WOOL AND WHEAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20272, 4 June 1929, Page 11

WOOL AND WHEAT.

'AUSTRALIA'S CUSTOMERS^

UNITED KINGDOM FIRST.

TOTAL VALUE OF 87 MILLIONS.

[FROM OlJlt OWN CORTtESPONDENT.] SYDNEY. May 30. Now that the great wheat and wool selling seasons in Australia are drawing to a close it is of groat interest to examine tho position and ascertain which country is Australia's best customer. It is gratifying, but not surprising, to find that the United Kingdom retains its position at the head of the list.

Australia's wool clip is valued at moro than £70,000,000, and tho valuo of tho wheat exported is closo on £17,000,000. Of the 192,830,277 sheep at pasture throughout Australia there were 52,700,000 in New South Wales, 16,642,000 in Queensland, and 15,570,000 in Victoria when tho last records were compiled. At the big sales of the wool many nations—white, black, brown and yellow—are represented. Wool is needed in all parts of tho world, and Australia is a sort of universal provider, in this direction at any rate And despite the adverse state of trade in the United Kingdom, Yorkshire continues to take the largest proportion of the wool. France follows next. In tho season now ending France has passed through a difficult financial period, but her wool purchases did not show any decline. Purchases by Germany. Germany was a determined bidder at the season's sales. She took about twothirds of Merino to one-third of crossbred wool. Last year Germany's purchases totalled nearly 360,000 bales, and she is expected to buy almost the same amount this year. Japan's determination to bo completely up to date involves tho use of European clothes. This, in turn, means a constantly increasing need for wool. Hence her entry into the front rank of wool buyers in Australia. Next on the list come Belgium and Italy. Italy is now operating at the rate of about 120,000 bales a year, which is nine times as much as she took before the war. This is duo to her manufacturers now being able to handle wool in all stages, instead of having to import the semi-manufactured article.

America ha| only seventh place on the list of wool customers, as her own production has greatly increased in recent years. While Australia's purchase of American motoi - -cars increases, America's purchase of Australian wool decreases. Thanks to tho increasing development of her woollen manufactures, Russia is becoming a more important customer at the Australian wool sales. The chief customers are shown in the following table: — Country. Bales. United Kingdom . . . . 729,782 Franca 514,07!) Belgium 284,162 Germany 297,194 Japan 290,690 Italy 123,569 U.S.A. 65,364 Russia 55,817 India 6,916 Value of the Wheat Crop. New Zealand is well down the list with 247 bales, and China is last on tho list with 11 bales. The prices obtained for this season's wool have been slightly lower than those obtained in the preceding season. Good judges are very doubtful whether the previous year's total of more than £77,000,000 will be realised. Even allowing for tho increased quality of the wool received this year they do not think that the total will bo exceeded. To date wheat from all the States this year totals 63,000,000 bushels. This represents in money £14,250,000. Tho 250,000 tons of flour shipped overseas means an additional £2,500,000, bringing the value of the season's crop to about £16,750,000. The 1927-28 list of exports tells how the Australian wheat is distributed: — Country. Centals. United Kingdom .. • • 12,279,294 Italy 4,291,917 South Africa 4.164.837 Egypt, 2,296,290 Japan 1.919.832 Germany .. .. •• 1.413,9(3 Belgium 1,937,486 India 1,182,797