EXPORT OF HONEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 11

EXPORT OF HONEY.

PAST SEASON REVIEWED. PRODUCTION AND QUALITY. ENGLISH MARKET CONDITIONS. The exports of honey for the 1930-31 season totalled 566.0721b. of extracted honey and 25 crates of section honey, according to the report of the Honey Export Control Board. The last grading for the season was completed in July. Shipments were made from the various grading stores as follows: —Auckland, 306,6281b.; Timaru, 70,4401b.; Greymouth, 50,8801b.; New Plymouth, 43,4881b.; Dunedin, 31,4401b.; Lyttelton, 26,2161b.; Wellington, 21,6081b. The season's production on the average was lighter in colour than usual, about 50 per cent, grading white and only 25 tons, or 10 per cent., medium amber. There was no dark amber. The most serious defect in quality was the almost general grainy nature of the honey, varying in degree, but nearly always present. Variation in Exports. "There is no means of obtaining the exact amount of production for the Dominion in any one year," states the report. "The variation in export from year to year does not represent an equal variation in production. While the small exports of this and the previous year are partly accounted for by lower yields on account of climatic conditions, they are also duo to increasing home consumption of honey. While yields last year in the North Island were somewhat patchy, they amounted to a fair average over all. In the South, with the exception of South Canterbury, where there was a normal crop, the yield was only about one-third of the average. "It is estimated that the number of hives in registered apiaries, given as 105,776, has been increased by at least 5 per cent., making a total of 111,061 hives. Taking the average production per hive as 601b., the total production for the Dominion would be 2974 tons. The amount held for consumption in the Dominion this year would therefore be 2974 tons, less the export of 250 tons, a net amount of 2724 tons. This would show the Dominion's consumption of honey to bo approximately 41b. a head. The price for Dominion sales of honey are based on the advance of the New Zealand Co-operative Honey Producers' Association, Limited, and a considerable drop in the advance of that association has had the effect of more intensive competition in local sales and a corresponding reduction in price." Consumption in Britain. Formerly no very correct estimate of the consumption of honey in the United Kingdom was to be obtained. A report has now been published by the standing committee of the Council of Agriculture for England, on the marketing of homeproduced honey. This shows that the homo supply of the United Kingdom in a normal year is about one-third of the total consumption. The annual importation averages about 68,000cwt., of which 47 per cent, comes from British countries. An excess supply in 1929 accentuated the position brought about by depressed trading conditions. This excess was brought about as a result of honey formerly sold to Germany being excluded by a big increase in duty and dumped on the English market. "Any optimistic forecast of the market movements is excluded just now," says the report. "Unfortunately we must accept that the present conditions will continue over next season. It can be expected that bv the end of that period the present efforts to put the world's affairs in order will be giving results."