PURCHASE OF HONEY

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 April 1943, Page 2

PURCHASE OF HONEY

MINISTER'S

WELLINGTON, April 2

“The Government’s stabilisation plan has been fully observed in the price arrangement made lor the purchase of honey during the presentseason,” said the Minister of Marketing (Mr. Barclay) to-night. “Honey was one of the original 38 stabilised lines announced in 1940, and after a very careful examination of the average returns secured by the producers throughout the Dominion it was decided that the prices finally announced by the Price Tribunal were fair and reasonable,” he said. In the case of South Island honey producers, the price payable by the department for this honey in bulk is approximately 6.73 d per lb, not sid as quoted by several members of the Canterbury branch of the National Bee-keepers’ Association. “In the case of honey packed by producers on behalf of the department. payment equivalent to 8.97 d will be made. The department will also meet the cost of the levy stamp, equivalent to a further halfpenny per lb. If producers have been securing prices exceeding the price order level during the last year they have virtually been operating on the black market or have been securing particular market preferences not available to producers' generally. “As I previously stated, the community as a whole has definite rights in this matter. Through the Government they have supported the beekeepers with special preferences as regards sugar, tyres, benzine, and manpower, and they are entitled to receive a share of the honey crop after priorities have been met at prices which are reasonable and at. the same time fair to the grower.