WHEAT-GROWING

Evening Post, Issue 145, 22 December 1928, Page 20

WHEAT-GROWING

HIGH. COSTS IN AUSTRALIA. Wheat grown in' New South Wales last season cost 83 6Ad a bushel, according to evidence given before,, the .; .Industrial, „C.p.niniissipn r ..-at ; itlio' Bural j ■Wage Inquiry^byj,the 'sem;e.t.ary,;of i^he ' JTarniers■''.a.rTd..Settlers'.;AssQciatipnj: Mr. \ ■AY. C. Cambridge^ atates:"the; Melbourne '.'Argus." He based .this figure on ■! returns submitted to him by a number, of growers. The high figure wa3 due to poor yields harvested in several districts, which varied from absolute failure to 30 bushels, an acre.' ' ' In submitting.a v table\ to the Commission compiled from the ; growers,'; returns/ Mr.VCambridge pointed;out that the average yield on the.return ..coincided with'the average.for the State.over a period of ten lor itwelve* years, • and 011 this basis the cost worked out at 7s 7Jd a bushel. He also submitted the cost of production, as arrived at by a committee at the'Bathhurst Conforence, namely, 5s Bd a bushel. . Taking the returns of sixteen growers, Mr. Cambridge showed 'thaC.apart: from the crop that failed, the others harvested from;.fouivibushelslto thirty,: and the highest price .realised was 5a,; 'and tho lowest 4s l^d a-bushel.,-.: :■■•■ :.[ The cost an acre ranged.from 4s to lls 8d a bushel oh the State average (12 bushels an acre), and the cost to i the farmer ranged from;'ss 3d to 16a 8d a bushel. ... '■ : ':''."; .;;... ... ; f ;Mr. Cambridge held that/where. an! employer actively assisted ■ in." the pro-i duction of ; wheat, he . was ■ considered as being entitled to £6 a week. He also pointed^out-that in many of the' returns he- received there 'were omis-: sions, such as" interest":and' depreciation on sheds and fonees, travelling ex- ■ •ponses, wheat-pickling-material : (in .most cases), twine in-many cases,/tele-, phone, stationery, weigh-bridge charges,; expenditure on car ruririirig, and various' sundries, that should., .proportionately have been debited.";'H,ad. these items been included, th.c.cost : w.ould,probably: have been much greater.. •. ; :.. : .' :