THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18303, 10 February 1925, Page 11

THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

TO THE BDITO* OF "THE PBESS." Sir, —I would like to tell your readers a few facts about tho production of wheat, its price, and its value to Canterbury from a farmer's point of view. With regard to cost of production, I have estimates from over seventy farmers to whom I p«t the question of tho actual cost of growing 30 bushels of wheat on £3O an acre land, and these estimates yango from £6 10s to £-10 10s an aero on clean land, and if twitchy tho cost would be at least 30s an acre more. I would rather be under than over, and have therefore taken the average to be £7 per acre on clean land. This estimate leaves out supervision, nor does it debit the wheat with tho extra amount which it takes out of tho land. Last year we had an average crop in Canterbury of 24 bushels to the acre, and the price roughly was 5s per bushel on trucks. Anyone can see, therefore, that last year we supplied New Zealand with 'wheat £1 an acre under cost, seeing that it takes 28 bushels at 5s to make £7, and wo only averaged 24. If wheat growing were evenly distributed over New Zealand, it would be an equality of sacrifice to grow food as cheaply as possible, but seeing that Canterbury grows 82 per cent, of the total wheat production of the Dominion, it means that wc are losing money while the rest of the country is making it by growing dearer products. As an example of this, I may say that Lyttelton was the only port in New Zealand last year where tho imports exceeded tho exports. Is' this to be wondered at when wc consider that the North Island sold mutton at 7i& per pound, lamb at 3s per pound, butter at Is 6d, wool at about 2s, whilo poor old Canterbury was doing the best she eould to feed New Zealand at Id per pound for wheat. Any farmer knows, of course, that wheat impoverishes his farm more than any other product, and we have only to carry on as we arc doing to make Canterbury a desert and ourselves paupers.

I know that we havo ourselves to blamo for not combining to get our just rights. Every other industry is organised and taking good care that they get a fair share for their labour. We have the Farmers' Union, but how is it supported? Not ono farmer out of ■fifty pays a penny towards it, and this is not to bo wondered at, cither, considering the rotten deal they made with tho millers last year. What we want is a real live organisation, both commercial and political, which would enable us to deal with the people who aro robbing us on level terms. As I am writing to-night, it is raining hard, adding still more to the difficulties of a very difficult season. Every farmer to-night who is a wheat, grower must envy the dairyman and the sheepman his comfortable rest. I have been all over Canterbury and know probably as well as anyone the damage that has been dono to this province by excessive wheat growing, and one can only, hope that the position will bo remedied in the near future by the farmers absolutely insisting that they got tho worth of t.heiif product. With regard to prices this year, I may say tho buyers aro trying the same old game that they always do: to buy as cheaply as possible. This, of course, is the middleman's usual idea, and if we as, farmers are, fools enough to agree it shows what a brainy lot we are. The. price began this year at about 6s 2d on trucks; no doubt a few sold. I know now of sales at 7s 3d on trucks. The price to bo a payable one and such as to encourage wheat growing in Canterbury, should be at least 7s 6(1 at the railway station, and at this price farmers would be quito willing to supply the whole of the wheat necessary for New Zealand. Tho farmer last year received £9 6s 8d per ton for wheat, the millet £l6 for 20001b of flour, and the baker £2B per ton, with bread at Is a loaf. Surely the producer should not be asked to make the whole sacrifice. The grinding of wheat is not difficult, and the cost should certainly not bo more than grinding limestone, which is* quarried and ground for 22s 6d per ton. With all the laboursaving machinery available to a baker, why should he be asking the -enormous advanco he does, nearly doubling the cost' of tho flour to the consumer? To the farmers of Canterbury I would say: Organise! Organise ! Organise!!! Mako your Farmers' Union a real live concern, tho same as other unions are. Pay your subscriptions, attend tho meetings, and help in every way to further your own ihterests, which can only be done by active combination. Many of the mistakes of tho past would be made impossible if more enthusiasm were shown. One of the first things necessary is to ap(point a first-class business man as adviser, and pay him a salary that would be the envy of every manager in Christchurch, to give us first-hand information of prices. In the meantime, I would say to every farmer: Don't sell your wheat under 7s 6d at your railway station, and make up your mind that you will not grow it in future for less. —Yours, etc., R, MACARTNEY. Tai Tapu, February 9th.