13,000 ACRES INCREASE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23482, 10 November 1941, Page 6

13,000 ACRES INCREASE

AREA UNDER WHEAT THIS SEASON

REVIEW BY MINISTER

An estimate of total acreage in this season’s wheat area of 258,000, an increase of 13,000 acres on last season’s total, was announced by the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) on Saturday. The wetness of the spring this season had prevented the spring sowing from reaching its usual share —15 per cent. —of the total, and if conditions had been better the goal of 300,000 acres wou 1 1 have been reached, he thought. If the estimated area yielded a crop equal to that of the 1941 harvest, of 34.4 bushels to the acre, New Zealand would have 8,800,000 bushels, almost a year’s requirements, the Minister said. . “The wheat and flour at present m the Dominion will provide for New Zealand’s requirements until about the middle of May, 1942, and when the coming harvest is added, on the basis of 34.4 bushels an acre, we have enough in sight to supply our requirements until at least March, 1943,” said the Minister. “Even on a more conservative estimate of 32 bushels an acre, which is not quite sufficient for our requirements, we should have enough to carry on until the harvest of 1943 without importations. The North Island has been particularly unfortunate with the weather and only about 6000 acres have been sown, half of that anticipated.” The Minister expressed his appreciation of what had been done by wheatgrowers, and said that in the circumstances, the acreage was a very worthwhile performance. Wheatgrowers, he realised, were handicapped by the cut in manpower, but they were doing a job of great national value and doing it well.