Better Harvest expected

Press, 27 December 1980, Page 2

Better Harvest expected

Farmers in central Canterbury and North Canterbury should have a good harvest this season, according to Ministry of Agriculture officers. Ample rain in some parts of the province in the last week, some falls being in excess of 60mm, have put the seal on crops, although

not all areas have benefited to the same extent.

Prices for a number of crop products are also much higher this season, promising farmers a better return. Observers say that this would be only fair because in the last few years returns from crops have trailed

behind those from sheep farming, although in Canterbury many farmers combine cropping and stock-keeping.

Mr R. L. Bennetts of the Ministry of Agriculture in Darfield, said that apart from a dry spell in August and September the season had been nearly perfect for crops. The country now looked better than he could remember ever having seen it at this time of the year. Paddocks were full of flowering clover and there was plenty of feed. Provided that conditions were favourable for harvesting the season would be one of the best. Farmers needed to be able to turn off the rain now. so that they could get the grain and seeds into, bags or silos. Mr R.- F. Y. Kent, of the Ministry in Rangiora, said that autumn-sown wheat was looking potentially good.- A new variety, Rongotea, which had been harvested well last season, was again looking well and was becoming very popular with growers.

But there had. been many reports, of damaged from frost in early November in early sown crops. This had particularly affected the Hilgendorf variety and in some cases the effect on yields could be severe.

Late-sown barley crops had been saved by the rain in November and in North

Canterbury and in other parts of the province barley crops were reported to be looking very promising. Mr A. S. Brown, of the Ministry in Ashburton, said that Mid-Canterbury crops were looking good. The recent rain had been ideal for crops although the coastal area, which had also . experienced dry i: conditions earlier in the season, had missed out again. Mr D. D. Collie, of the Ministry in Timaru, said that there had been no widespread rain in his district but grain-crop yields were likely to be higher than normal. Before Christmas, according to at least two reports, ryegrass crops had been rapidly approaching maturity and crops on shallower soils also looked as if they might be ready- for harvesting earlier than usual this season. There were indications that less ryegrass would be saved for peed, this season after the dry weather in the spring combined with grazing pressure of stock. Dr F. R. . Sanderson, a plant pathologist with the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, said that virtually the only disease in wheat in Canterbury this season had .been mildew in the Rongotea and Hilgendorf varieties. There had been much spraying against this disease. t