OAT SURPLUS IN INVERCARGILL

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26971, 21 February 1953, Page 8

OAT SURPLUS IN INVERCARGILL

80,000 SACKS TO BE SOLD

USE IN POULTRY MASH REQUESTED (New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, February ». Merchants in Invercargill report that they have a surplus of 80,000 sacks of oats for which they must find a marktt m the next month or six weeks. They are asking the Government, through their federation in Wellington, to use these oati in the manufacture of poultry mash instead of the high-priced Australian wheat used at present. Merchants said today that there was no outlet for surplus oats in the mixed grain business, which had "gone overboard." They could not sell mixed grain when Auf tralian wheat was available. North Island buyers would not come in at the present time at "about” the contract price for oats. Five hundred sacks of "A” weight. ”B" colour Gallons oats had been sola to th« North Island last week at 5s 6d a bushel sacks extra, through store at Lyttelton. This worked out about 4s 3d a bushel to the grower. "Farmers simply will not grow oats unless they have an assurance of a payable price, a merchant said. "If our farmers do not grow oats it will be necessary to go overseas for our supplies.” A Gore manufacturer said recently that surplus stocks of wheat, oats and barley should be carried. The merchants agree with this, but consider that this surplu* should be carried by the manufacturer* and consumers, not by the growers. Invercargill grain merchants had a carryover of 16,000 sacks of milling oats from the 1952 harvest. The storage on these oats seriously embarrassed them, as th f space was urgently required for wool.