SMALLER ACREAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 2

SMALLER ACREAGE

WHEAT AND OATS SOWINGS.

POTATOES ALSO SHOW DECREASE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 1. The estimated returns for wheat, oats, and barley this year, compared with the actual returns for the last harvest, show a. decline in the acreages of wheat and oats, but a slight increase in the acreage of barley. The estimates are contained in a return by the Government Statistician, and appear in to-night’s Gazette. The total area sown in wheat for the 1037-38 season was 101,842 acres, and the estimated area for 1039 totals 188,900 acres, comprised of 3200 acres in the North Island and 185,700 in the South.

The area sown in oats in 1837-38 was 289,763 acres, and the estimated total for the present season is 203,000 acres, comprised of 13,000 acres in the North Island and 250,000 in the South. The barley acreage last year was 31,604 acres, and the estimate for this year is 33,700, comprised of 3200 acres in the North Island and 30,500 in the South. The final area planted in potatoes last year was 23,090 acres, 5442 acres being in the North Island and 17,048 in the South. The estimated acreage for this year is 20,000, 5300 acres being in the North Island and 14,700 in the South.

POSITION REGARDING WHEAT.

BELOW 10-YEARLY AVERAGE. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The 1937-38 wheat acreage was below the 10-yearly average from 1927-28 to 1936-37 by more than 50,000 acres. That average was 255,500 acres, and it had earlier been hoped to go near achieving that mark in 1937-38—until the bad weather made it impossible. Although the estimated acreage for 1938-39 is lower than the actual acreage for this last season, the differenca is small, and may be more than made up when the final returns are to hand. In any case the season so far has been good, and the yield promises well.

The following table shows the wheat, oats and barley acreages from 1932-33 to 1938-39. It will be seen that, except for 1935-36, the wheat acreage has declined steadily. Oats have shown a yearly decrease since 1935-36, and barley has shown an increase since that year.

The area in potatoes in the season just closed was, as the table which follows shows, the largest since 1933-34. The estimate for the coming season is the lowest for at least seven years, and is lower than the average over the last six years—23,s24 acres—by 3524 acres.

A smaller area was anticipated for 1938-39 because of the unfortunate experience which growers had last season. The absence of an export outlet for any considerable quantity of potatoes caused difficulties in the local market. Some growers were not able to sell their crops at all, and those who wore had to accept low prices. Potatoes. Acres. 1938-39 (estimated) 20,000 1937-38 23,090 1936-37 22,462 1935-36 22,958 1934-35 23,001 1933-34 25,028 1032-33 24,605

Wheat. Oats. Barley. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1938-39 (est.) . 188,900 263,000 33,700 1937-38 191,842 289,763 31,604 1936-37 224,637 315,704 25,512 1935-36 252,423 363,296 20,659 1934-35 230,523 336,418 28,731 1933-34 286,271 78,343 21,024 1932-33 302,531 116,206 16,336