Bigger Wheat Crop

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31222, 21 November 1966, Page 11

Bigger Wheat Crop

The area under wheat in New Zealand this year for all purposes is 222,500 acres, according to the estimate of the Department of Statistics. This is an increase of almost 12 per cent on last season.

Of this area it is expected that 216.000 acres will be for threshing, compared with 195.000 acres last season. Canterbury, as usual, will be growing the bulk of the crop. The area under wheat In the province this season is estimated to be 143,500 acres This is also more than 11$ per cent upon last season’s provisional figure of 128,622 acres.

North Canterbury is estimated to have 53,500 acres under wheat this season, compared with 51,018 acres last season, Mid-Canterbury 48,000 acres compared with 40,018 acres, and South Canterbury 42.000 acres against 37,586 acres.

This season’s New Zealand crop is likely to be the largest in area since 1962-63, when the area for all purposes was put at more than 230.000 acres.

The general manager of the Wheat Board, Mr L. C. Dun-

shea, said yesterday that the last shipment of bulk wheat for the season from the South island for the North Island was being loaded at Bluff for Mount Maunganui. It comprised 1000 tons. It would take to 1.5 m bushels the amount of wheat shipped north this season.

Twelve bulk shipments, each of 1000 tons, had been made, including 10 from Bluff and two from Timaru, and about 3000 tons, nearly all bulk wheat, had been sent from Canterbury and North Otago by rail-ferry to districts in the lower half of the North Island.