Plans To Export Surplus Wheat

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31976, 1 May 1969, Page 1

Plans To Export Surplus Wheat

A surplus of 60,000 tons or more than 2m bushels of milling standard wheat is estimated to have resulted from the 1969 harvest, according to the general manager of the Wheat Board (Mr L. C. Dunshea).

Mr Dunshea announced yesterday that the board intended to seek an export market for some of the surplus wheat.

Mr Dunshea said that the surplus had been revealed by a recent survey made by the board through its brokers.

The figure had been arrived at by taking into account wheat on growers’ hands in each South Island wheat-pro-ducing district after allowing for South Island needs till next harvest, for all North Island requirements at last year’s consumption, and for normal end-of-season stocks for carrying into the 1970 season.

The surplus and its disposal had been discussed with the wheatgrowers’ organisations—United Wheatgrowers

(N.Z.), Ltd, and Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc.)—which had supported the view that the board should seek an export market for part of the surplus and afterwards for the rest if the present estimate was supported by a later survey. AGREEMENT ON LOSS

Under the agreement reached between wheatgrow-

ers and the Government last year, any loss involved in the export of surplus wheat would be met from the 12c a bushel retained by the Whea.t Board from the price to growers for milling standard wheat from the 1969 harvest. Mr Dunshea said that generally speaking all wheat had been harvested in good con-

dition this season except for the last of the crops in Southland and in certain parts of Otago.

On present indications there would be about 12.000 tons of undergrade wheat in Southland and about 3000 tons in the Dunedin area.

This wheat was being offered by the disposal pools at a discount in price for feed purposes within New Zealand and it was expected that it would be fully absorbed. ADVICE TO FARMERS

The chairman of the Dominion Agriculture Section Council of Federated Farmers, Mr S. J. Lister, who is a member of the Wheat Board said yesterday that although part of, the . drought-stricken area of' Canferbury had been given some relief by last week’s rain, people in drought areas should consider the availability of the surplus wheat to supplement feed reserves in the winter.

Their requirements should be made -known before too much of this grain moved out of the province, he said.