PRICE OF EGGS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1938, Page 6

PRICE OF EGGS

A SOARING FIGURE,

(Per Press Association-^-Copyright).

WELLINGTON, May. 3.

Local consumers have had caiisfe'.-diir-ing the past week or- so to sympathise with the -Dunedin public in the matter, of eggs, the wholesale price in Wellington being equal to the retail price inDunedin. ■’

Inquiries to-day' from the . Internal Marketing Department revealed that the egg market this year has been, one of the most difficult ever experienced.

April and May are months when eggs are in shortest supply, but, this..’ year arrangements'to 1 meet the position were somewhat thrown out of gear by the ufiusMally fine weather towards the end* of March and. early last month, which kept the 1 supply considerably above tbp. bustbmary level for the period.- : the requirements of the local market had been provided ferT the surplus was exported. Thus, with a break in the weather before Easter hens suddenly decided to close down; with the result tliat the market was more or less'caught on the hop and prices went up'so.liigh that people-.started- murmurih’g;that eggs had never been so costl.v hefbre. 8' A reference to records, however, shows A. grade eggs last year ... were 2/9A and lowest ; April-May quotation during the depression was 2/2}. in 1934. Last year’s maximum was also tlie v maximum in, 1931, but the previous year the top price was 3/5. Except for a rise to 3/10 in 1927, the top price .from 1924 to 1928 was constant- at 3/4. In. 1922 (slump year) it’ was' as low as 2/10, but the previous year it went up to 4/3 and in 1920, a record for postwar y'ears was reached at'4/6. > •; . In addition to the shortage of supply, the price has been forced UP this season by the increased demand, resisting from a greater public spending power. ‘