BEST QUALITY EGGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20039, 4 March 1927, Page 12

BEST QUALITY EGGS.

GRADING LAW URGED. a DISCUSSION BY POULTRYMEN. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, March 3. A remit from the Wellington District Poultry Farmers’ Association —-“That tho Government be urged to legislate in the direction of adopting grading laws for eggs similar to those in force in tho United States and Canada” —was the subject of considerable discussion at this morning’s sitting of the New Zealand Poultry Association conference. In proposing that the remit be adopted, Mr C. Gibson Young read extracts from the regulations in force in the United States and in Canada, which definitely set out the qualities of the various grades. An “extra” grade egg was clean, fresh, full, firm, and sweet, and must weigh at least two ounces. The public, he said, was prepared to pay a little extra for a good grade article, as was illustrated by the fact that tho housewife preferred to pay 2d a dozen extra for eggs purchased from a dairyman than to buy from a grocer who did not insist on graded eggs. It was the wish of the association to keep a check on all merchants throughout the country. The poultryman sending good eggs to the market deserved to receive tho best price. He thought that systematic grading would benefit both the industry and the consumer, and would tend to eliminate much of the doubt and distrust existing among the producer, receiver, and the general public. Mr H. W. Beck said that unfortunately oven in cases where the eggs were graded the practice was nullified because many grocers selected large eggs from secondgrade lots and mixed them with a firstgrade article. The President (Mr T. Bruce) said that the point Mr Beck had made was the crux of the whole question. It was useless for the eggs to be graded if the grocer could mix them as he liked. The suggested regulations would probably overcome tho difficulty. In his opinion grading regulations would be in the best interests of the industry. Mr F. C. Brown (chief poultry instructor) suggested that graded eggs should be exhibited in the same way as apples, so that the public might see the difference in the grades. Mr E. C. Jarrett advocated private grading. Of 12,510 dozen eggs sent to him for export last year only 3529 dozen were accepted. One agent, who had been particularly careful in his selection, however, had 1898 dozen out of 2590 dozen accepted. Mr C. Cfusins said that he thought the difference in price between the first-grade and second-grade eggs was too little. After further discussion the matter was referred to tho Executive Committee.