HONEY EXPORTS

Southland Times, Issue 19658, 7 October 1922, Page 6

HONEY EXPORTS

ON A FIRM FOUNDATION, LONDON MARKET SOUNDLY ESTABLISHED. On Tuesday, Mr Robert Gibb, Menzies Ferry, returned by the night express after a 12 days’ abtence, during which he; travelled as far as Auckland. In that city, he attended-' a conference of N.Z. Honey Producers’ Association (“H.P.A.”), of which he is a director. It was a fully attended meeting, and Mr Thomas Clarke, Helensville, presided over the deliberations. One of the chief matters dealt with at the conference was the conclusion of the negotiations for the purchased by the H.P.A. of the goodwill and plant of Alliance Box and Beekeepers’ Supplies Co., Dunedin. Another very important matter was that of meeting Mr Spindley, the H.P.A. agent sent Home for the express purpose of firmly establishing the H.P.A.’s honey-packing business on the London market. This Mr Spindley accomplished to an extent beyond anticipations. As a result, the Association is at present packing and exporting 400 tons honey annually, all put in half-pound bottles or paper pots. “It is interesting to learn,” remarked Mr Gibb, “that the H.P.A. is the largest firm of honey-packers doing business in Great Britain, and, quite probably, in the world. It may be added that in order to cope with this large support, we are getting the bottles of the particular size we require from one of the largest glass-making factories in Belgium. This firm was so pleased to get such good business from us, that they are giving us a special mould for our honey bottles, whatever design we select, and they bear all the expense incidental thereto. That will be a magnificent advertisement for the New Zealand H.PA. Mr Gibb went on to refer to numerous economies they had been able to effect at the “other end,” mainly through the advantage of having a reliable and thoroughly accredited agent on the spot. Without going into details over that account, he might say, in a nutshell, that- they had been able to reduce their overhead charges to Id per lb. Moreover, the reputation for New Zealand honey, in purity and flavour, was so well established that it would always command top market price. "There is every prospect of a record harvest of New Zealand honey this year,” said Mr Gibb in conclusion, “and of gqod payable returns for whatever we export to London.”