EXPORT TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23718, 26 July 1940, Page 11

EXPORT TRADE

NO EXTBA DEMAND FEEDING AND COSTS NEW MARKETING SCHEME BY A.B.C. No doubt poultry-keepers will be disappointed to learn that eggs are placed very low in the list of foods considered necessary by the Minister in charge of Food Supplies in England. Some of us were feeling that we would be called on to help, in view of the cutting off of supplies from Denmark and Holland, but it seems that we shall not be wanted. Eggs in shell are bulky freight and must bo carried in chillers and on no account frozen. 'Egg pulp, however, can be frozen, and, as it is packed in tins and cased, makes close stowing freight. It was of egg pulp the writer thought as a very possible export which, once established, might quite easily lead to permanency when again peace came. Now it seems that, with tho egg so poorly situated in the scale of good foods, our products will not be wanted in any form. Feeding costs do not fall, and therein lies the great bugbear of the poultrykeeper. Could costs be reduced in the production of eggs, most of us would be very glad to see our product going into the public's hands at a cheaper rate. No effort is ever made by Governments to help in this direction. Only the highest grades of wheat are imported from Australia, whereas some of the lower grades would be far less costly and of just as good feed value as the grain at present coining in. Barley is quite as good as wheat for poultry feeding and should be much more freely used tnan at present. Barley could be imported for fowls just as readily as wheat. The new marketing scheme, in conjunction with the Internal _ Marketing branch, comes into operation in the near future, and will be watched with interest by all producers. Any scheme which does not have one eye constantly on the cost of production will be only half a scheme. This aspect may be fully observed by the promoters, but, as the writer has 110 information before him, an opinion cannot be expressed More than half the poultry-keepers take so little active interest in their own affairs that it will most like v be news to them that a marketing scheme is to come into existence. It has been formulated and is to operate, and. we can hope, with the same beneficial result to us as the guaranteed price has to the dairy farmer. With the Government interested in the seHing end. it should logically follow that the production end will receive some attention. Quality of foodstuffs could also verv greatly benefit from some attention, particularly as regards the locallyproduced pollard and bran.