Production capacity is steadily increasing. • and a. corresponding increase in the average amount to be disposed of. from year to year can be anticipated. “The proportionate production of various districts is indicated by the; amount of honey passing through the various grade stores, which for. 1928 was as follows:—Auckland, 10,499 cases; Bluff, 1280; Dunedin, 1077; Greymouth, 1220; Lvttelton, 1894; New Plymouth, 1879; Timaru, 2804; Wellington, 138 S. . “To make the proportion, correct 640 cases require to be deducted from Auckland and added to Greymouth, this amount having been transferred from the latter store to the former. Care in Packing. “Many producers suffer considerable loss through faults in packing. Among other causes of loss are cases made of green or wet timber, rusty or discoloured tins, excessive froth, sour honey. ■ Excessive .froth is'a serious fault in packing, in that fermentative changes take place.in the froth and render the honey practically nseless and in every case unfit for export. Producers should examine all tins before filling. Accidentally a foreign substance may get into a tin. Recently a lady wrote from England very disturbed by finding a flake of solder in some of our honey. This had evidently got into the tin in the process of manufacture and through want of proper examination of the tins, been overlooked. “It has cost a lot to build up a reputation for. our honey,' and every effort should be made to preserve and enhance that reputation both by attention to appearance and quality,”