View on wheat testing

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 15

View on wheat testing

Following a visit to the Wheat Research Institute in Christchurch last week, the chairman of the wheatgrowers’ sub-section of Federated Farmers, Mr J. H. Mitchell, of Oamaru, suggested that more than one test might have to be made on a single large line of wheat to determine its quality — perhaps one on each truck load delivered. With Mr Richard Martin, a member of Federated Farmers’ head office staff who is secretary of the section, Mr Mitchell visited the institute to see the testing that is being done at the institute to determine the protein content and also the kernel weight of wheat, and also to see

v/hat is happening at the institute generally.

Mr Mitchell said that on the basis of a large number of tests made on samples taken from individual loads or deliveries made to a North Canterbury mill last season—and which were being repeated again this year—it was evident that a testing system, was much more efficient and effective when a number of tests (protein tests) were involved rather than a single test over a large line or quantity. While it was too early to be positive at this stage, Mr Mitchell said that his impression was that if the tests made on deliveries to the mill from last season’s crop with the protein testing machine could be repeated this season on all classes of wheat from all areas it looked as though the introduction of protein testing would go a long way to assist wheatgrowers and the industry generally to overcome quality assessment problems.

But such a system naturally could only be introduced after all trials were carried out and all difficulties ironed out and all parties involved were sure that it represented an improvement.

Mr Mitchell had one other observation and it

was that it would be a very happy day indeed when the institute was able to move from its present cramped conditions to new quarters at Ham. He said that the institute, which was working for a major industry, was at present in a poky and inconvenient building and it amazed him that it was able to accomplish so much under such conditions. In reporting this week that the Wheat Board was sending cheques to its brokers refunding to their wheatgrower clients the credit remaining in the wheat price retention fund, the general manager of the board. Mr E. R. W. Reed, said that the board had acquired 299,314 tonnes of wheat from the 1977 harvest in 9650 separate transactions. The board is returning $3.7577 from the $6 a tonne it retained from payments made to growers for last year’s wheat to meet the costs of the disposal of surplus 1976 wheat. The total pay-out amounts to $1,124,731 and is being distributed pro rata among 4198 growers, according to the quantity each sold to the board in the financial year ending on January 31 this year. The largest growers will be paid out on quantities in excess of 500 tonnes.