WHEAT IMPORTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 205, 11 June 1932, Page 7

WHEAT IMPORTS

LARGE QUANTITY REQUIRED. OPINION IN CHRISTCHURCH. (Special to the "Grardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, June 10. "It certainly looks now as if there may not be sufficient wheat to carry through to the new season's crop. If that is so, it would be better to have a controlled method of importing wheat, say, through the Wheat Marketing Agency Board," stated Mr A. E. Bartrum (manager of Messrs D. H. Brown and Son, Ltd.) this morning when commenting on the statement from the Prime Minister in regard to the shortage of wheat supplies. "If the imports axe not controlled, quantities in excess of .requirements would probably come into the country and this would result in an increased carry-over and low prices to the New Zealand wheat-grower next season. "If the shortage eventuates it would be a much better proposition to import wheat than flour. If flour were imported, the mills which may be short of wheat would have to work short time, which would mean adding to the unemployed problem. That is an important point at the present time. "With regard to fowl wheat, the mere fact of milling wheat being imported would probably have an easing effect, on this market. "In comparison with the figures, for the same period last year, the threshing returns show that there is a shortage of 405,525 bushels. The progress returns published early in June this year gave the figures as 4,918,495, and last year 5,326,020, which leaves a big deficiency so far."