HONEY MARKETING SCHEME

Southland Times, Issue 23852, 24 June 1939, Page 19

HONEY MARKETING SCHEME

QUALITY OF PRODUCE FOR SALE The orderly marketing of honey was already proving of definite advantage to honey producers, said Mr F. R. Picot, Director of the Internal Marketing Division, at the opening of the annual conference of the National Bee Keepers’ Association last week.

It was pleasing to note, said Mr Picot, that there had been full coordination on the part of producers. Although it was perhaps a little early to deal wtih the scheme in all its ramifications, there had been a great improvement in the marketing position. The department was now working on the payment of 6d for the whole season.

Agreement that the marketing procedure had fully measured up to expectations was expressed by Mr W. Nelson, chairman of the Honey Control Board. “However,” he said, “the Marketing Department must sell what it gets, and unfortunately it does not always get what is desirable from the producers. Consequently the merchant has a distinct business advantage over the department. If this position is allowed to develop it must militate against the success of the department.” It appeared to him that many producers made a practice of supplying then- local trade wtih a class of honey easy to sell and sending forward to the Marketing Division only that portion which they found difficult to dispose of. The Control Board had no wish to set restrictions on the acceptance by the department of any sound marketable honey but it would appear that more action might be necessary unless all suppliers to the department were prepared voluntarily to send forward a much greater proportion of their betterclass honey than they had been doing.

The conference discussed the method of collecting the halfpenny tax on honey, it being stated that the department hoped to introduce some scheme for collecting the tax which would do away with the seal. It was announced by Mr Nelson that the payment of 5d pro rata already made was the final one for the 1936-37 season. The 1936-37 season was the final year the Control Board exercised control over overseas marketing.