NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21384, 11 July 1931, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

A DECREASING DEMAND IMPORTATIONS FROM OVERSEAS INEFFECTIVE DUTIES At the present time there is a concerted movement to promote the buying of New Zealand-made goods, with the idea of assisting onr secondary industries. The time seems opportune, too, for the various Farmers’ Unions in the Dominion to commence a campaign for the buying of New Zealand-grown produce. . That this is so can be seen by the following figures, relating to the importations of produce to Auckland for a period covering one week, ending June 24; Shipments to Auckland from the South Island. Sacks. Chaff 9520 Peas .. .. 228 Barley .. ..... .. 15 Wheat • • 9112 Oats .. .. .... • • 167 Potatoes 3466 Shipments to Auckland from overseas. Sacks. Flour .. 2722 Pollard . ..; 3228 Bran .. 488 Wheat .. 103 Barley .. .. s • • • 4671 Oats • • 1505 Onions .. 3480 All of the above shipments, with the exception of 1562 sacks of Canadian flour, are from Australia. The direct (result of the importations of some of the above lines, such as flour, bran, and pollard, is to prevent New Zealand growers from obtaining the full advantage of the present sliding scale of duty ort wheat and flour. An assurance has been given to farmers by the Government that the duties would be continued for the present season, but the agitation from the North Island has caused the Government to modify the effect the duties by permitting these importations. About 18 months ago barley,-, maize, bran, and pollard were allowed to come into New Zealand free of duty. This has affected the price obtainable by. New Zealand millers for offals. Those growers who threshed good milling wheat have benefited to a certain extent by the sliding scale, but unfortunately the weather conditions in the South Island have resulted in a great of the wheat being; of undergrade quality. This wheat is now, a. drug on, the'market. In any ordinary year the normal demand from The North Island would have absorbed it, but the continued importations of cereals to take the place of wheat has quite upset the position. Fairly large stocks of this undergrade wheat are held in stores in the South Island waiting for a market, and the price has now declined. It would seem that the position has- developed into a fight between North and South Island interests, to the detriment of the Dominion as a whole. ‘ ’

Some surprise is expressed that the Prime Minister, who is a farmer himself, does not realise the position. The importation of barley, maize, bran, and pollard, free of duty, would not be tolerated by any other country—particularly Australia, which has, even with' a Labour Government, shut out importations of produce from other lands which would affect the interests of their farmers. - .A •

It is also alleged that practices ■ are adopted to get behind the existing: sliding scale of duties on flour, and increasing quantities are arriving in -New Zealand.

The larger the importations to New Zealand of produce grown in outside countries the greater the effect on the demand for farm labour and also on the operations of the flourmilling industry. The above figures are for one week only. What the totals are for a full year may be surmised. For instance, under normal conditions largo quantities of chaff are imported to the North Island from Tasmania, but the price at Blenheim is so low at present .that it does not pay to import this chaff.