On 19 Dec 98, at 10:34, Murray McGregor wrote:
 
> Firstly, due to quality and character differences, I cannot see how
> Chinese honey could possibly be mis-represented as Canadian to anyone who
> knows their honey at all. I handle both origins frequently, and to suggest
> that there could be any confusion between Canadian or USA honey and the
> Chinese product would, I believe, be quite offensive to all North American
> producers. Even if the Canadian honey had been cut with a relatively small
> (say 20%) of Chinese product it would be starkly obvious to all concerned.
> EVERY sample of Chinese honey I have ever had has had, to a greater or
> lesser extent, had a very distinctive smell and taste. It is as if it was
> slighly perfumed, yet it is unpleasant, even rank at times. All standard
> quality North American honeys I have handled have been of far superior
> quality to the Chinese, and subtle untainted flavours are normal.
 
Hooray, some sense at last!
        We Canadians produce some of the best honey around, why
would we want to degrade it with an adulterated product? It hardly
makes sense to me.
 
> Finally to end on a sad note. I have just been offered Canadian white
> honey at #UK 1100 per tonne, delivered home. Allowing for EU import duty,
> shipping, etc., this must mean a hopelessly low price to the producer.
> Whilst I must remain competitive and therefore must buy at, or below if
> possible, current market levels I would much prefer to see Canadian and US
> product trading at 30 or 40% above these levels, which would be a far more
> accurate relection of its place in the quality heirarchy. Then there is a
 
Fine to be sympathetic to our problem, but I feel some explaination
is necessary.
        We haven't cut our prices, at least not by much. The problem
has been created by our low dollar. We have suffered in the recent
past with currency raiders hammering our dollar down to an
unheard of 65 cents US. In effect reducing our prices by approx
40%. Foreign speculators are making money from our poor long
suffering dollar.
        Approx 20 years ago our dollar was worth 95 cents US and
$1.95 bought 1 pound Sterling, now that same cost is $2.56 to the
pound. Is it any wonder our exports are so cheap when paid for in
foreign currency, and this is the reason for the current round of US
trade complaints. From salmon and soft wood in BC, wheat and
hogs in the Prairies, steel from Ontario, clothing and material from
Quebec, cod and lobsters from the Martimes. First hammer the
dollar down then complain bitterly and unfairly if our prices are
cheaper.  In all our this our basic standard of living is still the same.
        While our 'friend' in California is complaining of our shipping
cheap imported honey I firmly believe that our low dollar and
misread statistics are to blame. I admit we (Canadians) imported
Chinese honey, but don't think his stats showed the figures of
honey rejected because of adulteration.
        So where do we go from here? I for one am going to stop
banging my head against a brick wall, all it's done is to give me a
headache. There is obviously no way I'm going to convice our friend
in California that his assumptions are incorrect. So all I can do is
drop it, but request right thinking people to ignore the propaganda,
and pray honey isn't added to the trade wars.
 
 
 
 
 
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