No Canterbury Wheat Likely To Go To N.I.

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30044, 31 January 1963, Page 12

No Canterbury Wheat Likely To Go To N.I.

It seemed there would be no surplus of wheat in Canterbury for shipment to the North Island this season, said the Associate Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Shelton) yesterday after he bad presided at a meeting of the Wheat Committee. “Wheat harvesting is well on the way towards completion in North Canterbury, about two-thirds of the crops have been harvested in MidCanterbury, and nearly half in South Canterbury. Much lower yields from the crops in Canterbury, both on light and heavy land, are being harvested this season." Mr Shelton said. “It seems that there will be no wheat available from Canterbury for shipment to the North Island, in spite ot the greatly-increased acreage sown. This is most disappointing from the Government’s point of view. We ■would have gained valuable experience from large shipments of wheat to the North Island, and a big surplus of wheat in Canterbury would have gone a long way to

making New Zealand more self-sufficient in wheat. **

Mr Shelton said that only a few crops had been harvested in Southland, but that the yields were up to expectations. The erope there looked well, and it wae probable that there would be some surplus for shipment to the North Island.

“It is bad luck that the yields in Canterbury have been so much lower this season, and extremely disappointing. However, we will be wanting the bigger acreage sown again next year, as the Government will continue its policy of endeavouring to make New Zealand more self-sufficient in wheat,” he said. Mr Shelton held informal discussions with the president of the New .Zeeland Manufacturers' Federation (Mr R. H. Stewart), and the senior vice-president (Mr R G. Pearce) and secretary (Mr R. T. Alston) of the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association at a lunch meetinc. In the afternoon be visited the customs section of the Christchurch Post Office, and returned to Wellington by air last evening.