‘Unrealistic' wheat price

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33786, 7 March 1975, Page 17

‘Unrealistic ' wheat price

The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday decided that the Government’s price for wheat of $2.60 a bushel was “totally unrealistic.”

At their meeting they decided to send a telegram to the appropriate Minister to express their views on present Government thinking on prices. The vice-president of the North Canterbury division of Federated Farmers (Mr A. L. Mulholland) said that at present there were 130,000 acres of wheat grown in New Zealand. For national selfsufficiency, 280.000 acres would have to be grown. Mr Mulholland said that last year wheat worth between s22m and s27m had been imported. He felt that if the Government had given farmers more incentive in their prices, farmers would be encouraged to grow more, and therefore New Zealand would not have to import so much.

"At present the price overseas for wheat is about $l6l a tonne, whereas in New Zealand it is about $92 a tonne,” he said. “The amount it is costing us to import wheat is over-

seas exchange that we can ill afford. We could grow all our requirements here.” Mr Mulholland felt that the. Government was directly subsidising overseas agricultural! workers at the expense of' (New Zealand workers. “If we can produce our own wheat why shouldn’t; we. 1 think that $3.50 would! be a reasonable price per bushel.” he said. The matter was referred to | the economic affairs commit-1 tee. which would have the! power to act. and send the telegram to either the Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr Freer), or the Minister of; Finance (Mr Tizard).