THE NATIONAL MARKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20915, 3 January 1930, Page 10

THE NATIONAL MARKS.

POULTRY AND FRUIT. STIMULUS TO TRADE. 2,800,000 MORE FOWLS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 14. It is less than a year since the Minister of Agriculture in the Conservative Government (Colonel .W. E. Guinness) launched legislation for grading and marking British eggs, and striking figures are already given of the undoubted success of the move. In leas than a year the National Egg Marking Scheme has not only greatly increased production—since its inception no fewer than 200,000,000 eggs produced in England and Wales have been tested and packed at registered stations—but farmers everywhere have been encouraged to breed more poultry. In June last there were nearly 3,000,000 more fowls in England than a year before. The home product, too, continued throughout the summer to command the highest prices, which indicates that the consumer is playing no small part in making the scheme a success.

. The Morning Post’s special representative announces that there is every sign of the experiment leading to further rapid development of the industry, and so diverting a large proportion of the annual import figure of £25,000,000 for eggs and poultry into the pockets of the British poultry farmer.

Since the inception of the scheme last February, the 200,000,000 eggs produced in England and Wales have been packed under the National Mark system. Nor is this all. Poultry farmers have quickly responded to the new opportunities for increased production. Last June there were 2,800,000 more fowls on agricultural holding in England and Wales than in the year before. BETTER PRICES. Prices, too, have assisted poultry farmers. In previous years best imported eggs on the London market had commanded higher prices than best Engbut this year best English have realised the highest prices throughout the summer. To the National Mark scheme must be given much credit for this.

. With the coming of winter the continuation of the present success of the scheme is, to a certain extent, being impeded by a shortage of home produced eggs, but the National Mark has fulfilled _ its first and principal object—it has given poultry farmers new heart and a healthy optimism.

It Is understood that the Ministry have arranged with the Poultry Advisory Committee to introduce in the New Year a fourth grade of England National Mark eggs. This will be ■ known as " pullet weight,” and will consist of eggs weighing from one ounce and a-half, and will enable persons of moderate means to take advantage of the National Mark scheme. APPLES AND PEARS.

The success of the marking scheme has been proved, too, in the case of tomatoes, cucumbers, and all-English flour, and the continued progress of the apple and pear scheme. There has been an increase of packers under this scheme during this year, and one Covent Garden firm are already sending National Mark “Fancy” grade pears to Paris, and are making arrangements to ship National Mark boxed apples to <South Africa.

The Ministry of Agriculture is leaving no stone unturned to popularise these various schemes. Returns just published of the sale of apples retail at the Ministry’s stand during four weeks of the North-East Coast Exhibition at New-castle-on-Tyne clearly indicate that the public are anxious to buy under the National Mark scheme. In the first week, apples to the value of £62 were sold; in the second, £6B; the third, £B4; and during the last, just under £IOO worth.