MARKETING OF EGGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 123, 27 May 1938, Page 8

MARKETING OF EGGS

NEED FOR DEFINITE PLAN VIEWS OF POULTRY BOARD PRESENT CONDITIONS NOT SATISFACTORY [ i'er I’re.-s Association.] WELLINGTON, May 26. Not only housewives and grocers, but poultrymen themselves are agreed that the present system of marketing of eggs is most unsatisfactory, ana that there is urgent need for investigation and reform. Officials of the New Zealand Poultry Board stated to-day that nothing could be done to improve the position until an organised egg marketing plan was formulated for tne whole Dominion and was put into effect. Such a plan had been laid before the Government, but the Minister responsible had deferred action. Messrs A. E. Knowles (Auckland), chairman of the Poultry Board, and • Mr S. F. Marshall (Christchurch), also of the board, were in Wellington to-day and in an interview emIphasised the unsatisfactory nature of the present position, “it had been the endeavour of the board, ever since it was formed, to bring forward a plan by which, with the co-opera-tion of the Government, we will able to put an egg on the housewife's table almost as fresh as when it left the nest,” said Mr Knowles, “As a producers’ board we are striving to gi\e the consuming public an egg oi I guaranteed quality under the r ood [and Drugs Act. The Government rightly insists that all foodstuffs sold on the market shall be of good quality. Yet. you can sell almost anything with a shell round it. The producer, who is doing his best to give the public a fair deal, puts out the fresh eggs and very often they bccome involved in intermediate processse and delays of transport and distribution before they come to the consumers’ hands. All that would be eliminated by a proper scheme, but there is no such scheme in operation j to-day. To prevent this it is necessary to conceive a plan that will start at the nest and take the egg right through the processes of retailing until it arrives at the consumer’s hanus. ‘ The board has long advocatcu a plan which would ensure the expeditious handling of eggs, right from the poultry farm to the breakfast table. I This plan has been laid before the | Government, but the Minister (Hon. i W. Nash) stated that no immediate | action could be taken to consider putting it into effect. A rise in the price of eggs cannot be avoided at this time of the year. It is an unnatural time for the birds to reproduce, and production ,is consequently limited to professional poultry farmers, whose business it is to supply eggs at all seasons of the year. The board realises, on the other hand, that there is d

limit to the price which the people ’ can reasonably be expected to pay, but this limit, unfortunately, must be' determined by the fact that the po ii- 1 try farmer has to purchase cereal' and meal foodstuffs for his birds from I industries which are themselves sub-j sidised. That is a dominating factor' in the price of eggs.” Mr Knowles said that the question of keeping eggs from a season of abundance to times of comparative, scarcity by refrigeration and otheri methods, had been considered by the' board in its marketing scheme. lt| had been suggested that Wellington'

was a elumping ground for the surplus eggs for the rest of the country. That was not wholly tne position. Web lington did not produce enough eggn for her own consumption, and relied on the South Island for her supply, but under a marketing plan there should be no possibility of holding bggs in the south so long as to be unfit to be placed on the Welington market. "At present the whole thing is so unsatisfactory that nothing can be done until an organised marketing I scheme has ben formulated for th* 1 whole Dominion,” he said.