REPLY OF WHEAT COMMITTEE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28829, 25 February 1959, Page 20

REPLY OF WHEAT COMMITTEE

Mr L. C Dunshea’s Comments

“The remarkable change in wheat production in the current season was largely possible because of Arawa wheat. The effect on overseas funds through the saving on wheat imports will be considerable this year,” said Mr L. C. Dunshea, general manager of the Wheat Committee, in reply to Mr McCutcheon’s criticism. “What Mr McCutcheon and the Otago Master Bakers’ Association sought to do was to discredit the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research which had developed Arawa wheat; the Wheat Research Committee which had released it; and the Wheat Committee which recently announced a discount of 2d a bushel on Arawa sown in 1959 for harvest in 1960. “The Wheat Committee does not develop, or release new wheats. Such work is the function of the Crop Research Division and the Wheat Research Committee respectively, but the Wheat Committee has the responsibility of marketing all f.a.q. (fair average quality) milling wheat, irrespective of variety.

“The release of Arawa, for which the Wheat Committee was not responsible, was, nevertheless, inevitable and necessary, and this high-yielding wheat has proved one of the main factors which influenced the doubling of the New Zealand wheat acreage in one year,” he said. Cross 7 had fallen in popularity with farmers because of its pronehess to disease and other causes and, ’although a large number of farmers had wanted to sow Aotea. insufficient supplies of seed because of the early stage of Aotea’s commercial development had prevented them. However, the Aotea harvest this year was expected to provide ample supplies of seed for all requirements in the coming season and, because it was an even higher yielder than Arawa, it was expected it would replace Arawa except in limited areas. The Zeleny method of subjecting Arawa lines to a quick test —introduced by the Wheat Research Institute this year—had provided millers with a guide to the baking qualities of Arawa, particularly before they bought. The test had enabled lines of low baking quality to be diverted for feed purposes. “The Wheat Committee, with its special knowledge of the position, and knowing full well the appeal that. Aotea will have for farmers, has decided to discount Arawa by 2d a bushel. “The Wheat Committee has had some experience in discounting wheats, and Mr McCutcheon has not. “Similar circumstances arose with another wheat. Wri-Yielder. a few years ago. To discourage it in favour of other wheats the Wheat Committee discounted it by 2d a bushel, and the result has been to virtually eliminate Wri-Yielder.” Mr Dunshea said.

Girls’ High School Roll.— The roll of the Christchurch Girls’ High School at the beginning of the year was 626. and it is expected to rise to 630 by March 1. This information was given by the headmistress (Miss R. F. C. Tyndall) at a meeting of the school’s board of Governors Miss Tyndall said that in the past she had tried to reduce the numbers because of overcrowding and said she felt that the present number was a “comfortable” figure.