MAIZE HARVEST

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 173, 18 April 1942, Page 8

MAIZE HARVEST

Smaller Crop This Year

"This year's maize harvest in the Bay of Plenty district is likely to show a drop of 33 1-3 per cent, to 5(1 per cent, on last season’s yield, which was particularly good, said the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing, Mr. Barclay, in an interview. The urea sown, he added, was almost equal to that of previous years, but late frosts followed by unfavourable growing conditions during the summer had had the I'lleel of reducing the yield and further frost damage in certain districts hud again bad a reducing effect.

"Il appears, therefore, that this year’s crop, the harvesting of which should commence next mouth, will not be sufficient for n full year’s consumer requirements,” said the Minister, "and it is therefore fortunate that Inst season’s area and yield were exceptionally good and with a proportion of this still to go into consumption, it is hoped (hat there will be sufficient to meet the demand of Hie ensuing 12 mouths without lh<- necessity for importation from overseas which would be. Io say the least, very difficult if not impossible under present conditions.” The Minister said that in the Poverty Bay district better conditions had been experienced and the reduction there, will) some small decrease in the area sown, was expected to tie about 10 per cent. Io 15 per cent.