WHEAT SOWINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22353, 29 August 1934, Page 11

WHEAT SOWINGS

REDUCED AREA FOR NEXT • SEASON HEAVIER SPRING PLANTINGS. The industry is anticipating a marked redaction in tie wheat yield for 1935, mainly because of smaller sowings and because the weather in the autumn interfered to a great extent with sowings and caused a postponement to the spring. Figures from about 50 farms in different districts of Otago, South, Central and North Canterbury, show that the sowings contemplated will amount to 93 per cent, of the sowings last year. The total area to be put down in wheat by the farmers concerned (says the Press) is only a little more than 5600 acres, but they may be taken as a representative sample*of what will happen throughout the country. Last year on the same farms a little more than 6000 acres were under wheat. Of the contemplated area 4470 acres have already been sown, some in the autumn and some during the spring, and 1150 acres are yet to be put in. (Phese figures mean that the area already sown is about 75 per cent, of the total last year, and that another 18 per cent, of last year’s area is yet to bo sown. The weather in Canterbury this spring has been adverse to wheatgrowers, because the rain that has been general has held up spring plantings to a dangerously late date, and it is safe to assume that of the 17 per cent, still to be planted a good proportion will not go in, unless there is a prolonged spell of d-y weather. On the other hand, the humidity and warmth of recent weeks has been entirely favourable to the growth of those crops which have already been planted and the wheat so far put in will be given a good start.

The proportion of spring-sown wheat is greater this year than it has been for many years, and this will have a decided effect on the ultimate yield, because spring-sown wheat in. most districts does not yield so heavily ns that sown in the autumn.

Assuming the estimate of shrinkage in the area sown to be approximately cor-r rect, and the farms from which the figures were taken are widely enough distributed to make it probable. the area for next year will be, roughly, 20,000 acres less than the area of 236,000 acres sown for the 1934 harvest. However, the recent break in the weather may interfere farther with the area to be sown, ns it is now too late in some districts for spring sowing. l The Government statistician gives the 1934 yield as 9,036,319 bushels, an average of 31.56 bushels an acre threshed. This will be enough for requirements, but not more than is enough to assure a safe carry-over into 1935.