Substantial Wheat Sowings Continue

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31076, 3 June 1966, Page 14

Substantial Wheat Sowings Continue

Autumn sowings of wheat in Canterbury were very extensive during May, and earlier forecasts that the acreage might be 10 per cent greater than last year are now considered beyond doubt.

The emphasis on wheat has reached the point that increased acreages may be sown at the expense of barley. “If the weather holds, farmers will be getting in as much wheat as they can,” said a merchant on Wednesday. “If they cannot, they will have to put in alternative spring crops.”

Last year there were sowings of wheat at the expense of barley, but, because of the bumper harvest that followed, this was not felt by the barley industry.

Some merchants believe that even if the weather deteriorated and prevented further autumn sowings of wheat there would still be fair sowings of spring wheat. Last spring, some farmers made sowings of Hilgendorf, and because of the favourable season that followed their ventures were most successful.

Trade in partridge peas has been reported as very slow, one merchant reporting small orders from the United Kingdom and some from Australia. On the market today machine dressed No. 1 partridge peas are quoted as being worth no more than 14s a bushel to the grower. Another factor affecting overseas trade is that when the shipping strike is resolved, meat and butter cargo will be treated with the most urgency, with the result that general cargo will be farced to wait. Small Seeds Trade in small seeds is reported as being very quiet. With the shipping strike in

the United Kingdom, the situation is not expected to improve. Merchants point out that United Kingdom firms make their seed purchases from June onwards, and trade is not expected to develop appreciably when local agents are unable to give a firm delivery date. “Most Disappointing”

The partridge pea market was described by one merchant as most disappointing. In the United Kingdom, buyers had been using alternatives, and prices had been well below normal, he said. The local acreage this year was hard to forecast, but he predicted that because of the lower price it could be down on last year.

The potato market has gained little strength over the last month, there being only limited quantities going to the North Island. One potato merchant with a large trade said that it would be difficult to estimate how sales and shipments compare with last year. “If we are not behind on our normal shipments at this stage, we very soon will be,” he said. At this time last year a considerable tonnage had been shipped to Australia.

Because of the limited quantities sent north, merchants are unable to comment on the standard of quality. “You have only to send a good shipment to Auckland, and within a few days, you know where you stand on the question of quality,” the merchant said.