WHEATGROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 11

WHEATGROWING IN AUSTRALIA

"CHANCE TO REDUCE TRADE DEFICIT” PRICE INCREASE URGED AS STIMULANT One major commodity—wheat—could be produced in greatly increased quantities by Australia and could add appreciably to the country’s export income in less than 18 months, according to a writer in the Australian “Financial Review.” The article discusses wheat production against the background of expanding domestic requirements and the need to reduce Australia's overseas trade deficit. "Reliable figures of wheat sowings this season for the whole of Australia i are not yet available but it is known *that about 10,000,000 acres were planted. Only six seasons ago, in 1947-48, when wheatgrowers were faced with numerous difficulties which no longer exist, nearly 14,000.000 acres were sown for grain wheat in Australia, “It would be quite possible from a physical viewpoint (assuming reasonable weather conditions) for growers to sow the same area in 1953 as they did in, 1947. «That is, an increase of 4,000,000 acres under wheat is quite conceivable next year. All that is lacking is the incentive to produce wheat. “In recent seasons Wheat yields in Australia have averaged more than 15 bushels an acre, so that if next season is again favourable ‘ an additional 4,000,000 acres could mean upwards of 60,000,000 bushels additional wheat, all of which would be available for export. “If this wheat is valued (conservatively) at 15s a bushel, f.o.b. ports—a price which is well below current levels—the increased output would result in ’an addition of £45,000,000 to our export income; a figure which is by no means insignificant, by any standard.” The writer says that a substantial increase in the price to the grower (at present 10s a bushel) is the first step towards achieving this object.