WHEAT TARGET

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24237, 20 April 1944, Page 4

WHEAT TARGET

MINISTER’S APPEAL TO GROWERS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 19. The hope that wheatgrowers would do their utmost to reach the target of 300,000 acres set by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. B. Roberts) for the coming season was expressed in a statement to-night by the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Minister of Supply. “I regret,” said the Minister, ‘‘that the publication of the primary production programme was somewhat late from the wheatgrowers’ point of view, but because of a number of problems to be settled, not the least of which was the provision of adequate labour, which involved discussions with Britain and the United States, this could not be avoided, and I hope that farmers will do their best to make up for any lost time as far as possible. ‘‘Although for the. five war harvests the average area sown in wheat has been 258,746 acres, more than this is urgently required for next season. During these five years wheatgrowers of the Dominion produced 9,000,000 bushels more than they did for the previous five harvests. ' Converted to tons, this works out at 243,000. and more than 4400 tons for each of the 55 months of the war. This is a most commendable record, of which the industry and the Government are justly proud. The saving in Allied shipping alone has-been of inestimable value to our war effort. These figures show that, in spite of all the war-time difficulty of production, this response of our wheatgrowers occupies a very high placf in the Dominion’s war record. “I know tnat wheatgrowers have just concluded a difficult year, and that the harvest troubles of many of them are not yet over. Nevertheless, I feel that with their proved determination. and their capacity for overcoming difficulties, they will reach the target set."