CONFERENCE OF BEE-KEEPERS

Southland Times, Issue 23228, 17 June 1937, Page 6

CONFERENCE OF BEE-KEEPERS

PROBLEMS ANALYSED BY MR LEE MARTIN

(United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 16.

The annual conference of the Bee Keepers’ Association was opened by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin), who announced his intention of asking Cabinet to draft legislation to include the honey industry within the scope of the Primary Products Marketing Act. The delegates were welcomed to the city by the Mayor, and Mr Lee Martin’s address was followed by others from several departmental officers. After referring to the disastrous nature of the past season for many districts, Mr Lee Martin said the total tonnage would be perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of 1500, which was really insufficient for normal local requirements. He went on to speak of the marketing insecurity. Where the overseas market was built up in industry it was liable to such yearly production fluctuation that there was sometimes a large surplus for export and at other times insufficient for even the local market, but he was confident that most of both the local and the export problems were connected up with the insufficiency of marketing control. He wished the conference to set up a small committee to explore the whole position with the Director of Internal Marketing (Mr F. R. Picot), so that as soon as possible he would be in a position to advise just what form legislation should take. He said the activities of the apiary instructors had been well maintained in most districts, and satisfactory progress was being made in eradication of disease. He was hurt to see definite antagonism from some quarters to the Honey Control Board. He was giving consideration to wider franchise that might make control of the industry more democratic.