A MILLION EGGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 8

A MILLION EGGS.

NEW ZEALAND EXPORTS*

PREPARATION FOR MARKETj

MANY PROCESSES INVOLVED*

About 500 cases containing 180,000 eggs were loaded on the steamer Rotorna .yesterday for export to England, and with the quotas from Wellington and South Island centres the shipment will be brought up to about 3000 cases, or 1,080,000 eggs.For some weeks past the Government grading store on King's Wharf has been a scene of considerable activity. The public has little idea of the processes involved in the preparation of eggs for ex* port. A staff of about 10, under the direo tion of the Government poultry instructor and grader, Mr. E. C. Jarrett, is busily engaged in the many operations performed at the store before the eggs i»re ready for shipment. The eggs are sent from the producers throughout the Auckland provinco to six receiving pools, comprising local firms of merchants and producers' societies. A preliminary grading is made by the pools .and the eggs arc despatched to the store/ Her 6 the eggs are sorted into three classes according to colour, namely, white, brown and cream.

The next step is to grade the eggs according to weight. The first grade con« sists of those weighing 24 ounceu or upward to the dozen and the second grade those weighing 25 ounces and under 24 ounces to the dozen. The former Varieties weigh from 15, 15£, 16, 16£ to 171b* to the long hundred (10 dozen eggs) and the latter kinds 14 and 14£lb. to the long hundred. All eggs offered on the London market are sold by the long hundred and all countries exporting eggs to England have to conform with this. Amounts o 1 Government Guarantee. The Government guarantee, which plays so large a part in the Dominion's egg export industry, is also based on the long hundred. The guarantee this year, providing the eggs are sent to the r.tore iu a clean, well-graded condition, in which case the overhead charges will be reduced to a minimum, amounts to net returns to the producer of Is 4d, Is 3d, Is 2d and Is a dozen for eggs weighing 17, 16 and over, 15 to 16 and under 15 ounces to the dozen respectively. To secure the Government guarantee the eggs weighing under 15 ounces to the dozen must not exceed 20 per cent, of the total ship, ments. As eggs weighing less than two ounces each are regarded as pullet eggs on the Home market, a Government official stated yesterday, New Zealand would be well advised to export none under that weight.

The weight grading operations are dona by hand and eye, a delicate weighing machine being used in doubtful cases* Each egg is personally inspected by Mr. Jarrett. The eggs are next tested for freshness and quality. This is done by placing them under a kind of lens and examining them in a dark-recess under powerful electric lights. If the air cells revealed under the glare are larger than a sixpenny piece or if blood spots are disclosed the eggs are rejected. The eggs which survive these tests are then branded "N.Z. Empire Eggs." The compulsory branding of eggs with the country of origin has been enforced by the British' Government. Their colour, weight and quality determined, the eggs are packed in wooden cases, each containing 560 eggs. To obviate anj' risk of breakage or damage the eggs are packed in cardboard sections, wood wool pads being placed at the bottom, centre and top of the cases. The lids of the boxes are specially bulged to resist pressure. The final process—that of checking the operations—is then applied. By subtracting the total weight of the empty case and, pads from that of a sealed one, the weight per long hundred is given and this is stamped on the cases* Criticism of System by Producers. Criticism that the Government graders are too strict in their operations has been levelled by producers. Sir. F. C. Brown, chief Government poultry instructor, stated yesterday that to protect the export' trade such a rigid standard was necessary The eggs, he said, had to compete with the world's; markets, the distance of New Zealand from England being a disadvan« tage. The fact that, not a single complaint was made about the eggs exported last season spoke volumes for their quality.

It was unfortunate that the producers did not export to a greater extent. The aim of tho Government in providing tha {guarantee was in the first place to enable the producer to obtain an - advance on his exported eggs at the time of shipment. Tha secondary purpose was to remove the surplus and to maintain the local markets at payable prices. The high costs of fowl food and the unstable local markets often made the lot of the producer a precarious one. If the poultrykeepers were forced to give up their farms the prosperity of the country: would be adversely affected. If the eggs sold within the Dominion were properly graded and offered as guaranteed classes. it would materially benefit tho industry, said Mr. Brown. A 6 present eggs were " sold in sealed envelopes," which provided no clue to their internal quality. The New Zealand Poultry Association had brought the matter of local grading before the Government, which was giving it consideration*