WHEAT PRICES

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1937, Page 5

WHEAT PRICES

GRADING SYSTEM FAVOURED. [per press association.] TEMUKA, March 15. Graded prices for wheat would apparently find favour with South Canterbury farmers according to opinions expressed yesterday by the president of the Temuka branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. A. E. Dobson, who, in commenting upon an announcement by the Minister (Hon. D. G Sullivan) that he would investigate the possibilities of a grade system, urged upon farmers the necessity for settling the question quickly to avoid their interests being prejudiced. Mr. Dobson said he did not think a wheat price on a. fixed rate system could possibly do justice to men who were trying to put a good article on the market, and he was sure South Canterbury farmers would favour graded prices. With the present lack of dryers in local mills, much of the headed wheat was not in the best of condition, where wheat that had been stacked and threshed arrived at the mills in good order. There did not, accordingly, seem to be sufficient encouragement for quality, and the attitude would naturally be —“Oh, well! We get the same price anyhow.”

Advocating that farmers should settle the matter, Mr. Dobson said he was afraid that continued talk and growling by isolated farmers would drive the Government too hard, resulting in a free market, which would be very prejudicial. He did not see why they could not get. the mattef settled, he said. Many were talking about it, but he did not know what the provincial executive would decide. I was quite possible, he added, that marginal land, of light yielding capacity, would have to go out of growing. It was a very big problem, especially with Mr. Nash at Home endeavouring to establish a market. The Government might easily be embarrassed if reduced quantities were landed.