“Docking” Of Moist Wheat Attacked By Farmers

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28896, 16 May 1959, Page 15

“Docking” Of Moist Wheat Attacked By Farmers

The legality of millers' “dock-! Ing’’ wheat from farmers when 1 the grain registered a moisture 1 content above 15 per cent, was < questioned by members at thei« annual agricultural section con-p ference of the North Canterbury ; ■ provincial district of Federated ] Farmers. The view, was expressed • i that if carried out fairly and!) legally, the system should provide < rebates to any growers submitting . i wheat having a moisture content i< below the permissible maximum. < The discussion arose from a • remit from the Darfield branch. 1 which “viewed with concern the dockage taken off some wheat by - millers during the last harvest.’* i Members had had deductions i made from their wheat cheques 1 because samples of the grain con- 1 tained too much foreign matter and excess moisture, said the i branch in a letter. It had been 1 ascertained that this action by ’ millers was illegal i 15 Per Cent. Moisture Growers were entitled to have 15 per cent, of moisture in their 1 grain submitted to the mills, said 1 Mr A. L. Mulholland. Grain with a content of about 17 per cent, of ’ moisture had been docked 2 per |’ cent, by millers in many instances! in the recent season. The branch was not condoning | J the actions of farmers who sub-1 mitted an excessive amount ofp straw and chaff with their wheat, |’ but the moisture content was causing much concern. “Many farmers in the province harvested wheat with a moisture content as low as 10 per cent., because of the extremely dry con- . ditions. in the recent season, but ; there was no mention of any j rebate being made to the growers 1 by the milling concerns.” said Mr Mulholland. “We were throwing away two and a half bushels ' of wheat to the acre, compared with the returns if the margins of 15 per cent, of moisture had been adhered to.” The chairman (Mr R. G. Rainey) said the system was not legal in practice, and any farmers whose wheat cheque had been docked could approach the wheat committee and have a grader appointed to test his grain.

"Millers have taken the matter in their own hands in adopting this system,” he said. “If flour millers deduct from growers* cheques for wheat above 15 per cent, moisture content, but have to pay out more for wheal registering under 15 per cent.. I think they would be less aggressive in this matter.” said Mr G. A. Nutt. '‘They would be the losers.” It was decided unanimously to protest to the wheat committee Another remit that all bags of brassica seed on sale to farmers should be sealed with a tag showing the year of origin, and that a fresh certificate of germination be issued with old seed, was received from the Darfield branch After discussion the branch was given permission to withdraw the remit, so that more inquiries could be made.

"Many factors outside the control of the Department of Agriculture could have an effect on the qualities of germination of the seed. particularly the conditions of [Storage on farmers' properties I while awaiting sowing.” . said Mr Rainey. He suggested that the | remit be referred back to the i branch so that their examples :of poor germination tests quoted jin support of the remit could be | checked against the likelihood of 'deterioration of the seed after it was delivered into the growers' hands. Mr Rainey said the purchase of seed bearing an up-to-date germination certificate was of major importance. He placed much less bearing on the year of origin of the seed. Mr S. M. Wilson considered the remit should be altered .to provide that all seeds, not only brassica varieties, should have current germination certificates. A remit from the Springston branch opposing the importation of second-hand fertiliser sacks from the North Island was lost. "Would farmers wish to put up with delays in delivery of fertiliser it we decide that we are not going jto take second-hand . sacks from I the North Island," said Mr G. A. (Nutt. "We should take the position as it is. and hope for a [gradual improvement in the [quality of the sacks available.” j Mr R. Barnes said vegetable and I potato growers used large quantities of second-hand sacks, and could not generally get enough ifor their purposes. I Second-hand sacks from the North Island were graded, cleaned and baled before being sent to the South Island, and-an improvement might be effected by asking that a better system of grading and classification of the bass be instituted, he said