Canterbury Beekeepers Stick To Their Guns

Northern Advocate, 18 May 1943, Page 4

Canterbury Beekeepers Stick To Their Guns

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Threats by the Minister for Marketing (Mr Barclay) to prosecute beekeepers under 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 folding up supplies. At the recent beekeepers’ convention in Christchurch, Canterbury producers agreed to send honey to the division provided certain guarantees were given about prices. The resolution drew a reply from the Minister, but Canterbury producers considered this was unsatisfactory. Canterbury branch was being notified of support from other branches throughout New Zealand. There were two solutions to the present deadlock. One was that 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 the military authorities. If that proposal were not possible, said Mr Bray, it was contended thal the Government should subsidise those producers who were receiving a lower return as a result of the Marketing Division’s control.

Neither of the proposals would involve a rise in the price of honey to the consumer. Control by the division, said Mr Bray, suited 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 big apiaries getting too much out of it.