EGG MARKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 17 October 1925, Page 10

EGG MARKET.

EFFECT OF RECENT HOLD-UP. POSITION: STILL UNCERTAIN. Reports from local merchants show that the egg market was affected by the inability to get the usual consignments away to London. The wholesale price has been maintained up to the present at Is 6d, but as no .shipments were at present being made, it was 'quite on the cards that the price would be seriously affected by extra supply being thrown on to the local market. 'Generally a large number of eggs are shipped Home at this time of the year •and up to the end of the month in order to meet the Christmas and New Year demand. Naturally, if this is cut out the adverse effect must be felt badly because shippers will not get the good price and there will be an over-supply in the Dominion. The (termination of the shipping trouble will have relieved the 'position, but it is open to doubt ,whether the consignments can be expected to secure the good prices -they would have found on reaching the Old Country before Christmas. The demand is pretty certain to have been met to some extentfrom other sources. Still it is not so bad as it might have been had the ihold-up persisted a few weeks more. Later advices just to hand go to show 'that it is probable that some shipment# at least will be sent if the space has not been cancelled. In this connection it may be of interest to ilearn -from the Dominion Executive s report for last year that “the important lesson to be learned from last year’s" (1923) export operations is that no eggs should be shipped from the 'Dominion to iarrive in London after the end of December, unless sold on a fo b basis.”' This seems to indicate ■that even now the returns may still he satisfactory. ... , , The system of dealing with the output in this district differs from that of many other places. In some the market is more or less controlled, and prices are fixed every week or two. In Hawera- the Egg Circle takes all the output- of its members, and ships_ to Wellington all that are not required for local consumption, and the price is ruled by that secured in Wellington. Its district extends from Otakeho across to Eltham and down to Hawera, with one member in- Mokoia. Most of the members are not in a big way, but last month they put through 2740 dozen, and the members secured a return of le 42-d per dozen, off which has to he deducted a small local commission. Some of the larger egg farmers do not ship through the circle if the price goes down, but preserve on their own account. Last winter they secured Is 9d and up to 2s for .prpserjed eggs.