Discount on new wheat

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32635, 17 June 1971, Page 10

Discount on new wheat

The Government is to be asked to remove the discount of 10c a bushel on the new variety of wheat, Kopara. This was decided unanimously at the annual conference of the Dominion Agriculture section of Federated Farmers in Christchurch yesterday. Mr A. L. Mulholland, of North Canterbury, said that the baking score of Kopara was equal to Aotea. But releasing it at a discounted price ($1.40 a bushel) was down-grading it from the outset.

The release of the new variety was an interim release only, reselections of nucleus seed still being made. It could not affect the growing of Hilgendorf, for which a premium was paid. “I know of farmers who declined to take on Kopara, because, economically, it would not be any better than existing varieties,” Mr Mulholland said.

“We have a wheat which is clearly superior to Arawa, yet it is discounted to the same price,” said Mr J. R. Cocks, of Ashburton. “The 10c bushel discount creates a precedent for the line of thought that if we have a higher yielding wheat then we should take a lower price.”