WHEAT FROM AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27875, 25 January 1956, Page 7

WHEAT FROM AUSTRALIA

N.Z. DEMAND TO BE MET COMMONWEALTH BOARD MEMBERS’ VISIT Australia would have no difficulty in meeting New Zealand demands for wheat this season or in the future, said Mr A. C. Everett, leader of a party of the Australian Wheat Board which arrived in Christchurch yesterday to begin a 14-day visit to New Zealand. Accompanying Mr Everett on the first official visit by the board are Messrs T. Shanahan, C. T. Chapman (board members) and L. H. Dorman, assistant general manager. Messrs Chapman and Shanahan represent South Australian growers on the board, and Mr Everett is a Victorian wheatgrowers’ representative. .Those two States are the ones from which New Zealand draws wheat. “This is a goodwill mission to shew our appreciation of the business we have built up with New Zealand,” said Mr Everett. “It has grown from 8000 bushels in 1935 to 9,000,000 bushels exported here last year; from a few thousand pounds to £5,750,000 last year.”

Australians looked on New Zealand as a sister Dominion. Mr Everett said, and wanted to retain the friendliest possible relations. In a time of a world surplus of wheat, the question of friendship did not arise, but he could say that in a time of shortage. Australia looked on New Zealand supplies as being as important as the domestic market. The New Zealand Wheat Committee, with which the visitors will have discussions today, was something akin to his own board, Mr Everett said. Tha Australian Wheat Board was big business in the Commonwealth, and had handled up to £150,000,000 worth of wheat in a year. It had 14 members, nine growers’ representatives and five Government appointees. “We have had another bounteous crop this year, and will be able to meet all requirements, both in quantity and quality,” he said. The wheat industry in Australia was now highly mechanised, Mr Everett said. Three States out of five had bulk handling facilities and Die other two were installing them. On many farms no corn sacks were used. Trailer bins on the side of harvesters held 120 bushels, and that was loaded into bulk lorries. Growers wer« able to take off a complete crop without handling it at ail. Machines did all the work from the farms to the ships or the flourmills. While in New Zealand, the visitors will see farms and mills. In Wellington they will meet the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) and the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. J. Eyre).