EGGS AND POULTRY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 July 1933, Page 7

EGGS AND POULTRY.

PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRY DISCUSSED. LEVIN POULTRY KEEPERS' i ASSOCIATION HAS SATISFACTORY YEAR. Many matters of interest were dealt with at the first annual meeting of the Levin Poultry- j Eeepers' Association, Ltd., Since ! ate re-organisation. The annual report showed the general pro- - .gress of the business, a point that .received favourable comment, and on which the chairman of directors •, (Mr P. Jennens) was congratulated, J being the very low marketing cost, ■which averaged a fraction over lid a dozen. 1 The meeting also had . the benefit of the latest information on future prospects and policy firom Mr Frank Ptcot, of Picot Eros., who handle the Association's eggs in Wellington. The meeting took place in the Oxford «Tea-rooms on Friday night, when there was -a large attendance, those •present including in addition to local Messrs Raikes, Bailey and Hunter, of Foxton, and Messrs Griffiths, H. and W. Jepson, and Bills, of Otaki. Mr H. A. Sobertson was voted to the chair and welcomed the visitors, -expressing pleasure at Mr Picot's presence and the attendance of representatives from neighbouring districts. -NINETY-FIVE THOUSAND DOZEN EGGS. Mr Jennens, read the annual report as follows: "Payments made in June and the subsequent adjustment of accounts :marks the completion of the first year -of the Levin Poultry-Keepers' Association since its reorganisation and registration and our membership has been maintained satisfactorily. New members have come in during the year and -our numerical strength is equal to thai: of the previous year. "'Slightly under 95,000 dozen of eggs were marketed during the period, the -average gross price, being Is 2£d. The .-costs of marketing, that is the total amount charged to members during the year covering all costs, is equal to 1 9-16th pence per dozen. On the goods the amount of turnover through; 'goods accounts totals £3733, the great.er portion being debited.vto accounts. "Our share of export was well maintained and the report on our eggs was -satisfactory and it is hoped that during the coming season members will .again do their best to see that eggs .are fresh and clean and* so fit for the •export grading store. The season for export can only be a short one if ieavy losses are to be avoided and -we can only take advantage of the English high prices extending over 2 •to Hi months and an effort should be anade to export all possible during that period. "The policy of this Association has ;always. been to discourage the exjport of all eggs grading less than the 151 b. pack and past experience has .shown that our attitude was right: Anticipations are for the export of more -than double the number sent away last year. The rate of exchange may be .of some service this year but it is •quite impossible to foresee the condition of the British markets owing to .the great expansion of the poultry industry in Great'Britain. "Locally an effort has been made to hold prices on a par with Wellington levels. In that, no doubt, we have assisted, those outside who still prefer the grocers, yet it is interesting to note that our local sales during the ; past four months have averaged well over £2O per month, and we take that to be an indication that there are not so many eggs produced in the district as there were two and three years ago. *< During the year there . has been pmeh ridiculous publicity over the Poultry Amendment Bill. We have asked for a* conference on the Bill in .the hope Wt we may get one satisfactory to all. So far no sign has come from the side, in the meantime we are regarded as opponents of the Bill. Yet yre advocate a modified Registration and regulations as hard on the bad egg as it is possible to make them. "I understand a proposal is being Jmade for the extension of our district. .That may well be discussed if brought forward! "In regard to the accounts there is a small credit balance in the Egg Acount consisting of what is usually termed 'unders and overs'; that .amounts to £ll 2s 2d and if agreeable to you we propose to pay one halfpenny per dozen on the eggs received during May, those paid* for on June .jLOth, the final month in our year, carrying the balance" forward." On the motion of Mr B. Raskin, peconded by Mr G. Webb, the report Jtvas adopted. THE EXPORT PROBLEM. Mr Jennens said the export of eggs *vvas going to be a very troublesome {matter this year. Personally he did jnot think the Wellington district would Jfliave eggs to jexport,,, certainly not" xxny greater number than was sent away last year. Auckland and Christchuich mipftt have them, but he felt convinced that there were a lot of people jwho had reduced their flocks, and while a few new poultry-keepers had .rfjorne in, they were not comparable with .those who had gone out. ( Round about JDunedin and Invercargill, more people .Ihaa gone out of the industry than had come into it. Most of the eggs for export would come from round about Oamaru. It remained to be seen also Jiow far they could make export profitable. It was no use exporting on a large seale if they w.ere going to make an enormous loss. The only advantage of an export policy was to anajattaia. tie local price, and before

they accepted the possibility of a huge loss on export they should go thori oughly into the question of improving the local market. - AN EGG PER HEAD PER YEAR, If we had regulations by which we could definitely bar the bad egg, and we could induce the pecpis' of New Zealand to consume one more egg per head per year, jthis country would absorb all tHe surplus eggs that were exported last year. One more egg per head per month of the population would bring new prosperity to ,the industry. Satisfy the public that the eggs we offer to them are good and fresh and we will get rid of 21 million more eggs in New Zea- i land than we are doing to-day. We have to clean up our own market first. Mr Jennens mentioned a case in point. A well-known resident of Palmerston North told him that when he kept his own fowls his household used about three dozen eggs a week. This year he had been unable to keep fowls, and so far had only bought three lots of eggs in the shops, but he had not eaten one shop egg because they were stale. Regulation of the bad egg was much more important than export, because the English market was only open to them for two or two and ahalf months. A VERY LIVE 'CIRCLE. Mr Picot said he was very much interested in the report, which he thought a subject for congratulation. Levin* could be well satisfied with the successful year revealed in the report. They were not out to make a profit, and if they made a loss they would very soon hear from their 'banker The turn-over in eggs was very gratifying and showed that the circle was a very live one ineed. In reply to a question Mr Jennens ' said the number" of suppliers reached 140, and just now was about 100. Mr Picot remarked that it was a very tidy amount for an Association of this size to provide. He thought their cost of marketing, a penny and nine-sixteenths per dozen, must be about the cheapest in New Zealand. He could not imagine it getting cheaper. Referring to the export prospects, Mr Picot said there was a request in the South for a 14 or 14$ lb pack. He agreed that it was desirable to forward as many eggs for export as possible, and that unless they lowered the pack they would have a difficulty in getting the quantity. Mr Jennens: But the eggs must not be pooled. THE LESS CONTROL THE BETTER Mr Picot said he did not like Government control in any industry and was prepared to stand to the statement that the moce Government control they could get out of the better. One very gratifying thing was the present hardening of prices generally. The poultry-farmer and everyone else was very dependent on other primary allied products and it was essential that other primary industries should not keep too long on the put-out-of-business price level. We saw a considerable improvement in wool prices, and some in butter and cheese. The egg position in England was not very clear, but it seemed that supplies on the English market were being well maintained by Home production. EXPORT AS A GOVERNOR. - He had therefore been interested to hear Mr Jennens refer to increasing the local consumption in New Zealand. He favoured export, but as a governor to the local market, and he hoped they would never see the local - value governed by <the export value.. When the poultry industry got into ,the same position, in that respejct as the butter business, iit would be time to get out of it. They wanted to get. the most they could out of the local market. . The use of the most modern, scientific, and up-to-date grading plant was necessary and the speaker handed round a photograph of a machine that was used in his firm's store in Wellington and explained its operation. If thp Egg Distributing Board did nothing more than bring about the use of such methods, and then immediately went into liquidation—as some said it would have . done —it would have performed a great service. Since Mr Jennens had visited the South Island four of these machines had been put into operation. Since putting in its plant the speaker's firm found that business had increased and worries had decreased because they had been able to supply a uniform egg. He mentioned that three suppliers whose eggs had been found to be unsatisfactory, had been told to send no more eggs to Picot Bros. There was no comparison between hand and machine grading so far as accuracy was concerned. He mentioned that some large retailers • would not handle any eggs that had not been machine graded. EAT MORE EGGS. What was wanted was an '' Eat More Eggs" campaign in New Zealand. Referring to the stamping of eggs, hb said a good deal had been heard of the value of the "National Mark" in England, and it had been used as an argument (for (stamping eggs in New Zealand, but he found that the "National Mark" went on the boxes and never, on the egg. EXPORT ARRANGEMENTS. " Mr. Picot explained the export arrangements recently made. In each of the four main centres they had very live export committees, particularly so in the South Island, where they had cheaper. grain on the spot and Wellington as a dumping ground. It was those eggs that they hoped would be exported. The poultry industry generally could thank Dr. Eeakes/Di-

rector'-Geiieral |of the Agricultural Department, for his practical help in getting the representatives of the industry together and working out a scheme. Last year 5264 crates of eggs were exported and it was lioped this year to export 12,000 crates. That was the hope, but the law of supply and demand- would play' its part. If the local price was definitely higher than could be expected on the English market, then they could not be expected to export. MARKET PROSPECTS. The export price of eggs was going to cause some concern and in order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, they hoped to have a meeting of the 1 Wellington Committee during the coming week. The 'Committee would consist of five producers and five exporters and lioped to get down to the position. He explained D'r. Reakes' suggestion for a central committee to deal with export, the members being Mr J. N. McLean, representing the N.Z. Poultry Association, Mr Ironside, (representing the Department, and the speaker representing the merchants. The Government was more than usually interested in the export of eggs in view of the opinion expressed by Mr F: C. Brown, the Departmental Poultry " Instructor, that the small farm scheme in eomrection with the relief of unemployment would probably carry a large proportion of poultry keepers. LEVIN EGGS -SOUGHT FOR. He added that his firm appreciated very much the opportunity of handling Levin eggs, which were of a quality that gave no trouble and were keenly sought after in Wellington. Mr Robertson thanked Mr Picot for his address which, he said, had been listened to with great interest by all present. QUESTION OF SUBSIDY. Mr Raskm asked Mr Picot as to the effect of export of eggs on the local market and whether, in view of the Government's interest in the smallholders, there Avas any likelihood of a subsidy on export. Mr Picot congratulated Mr Raskin on picking out the essential points of his remarks. The first was a very difficult question inasmuch as between now and the end of the month they had to decide exactly how far New Zealand would go in the export of eggs. It would be. very foolish to carry out a large export if the price in New Zealand was to stay at about Is 2d or Is 3d. In the years when there was no export prices were better than in some years that they had exported. Last year, for instance, with a fairly heavy export, the returns were lower than in the previous year when there was a comparatively smaller export. If the market stayed "put" at a payable price, it was like tipping money down a drain to export. The law of supply and demand was the governing factor. As to the second question, to ask the Government for a subsidy Avas hopeless. • They must guard against , a fictitious idea being created of the possibilities of the poultry industry. No greater harm could be done than to encourage a great number of small farmers to come into the industry and to overdo it. Mr Jennens said it would be absolutely ridiculous to take eggs that Avere bringing Is 7d to Is 9d on the local market and send them to a market where they would bring Is 2d with charges amounting to 7d or 7£d. The only use that Ncav Zealand could make of export Avas to relieve an over-laden market here. Mr F. C. Raikcs (Foxton) expressed pleasure at being present and hearing how Avell the LeA-in Association had done. He thought Mr Picot's vieAVS Avere absolutely sound. It Avould be very serious if they 0A r erdid the export business and created a false idea of the industry. He approved of Mr Jennens' suggested solution by increased local consumption. In these days of good motor services from the country to the city it should be possible to market a special egg at a special price. Eggs laid on one day could be sold as guaranteed day-old eggs and he felt sure there Avould be buyers for them. If not sold that day they could go into the general stock. Mr Eaikos made a plea for the greater use of the port of Foxton for pollard and Avheat. These products could be brought in from the South Island * through Foxton at the same price as through Wellington, Avith much less haulage afterwards. • Mr Griffiths (Otaki) also referred to the Levin Association's favourable position and said that if all Associations Avere run on the same lines there would be little to complain of. He had listened with interest to Mr Picot's remarks. While everyone did not think so, the speaker believed the merchant was as necessary to the business as the producer. The merchant was trained to his side of the business just 'as the producer was to his. Referring to the small'farm policy he felt sorry •for the unemployed as none of them knew when they might not be unemployed himself. They had heard of the 10-acre block scheme 'before. As a returned soldier who had attended a poultry keepers' school and had had to forget a lot of what, he ,learnt there, he felt the scheme might be a great misfortune for the unemployed. Otaki had just made a grea* move for-AA-ard by deciding to form an Association there. .' Mr Jepson (Otaki) said he did not think it was the Government's policy to advise anybody to go in for poul-try-keeping. The area had been increased to 50 acres under the small farm scheme and he did not think there was anything to worry about on that score. x Supper Avas served at the conclusion of the meeting.