PAYMENTS FOR WHEAT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21715, 24 February 1936, Page 12

PAYMENTS FOR WHEAT

BONUS AT END OF THE SEASON

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

BY MINISTER

The initial payment an the wheat crop recently announced by the Wheat Committee will be supplemented later on by a bonus, much in the same way as has been done during the last three seasons. Any impression that; the initial payment would be the only one made was corrected in a statement made on Saturday morning by the Hpn. D. G. Sullivan, Minister for Industries and Commerce, and chairman of the Wheat Committee.

"There appears to be some misunderstanding among the farmers about the initial payment for wheat (4s 5d a bushel), recently announced by. the Wheat Committee," said Mr Sullivan. "I want to make it perfectly clear that the prices now being paid to farmers for wheat are the initial buying prices only, and wilj be supplemented at the end of the season by a bonus payment as has been done during the last three years. "The initial payment is 54 a bushel more than the first payment made last year, but it is too early to forecast what the final payment or bonus might be. However, it must be re? memembered that the average price naid by the miller this year js lid a bushel more than that pajd in 1935. Also, during the last three years, the grower had to pay £60,000 per annum as a subsidy on North Island flour, and this absorbed about 2£d a bushel on all the milling wheat pro&?uced in those years. This ' sidy has now been eliminated, so that the grower is no more called on to pay this 2£d a bushel out of his earnings. These two amounts together increase the grower's price by 4d a bushel.

"The funds of the wheat section of the Wheat Committee are held in trust for the growers, whose wheat is handled by the committee, and there is no possibility of any of these rnoneys being used for any other purpose. Wheat is dealt with by the Wheat Committee in exactly the same manner as by the Wheat Purchase Board of previous years. At all times the wheat Committee will be only too jjlad to give information to growers and any enquiries will always be given a prompt reply."