WHEAT “CRISIS” MAY END NEXT WEEK: WEST COAST STOCKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 April 1948, Page 2

WHEAT “CRISIS” MAY END NEXT WEEK: WEST COAST STOCKS

The difficulties confronting many Grey district poultry keepers during the past few months, following the Government decision to reduce wheat stocks available for poultry by 75 per cent on last year ’s quota, may disappear after next week, according to Greymouth wholesale merchants. Tills improvement is expected to follow the arrival of a consignment of wheat from Australia. While many poultry keepers have been unable to get anywhere near their grain requirements in the past weeks, there has been little evidence that flocks have yet been reduced. The shipment of wheat which arrived last Monday at Lyttelton from Australia contains one month’s stocks. Though regular shipments are expected, any delay in these will result in grain again becoming in short supply. Local grocers report that they have received repeated, though vain requests by householders for wheat during the past weeks, and, though many have agreed to take a mixed grain, containing wheat, barley and cals, this has not proved to be entirely satisfactory.

While some traders are and have been for some time without any supplies of wheat, others have not been in such a bad plight and it appeared that some “black market” wheat was finding its way on to the West Coast, stated a representative of a Greymouth wholesale firm today. He pointed out that though farmers lost the Government subsidy on wheat i sold direct to merchants, the increasi ed price they were able to ask for their grain at the present time more 1 than compensated for this. Though all merchants advise against any increase in poultry stocks, most are now taking a more optimistic view of the feed position and do not favour any reduction in flocks at the present time. The shortage of wheat has not been reflected in any reduction in the number of eggs available for sale in retail shops, according to local Storekeepers, but the regular winter shortage, has now developed and a form of rationing has had to be introduced in many shops. The winter shortage is not unusual and this year if. no worse than in previous years. The absence so far of chilled eggs has aggravated the position, but this may be only temporary.