GRAIN AND SEEDS Marked Demand For Grain Feed Crops

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 21

GRAIN AND SEEDS Marked Demand For Grain Feed Crops

The recent prolonged dry weather, which retarded the growth of winter green feed crops in Canterbury, has caused a very marked demand in the last week or so for grain feed crops, such as oats, barley and pre corn. The demand for this type of seed is considerably above normal requirements and is keeping merchants very busy at present. With the exception of a very small percentage of the pea and barley crops, the main harvest in the province is completed, and the recent rain should prove very beneficial to crops required for winter feed, provided there is a reasonable period of warm, favourable growing weather.

Apart from some late autumn business for small seeds from Australia, there is very little overseas activity in this sphere. A price range announced by the president of the North Canterbury Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Association (Mr M. J. Goodwin) as a guide to grower* was:—

Ryegrass.—Mother perennial, 19s a bushel; p.p., 18s: mother short rotation, 18* 6d; mother Italian. 20s (nominal).

White Clover.—Mother 99/90. 3s per pound; p.p.. 2s lOd. Montgomery Red Clover.— Mother, 2s 9d per pound; uncertified, 2s 3d.

Cowgrass. Mother, 3s a pound; machine dressed. 2s lOd Lucerne. —Machine dressed Marlborough, 3s 6d per pound Cocksfoot.—Mother, 2s 8d per pound: uncertified. Is 9d. Mr Coodwin emphasised that values for ryegrass and white clover were based on a M/SO purity and germination and free from Rumex species to comply with the United Kingdom Seeds Act.