KoTEs. 199 



SoutH African eggs will drop in view of the increasing competition 

 from other parts of the world that may be expected with a return to 

 normal trade conditions as the disturbances caused by the war subside. 

 It points to the need for organizing the trade in such a manner as to 

 reduce overhead charges, and refers in this connection to the important 

 matter of railway and sea freights, 



Poultrymen throughout the country will find much that is useful 

 in the Committee's report, and those interested in the export trade are 

 reminded also that a bulletin (No. L.S. 42) written by the late Mr. 

 W. 0. John, and entitled " The Handling, Packing, Storage, and 

 Transport of Eggs," is obtainable on application to this office.* 



An Oversea Market for Beans. 



Eequests having been made to the Department to ascertain 

 whether oversea competition would permit the profitable export of 

 beans from the Unijn, inquiries were accordingly instituted, and the 

 Trade Commissioner, London, states that, except in the best varieties 

 of white haricots and bvitter-beans, there is very little likelihood at 

 present of business being done in South African beans en the English 

 or Continental markets. Eor the varieties named there exists a 

 demand, provided they can compete with the quality of these beans 

 from Hangoon and Madagascar. The demand, however, is generally 

 very restricted as the consumption is not large, although in the 

 winter time there is a certain quantity sold for human food, and to 

 meet this beans from South Africa should be shipped during the 

 months of September and October. 



The Madagascar butter-bean is the quality favoured by the 

 English market, and if the crop in that country is a good one, the 

 yield is generally able to supply the demand. On the other hand, for 

 the haricot description of bean those from Eangoon are well known 

 on the market and sell fairly freely for human food. 



Coloured beans are of no use tor the United Kingdom, unless they 

 can be sold at a price to compete with animal feeding stufi's, the sole 

 use to which such beans are put. On the Continent also they would 

 be very difficult, if not impossible, to sell, unless the price was 

 very low. 



A London firm well known in the trade states that in their 

 experience African grown beans are very difficult to sell : this they 

 found even during the war when there was a shortage of all feeding- 

 stuifs. On the Continent, they believe, there is rather a better demand 

 (the Commissioner for Commerce at Rotterdam, Mr. Spilhaus, is now 

 inquiring into the matter), but all classes of beans for edible purposes 

 have been difficult to sell this year, and there were still (July) con- 

 siderable stocks in London of Rangoon (haricot) beans which were not 

 worth more than £6. 15s. per ton for handpicked, fair average quality, 

 of last crop, while the Madagascar butter-bean, which meets with the 

 readiest sale, was traded in during the past few months at from £12 

 to £17 per ton, ex store, according to sample. The use of beans, the 

 firm referred to comments, seems to have dropped away very much, 

 and no doubt the quantity of this class of dried food which had to be 

 used during the war when fresh vegetables were so scarce, has caused 

 the public to revert to the latter wherever possible. 



* Price Id. prepaid. 



