MARKETING OF HONEY

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20832, 16 June 1939, Page 9

MARKETING OF HONEY

CRITICISM OF QUALITY EFFORTS OF CONTROL BOARD FINAL PAYMENT FOR 1936-37 (By Telegraph—Press Association) HASTINGS, Thursday Recalling that he submitted certain proposals on marketing procedure to the apiarists’ conference last year, the chairman and Government representative on the Honey Control Board, Mr W. W. Nelson, at the conference of the National Beekeepers’ Association yesterday said he had been supported by honey growers throughout the Dominion in these contentions. "With the support of beekeepers behind the proposals, the honey control board submitted a report with recommendations to the Government in favour of the immediate application of the regulations, embodying the procedure agreed to bv the producers.” said Mr Nelson. The new regulations came into operation early this season, and although they have not long been in force the results have been up to expectations.

“The position appears to be that many producers make a practice of supplying their local trade with a class of honey easy to sell, and sending forward to the Honey Division only that portion of the crop which they find difficult to dispose of. My board has no wish to see restrictions placed on the acceptance by the department of any sound marketable honey, but at the same lime it would appear that some action may be necessary unless all suppliers to the department are prepared voluntarily to send forward a much greater portion of better class honey than they have been doing in the past. Unfortunately, many individual producers who sold their honey outside the division have not followed the lead given by the department in the matter of prices, and their net return will compare very unfavourably with the total pay-out that will be made by the division for similar grades of high quality honey. Possibly the pay-out of 6d, pro rata, by the division is better than n.any non-suppliers to the division expected, and this may account for the low prices quoted by private beekeeper packers. -Final Payment The season 1936-37 was the final year in which the honey control board exercised control over the overseas marketing. The accounts for that season were now completed and he had to announce that the payment of 5d pro rata already paid out was the final for the season 1936-37. The conference adopted a remit that the Government again he approached for the remission of sugar duty. A remit from Canterbury asking that the marketing division he asked to collect the id lb on honey, for advertising through the customs department on all imported containers, and through local manufacturers of containers, with the exception of 60 lb tins, was lost on the voices.