NEW ZEALAND HONEY.

Waikato Times, Issue 12185, 21 September 1911, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND HONEY.

ESTABLISHING AN EXPORT TRADE,

LONDON DEPOT SUGGESTED

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

ASKED

A movement, emanating from the V.'dikiat;, Beekeepers' Assocj&tion, is en foot to ondeav©r to aid a the Government to assist in t dishing an export trade for New Zealand honey by means of a London bottling l and distributing depot, somewhat on the lines of that inaugurated by the South Australian Government. I The idea, so far as it has at pre- '■■ developed, is that the Government should establish a depot with a c.i,pIti'ble man in charge, to receive, i grade (unless found more to convenient to do so in New Zealand), and jto bottle and distribute honey. The j scheme further suggests that export- ! ers be charged only with the cost of I jars and the labor in filling, pay- | ment on sales to bt made monthly, thus giving early shippers the adi vantage of priority. By this system |it is considered that the low cost of j packages and the cheapness of labor will represent additional profits to • the beekeeper, besides leaving him i more time to attend to the primary business of production. j The scheme is certainly a good one, j if the Government can be induced tn take it up, and offers a practicable land payable alternative to the stea£lily increasing tendency to glut and | depress the New Zealand honey | market. The Waikato Association | considers that if able to guarantee, on the assumption of an a-veraige season, -somewhere about 150 tons of j honey as available for export next j season, that they are practically assured of the reujuired assistance. Of j this amount, on the basis of an j average season. 3fi tons has been (guaranteed by the local body of bee- | keepers. It is absolutely essential, if the industry is to live, that an export j trade should fct established, and all j Associations are to be asked to do their utmost to guarantee some contribution, and the shrinkage of the j British honey drop, owing to the. ravages of th« Isle of Wight disease, i makes the present a particularly op- ; portune time for getting on the Lr>n- | don market. j Providing, the replies are favorable it j is proposed to form a 'deputation, anj pointed by the federal executive, to | wait upon the Minister for AgriculI ture. and backed up by the estimates jof the various Associations, to urge jthe immediate establishment of a London Depot.