Still a bright future in cereal options with diversification

Press, 16 August 1985, Page 19

Still a bright future in cereal options with diversification

A leading Mid-Canterbury farmer who has demonstrated a ready willingness to diversify into new potential profit areas still sees a bright future in wheat and barley. Alistair Johnston who farms 208 ha at Flemington will, as many Canterbury farmers are expected to this year, switch from predominantly barley to predominantly wheat this season because of price considerations. He will be sowing approximately 80ha of Oroua and Rongotea.

But he believes, with some reservations, that both crops will continue to be important components of his cropping programme. His reservations regarding wheat concern price. “The industry has indicated that it wants MidCanterbury wheat, but we’re nervous that the pricing system will be screwed up to our disadvantage.” « He notes that the rest of

the industry has been costplus and maintains that the ultimate cost to the local community of placing the growers in at least the same position would be minimal in comparison to the solid footing that arable farming would gain.

This faith in wheat was not shaken by a problem with mildew last season.

“We normally get around 7.5 tonnes to the hectare but last season we were down to five. It was a combination of moisture and an inability to recognise and control what was happening.” (Wrightson NMA’s grain agent in the area, Paul Lamb, was quick to point out that the growers throughout the county were similarly affected.) “We’re normally able to blow it out, but it just seems that the moisture stress made it more susceptible,” says Alistair. Moves by barley exporters to position New Zealand

as a supplier of premium quality malting barley must be pursued, he says, and growers should be prepared to give them support.

“It was no accident that Steinlager has won international competitions for two years in a row and we should be capitalising on that.”

Alistair Johnston is very aware of the importance of the role of the marketing people — and of the mistakes they can make. He ruefully observed that the French are now growing Matua prairie grass and the Australians are growing a strain of Nui. These comments come from a man who is clearly ready to try other options. He became involved, for a short time, in blackcurrants; he was part of the sugar beet trials a year or two ago; he runs approximately 100 deer and a mob of beef bulls. In partnership with a neighbour, he has invested ina crop spraying aircraft.