HONEY MARKETING

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 May 1943, Page 3

HONEY MARKETING

BEEKEEPERS AND MINISTER

CHRISTCHURCH, May 17

Threats by the Minister of Marketing (Mr. Barclay) to prosecute beekeepers under the Honey Marketing Regulations, if they refuse to supply 70 per cent, of their crop to the Internal Marketing Division, have had little effect on Canterbury producers, according to the Canterbury President (Mr. W. B. Bray). Members of the Branch are still holding up supplies. At the recent beekeepers’ convention in Christchurch, Canterbury producers agreed to send honey to the

Division, provided certain guarantees were given about the prices. The resolution drew a reply from the Minister, but the Canterbury producers considered this unsatisfactory. Meanwhile, said Mr. Bray, _ the Canterbury Branch was being notified of support from other branches throughout New Zealand. There were two solutions to the present deadlock. ' One was that the former marketing conditions should be restored to eliminate the necessity of additional costs in tins and cases to those producers who formerly sold direct to retailers, and to permit direct contracts between producers and military authorities. If that proposal were not possible, said Mr.

Bray, it was contended that the Government should subsidise those producers who were receiving a lower return as the result of the Marketing Division's control. Neither' proposal would involve a rise in the price of honey to the consumer.

Control by the Division, said Mr. Bray, suited the big North Island producers, but it meant an uneconomic price to the small producers, the great majority of whom he believed were sympathetic to the Canterbury stand. If the price to the producer were raised, it would result in the big apiaries getting too much out of it.