EXPORT OF WHEAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 4

EXPORT OF WHEAT.

DEALING WITH SURPLUS

APPOINTMENT OF AGENTS,

LARGE CROP NOW ASSURER

[BY TKLECRAPH.-mTN CORRESPOND^] Th« vr ■ , *?™ W °N. *«*>! The Minuter for Agriculture, Hon to Nosworthy, stat«d to-day that ar»n . menta in connection with the etnori , the surplus wheat had now $T* eluded, and that the tender of IW, !*" S Peterson and Co., Ltd., to ca "*' the duties of export agents had been • cepted. The firm will act on behalf of the Government in the handling 0 f «,. wheat that is found to he available fo export. r

Reports from the wheat-growing dut tricts are still very good, and if the good weather continues for another fortnight or three weeks a very fine harvest will be assured.

A farmer with an intimate knowledge of South Canterbury and North Otago stated this week that tie believed the sin--plus .for export wculd be as much a j 3.000,000 bushels. Most of the estimates are lower, but it is certain now that for the first timo since 1912 New is going to have a substantial quau' ; wheat to send abroad.

In the " eighties " ,md the " ninetH " New Zealand exported wheat on a large scale. The quantity shipped in 1883 was 4,897,000 bushels, "and in 1890 it Vie 4,467,000 bushels. The production j n moro recent years has been below re. cruirements, and the Dominion has been an importer of wheat. It appears that wheat has to be in. ported if the production falls much b«low six bushels per head of the population. A fairly large area is under wheat in the Wairarapa district this year, and th» crops are reported to be looking very well. Some of this North Island wheat may not attain prime milling quality, but in any case it ought to command i fairly good price. Trie Government guarantee of 5s 6d par bushel applies to all prime milling wheal. It does not apply to wheat graded be!o* prime milling, dust how much of thus inferior wheat will become available is a question that is interesting _ the poultrymen and some other sections of pro. ducera very keenly. The scarcity of wheat has been so great in some recant years that inferior wheat has brought more than the controlled price of tbt prime milling wheat. Nothdng of that sort will happen this year.