MOISTURE CONTENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 25 November 1937, Page 5

MOISTURE CONTENT.

PURCHASE OF WHEAT. NEW PRINCIPLE ANNOUNCED. Per Press Association. j CHRISTCHURCH, Nov, 23. An important announcement involving the adoption of a new principle, that of payment for wheat -on moisture -content was made to-day by the chairman, Mr H. F. Nicoll,' at the annual meeting of the electoral committee of United Wheatgrowers (N.Z.), Ltd. The wheat committee had. lie said, taken a great step forward in its decision to adopt a system whereby the moisture content was to he taken into consideration in the purchase of wheat. The proposals, which were to come into force with next year’s harvest had been heartily endorsed by the electoral committee before being finally ndopted. “Our attitude in this matter,” continued Mr Nicoll, “should remove any suggestion that the wheatgrowers are apathetic concerning the condition of their wheat, and we are prepared to stand behind the wheat committee in its efforts to improve the quality of wheat, flour, and bread.” The system to bo adopted will provide as follows; (a) Maximum moisture content for flour to lie fixed at 15 per cent. (b) Wheat may be delivered up to 15.5 per cent moisture content without any adjustment in price, but tliat where wheat contains more than the 15.5 per cent an adjustment as provided below must be made, the method of test to be the Carter-Simon process and any dispute in regard to moisture content to he referred to the Wheat Research Institute, whose decison shall be final.

(c) For wheat containing between 15.6 per cent to 16.6 per cent of moisture a deduction of 4d a bushel shall he made, and millers shall be prohibited from accepting and fanners from delivering as F.A.Q. milling quality any wheat containing more than 16.5 per cent moisture. No allowance for dockage will be made to the miller, but the 4d a bushel will be retained by the wheat committee provided that it will be permissible for the millers to dry the wheat on behalf of the grower to the requisite moisture content, charging the grower for same and purchasing the wheat on the basis of 15 per cent. moisture content. Millers will be given warrants only on condition that they sign an undertaking to deduct the above mentioned dockage and not to accept wheat of more than 16.5 per cent moisture.