Concern At Decrease In Hilgendorf Sowing

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 5

Concern At Decrease In Hilgendorf Sowing

Believing that Hilgendorf wheat —only 1.4 per cent of this year’s sowing—is important for New Zealand’s economy, because of its qualities in flour making, the Wheat Research Committee yesterday decided to discuss with United Wheatgrowers the encouragement of an increased acreage of the variety for the 1961 harvest. A higher premium for the variety, and a lower price for the Aotea variety, was suggested. The attitude towards the protection of the farmer against a lower growth of Hilgendorf wheat was unrealistic, said the chairman (Mr H. E. Fairey), reporting on a deputation to the Minister of Industries and Commerce. He was given to understand that up to the present no action had been taken to increase the premium on Hilgendorf wheat to bring its return into line with the production of Aotea and other wheat. “We have to be concerned about the position,” said Mr Fairey. “The introduction of Hilgendorf wheat was a great achievement as far as the Wheat Research Institute was concerned. It is a high quality wheat and it will be a terrific shame if the production of it is not kept up to a certain point. Where do we go from here?

“Is there any possibility of another wheat taking the place of Hilgendorf?” asked a member. Mr L. E. Copp: There is no possibility at present. We have nothing in the trials anything like Hilgendorf. Mr R. M. Bailey said Hilgendorf wheat had to be retained at all costs because of its milling qualities. Acreage Figures

Figures of acreages of wheat, given by Mr A. R. Dingwall were: Aotea, 158,000; Arawa, 15,800; Cross 7, 4700; Gabo, 4350; Tainui, 3500; Hilgendorf, 2600; all others, 4000.

Much less Hilgendorf was being grown this year, said Mr Hullett. The Minister had to look at the cost of the subsidy on flour and bread and he would be reluctant to do anything to increase the subsidy, said Mr Fairey. “It might be a good policy on the part of farmers to receive a slightly lower amount for Aotea and to increase the premium to be paid out on Hilgendorf, said Mr Fairey. The Government would then not be paying out more than the total subsidy or the farming community receiving any less. “The general idea of that is quite all right but the trouble is that it does not spread itself evenly over the wheat growers,” said Sir Walter Mulholland. Unfortunately, the areas in which Hilgendorf had been reasonably popular were those in which the usage of wheat had been comparatively small, with the result that Hilgendorf, as an improver of bread quality, had not made any impact whatever. Costs Compared

Another major problem, Said Sir Walter Mulholland, was the difficulty of encouraging the growing ot Hilgendorf when costs were compared with other wheats and with the cost of importing higherquality wheat. The committee had been able to make a case of up to 2s a bushel to the Minister.

Farmers were getting the benefit of the increased yield from Aotea and were not prepared to put back something to improve the baking quality of flour, said Mr Bailey. What the baking industry was concerned specially about was that in accepting Aotea of high quality and yield it had to accept wheat below the standard of Cross 7, said Mr Fairey. What steps could be taken to ensure that a certain amount of Hilgendorf could be grown in the meantime? More than 300.000 bushels of Hilgendorf were grown last year, said Mr Hullett. That was not a negligible quantity. It could not be said it did not make any difference to the quality of flour. “I don’t think the committee

i can entirely disregard the question of cost,” said Mr L. C. Dunshea (manager of the Wheat Committee) “Hilgendorf has had a decided set-back in this year’s sowing.” Importation Cheaper Marlborough grew 48 per cent, of the Hilgendorf, the remainder being grown in North Canterbury and Mid-Canterbury, said Mr Dunshea. A premium of 3s 8d a bushel represented £7 10s a flour ton and the cost of taking wheat out from Marlborough was higher than through the ports of Lyttelton and Timaru. The Government was at present being called on, to pay the whole of the cost. Having regard to cost, importation of premium wheats would be far cheaper than spreading Hilgendorf around the country at a high premium, said Mr Dunshea. The Government was bound to consider that question The object of the Wheat Research Institute was to grow all the wheat required in New Zealand, replied the chairman. New Zealand was, with a sowing of 190,000 acres, against 140,000 acres last year, nearer to that objective than it had been for many years. “Our experience of getting good quality wheat from Australia has not been a very happy one,” said Mr Fairey. Premiums were paid in Australia and other countries, said Mr Hullett. Australia paid a premium of up to 7s 3d a bushel for Gabo wheat, said Mr Copp. Deduction on Aotea Dr. M. M. Burns: Would it mean a deduction of 2d a bushel on Aotea to raise the acreage of Hilgendorf to 12,000? Mr Hullett: That is all that is needed. “Farmers do not want to see wheat imported,” said Mr Fairey. “We have gone a long step towards growing all the wheat we require.” Tables were presented to the committee by Mr Hullett showing since 1956 the displacement of Cross 7 by Arawa and of both by Aotea. In the 1958 and 1959 harvests, the percentages of Hilgendorf handled by the Wheat Committee were 10.9 and 8.1. The Department of Agriculture estimated that Hilgendorf was 1.4 per cent, of this season’s sowings.