BARLEY IMPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22434, 2 June 1936, Page 11

BARLEY IMPORTS

LIFTING EMBARGO

GOVERNMENT'S DECISION

PRICE RISE IN AUSTRALIA A Advice has been received by grain and produce merchants in Auckland that the embargo on permits for the importation into New Zealand of feed barley from Australia has been lifted. Gratification is expressed at this step, but it is pointed out that it has come too late, as, since permits were refused in March, the market in Australia has advanced by about 4d a bushel.

With a strong market in Australia merchants are now unable to obtain quotations further forward than July. Supplies held in Auckland are fairly light and there is a good demand. With a phenomenal demand in Australia and from the United Kingdom and Belgium, merchants are of the opinion that rates will rise still further.

Explaining the action of the Government when further permits were refused, the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Leo Martin, said the objective was to afford the southern grower a means of disposing of his surplus barley, as owing to unprecedented rainfall in the South Island about 200,000 bushel's of barley that would normally have been absorbed by maltsters hac been thrown on the feed barley market. He felt that the increasing demand for barley in the North Island offered an avenue for its disposal. The Minister also stated that the embargo would not enable the southern grower to obtain a price that would cause the North Island farmer to pay a figure in excess of what he would have had to pay had the necessary supplies been imported. Shortly after this, however, local merchants reported that growers in the South were quoting a lower grade barley at a higher price. Samples received were inferior and difficulty was experienced in interesting pig feeders and poultrykeepers, while prices quoted were considerably higher than those ruling in Australia.

Since the decision to refuse permits, tho local price of barley has risen Id a bushel to the present rate of 4s 6d a bushel, through store. During the period there were a number of occasions when spot stocks were extremely light, mainly owing to the delayed arrival of the April shipment from Australia.