More Oats, Lower Prices

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30971, 29 January 1966, Page 1

More Oats, Lower Prices

A big harvest of oats is taking place in Canterbury at present, but according to merchants in Christchurch, prices will be several shillings a bushel cheaper than last year. Oats were in short supply in Canterbury last season, and prices to growers were frequently about 13s 6d to 14s 6d a bushel. In contrast, oats this season will be down to 7s or 8s a bushel. One merchant said yesterday there were fairly substantial sowings of feed oats after last summer’s drought, but because of a very good autumn, followed by an easy winter, those oats were never fed off. Now they are being harvested and offered to merchants, but prices to growers are showing a big drop on last year. The merchant said there was also a big carry-over of

Southland oats. These also could have the effect of keeping prices down. With the present favourable summer for grass growth, there is not expected to be a big demand in the autumn for feed oats, like algerian and winter grey. South Island oats were very dear last year, and as a result, North Island buyers did not buy the usual quantities. With the shortage, the South Island oat priced itself out of the market. Seed merchants report that the harvest of perennial ryegrass is now almost complete, but harvesting of Hl and Italian ryegrass is still continuing. The first of the white clover crops have been harvested, but yields have been disappointing. Overseas buyers are not yet showing any interest jn New Zealand small seeds, but British buyers are reported to have “pretty definite” ideas on price. One merchant said yesterday the prices they were

prepared to pay might not be quite those for which sellers were hoping. Merchants who have tested wheat samples taken since last Monday’s rain say they have found no evidence of sprouting. One merchant said he thought the rain had come soon enough not to cause damage. Had it come a fortnight later, there could have been considerable sprouting. Until this week, very little barley had come into store for malting. According to the manager of one malt extract company, early samples had come from the light land and generally were not well-filled. However, samples now arriving showed distinct improvement and he thought there should be some very high yields of good quality barley arriving. Fanners should take care not to harvest when the moisture content was high, and also should take care not to thresh the barley severely, be said.