1941
Producer/packers were urged by the IMD to reconsider their packing operations in light of the new premises the IMD was soon to open in Auckland. The up-to-date equipment for handling and packing honey would mean packers should review their operations and give consideration to reducing their packing to local supply and sending the bulk of their honey to the Honey Section. The IMD stressed that the return to a producer supplying the IMD was 6 ¼ d per pound with a further substantial payment to come after March, giving a return as good as any packing operation when all costs were taken into account.
The Editor and General Secretary, Mr GS Kirker, wrote an article titled “Critical Time for Industry”. He appealed to beekeepers to refrain from price cutting and to support and supply the Marketing Division to provide a sound, organised marketing policy for the industry.
Expectations were for an above average season (which did not, in fact, eventuate). The IMDs new building, capable of handling a large volume of honey, would not be in place for the 1940/1941 season, so there was the fear that a large crop would result in chaotic marketing conditions. There was also the serious concern that the war could temporarily close all exports of honey, which would force the entire crop onto the local market.
The Canterbury branch proposed to hold a South Island Convention in the lead up to conference. It was felt that it would allow beekeepers to work toward a common policy so that proper and timely steps could be taken at conference to implement the changes required. It was hoped this could reduce some of the haphazard methods of branchs sending many remites to conference without adequate representation. The proposed agenda items were far from unbiased in their wording, giving a clear indication of the opposition to the IMD expressed by the members involved in the organising of the convention.
In March, Mr GV Westbrooke retired on his sixty-fifth birthday as the Apiary Instructor for the Hawke’s Bay district. Mr TS Winter, Senior Apiary Instructor, gave an address on modern methods of packing honey for market which was considered one fo the best that had been heard on that subject.
Dominion President Mr EA Field presided over the twenty-eighth Annual Conference of the Association in Wellington in late June. Mr Dallas, the Director of the Horticulture Division, assured conference that the disease suspected as being European foulbrood in Canterbury a year or so ago was not EFB.
A large part of the conference’s time was devoted to the emotive issue of the zoning of marketing areas, which would allow the IMD sole selling rights for designated areas. While it was recognised that there would never be unanimous support for such a proposal, it now was seen to have a clear majority of members supporting it.
The controlled registration of apiaries was discussed again. The concept had been endorsed two years ago by conference and again at the last year’s conference. The Canterbury branch led the opposition to the proposal, believing it was only necessary in those districts where pirating of sites was proved to exist.
Finance for the Journal and the NBA also received the conference’s consideration. One remit endorced the principle of compulsory membership of the Association, to ensure that the all beekeepers would pay for the work that was benefiting the entire industry.
Mr EA Field was elected unopposed to a third term as Dominion President. Mr WJ Lennon (Central Otago) was elected as Vice President. The other executive members remained unchanged – Mr JR Barber and Mr FD Holt for the North Island and Mr TF Penrose and Mr DH Hamilton for the South Island.
In middle December the industry was brought to a virtual standstill with the sudden cancellation of petrol supplies to beekeepers. The Dominion President, the Honey Control Board and the Honey Section of the IMD all made strong representations to the Government. By late December the position was somewhat eased.
Mr Kirker noted that he had been inundated with correspondence and telegrams on the issue. He added that there had been a number of Home Guard “Stands to” and that he was “endeavouring to cope with nearly 600 hives alone, since his partner (Mr SCS Ford) is now serving overseas, and it has been impossible to engage labour.” The last two issues of the Journal for 1942 continued Mr GS Kirker’s advertisement for apiary help for the hives he was operating.