DOMINION EGG PRICES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 61, 15 March 1943, Page 4

DOMINION EGG PRICES

NEW ZEALAND ORDER. ISSUED EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION DESIRED (P.A.) Wellington, March 14. Owing to the difficulties of administration with regard to the supervision of egg prices, particularly in smaller towns and country areas, the Price Tribunal has issued a comprehensive price order covering hen and duck eggs throughout the Dominion. It incorporates variations in the wholesale prices current at the same period last year and at the same time covers the prices of ungraded eggs in country areas, the last-mentioned prices having tended to get out of line with the fixed prices in the eggmarketing areas, which mainly comprise the larger centres of population.

The Internal Marketing Division, which has been faced with difficulty in securing eggs for consumption in the cities, particularly Auckland and Wellington, has been provided with facilities to assist in the direction ot securing a fair and proper share of the eggs available throughout the Dominion for consumption in the main cities. Unless the price order is fully operative over the whole of New Zealand, the efforts to secure even distribution will be thwarted by the operation of inflated prices in the country areas. The Tribunal has, therefore, issued a price order in terms of which its inspectors will be able to check up on the prices of eggs quickly and efficiently in every area, both town and country. The procedure to be instituted provides for the division of New Zealand into six egg price areas. These are attached to or incorporate the present egg-marketing areas, but there is a variation in the permitted price as between the egg-markeling areas already in existence, which are mainly city areas, and the egg price areas which are the surrounding districts from which the eggs flow to the appropriate egg-marketing area. Following are the maximum wholesale prices per dozen for hen eggs applying during the first period set out in the order, which came into force on Saturday (five prices given in each case are for heavy, standard, medium and pullet grades and ungraded' :

Auckland egg price area: 2s Sid, 2s 6id. 2s 4Jd. Is 95a, 2s 4d,

Hawke's Bay egg price area: 2s 7d, 2s sd, 2s 3d, Is 9d, 2s 2Jd. Wellington egg price area: 2s Bd, 2s 6d, 2s 4d, Is 9d, 2s 3Jd. Christchurch egg price area: 2s 6d, 2s 4d, 2s 2d. Is 9d, 2s lid.

Westland egg price area: 2s 7d, 2s sd, 2s 3d. Is lOd, 2s 2Jd. Dunedin egg price area: 2s 4d, 2s 2d, Is lid, Is 7d, Is Hid.

The prices within the egg price areas but excluding the egg-marketing areas are fixed throughout at lid a dozen lower. The effect should, therefore, be to divert more eggs to the city areas, where they will command a higher wholesale price.