MALTING BARLEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23046, 24 November 1936, Page 10

MALTING BARLEY

REVIEW OF THE INDUSTRY INTERESTS OF GROWERS GRADING AND IMPROVED PRICES SYSTEM OF CONTRACT GROV/ING ' ♦ (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON,'Nov. 23. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Lee Martin) issued the following statement to»day regarding the grading and improved prices for malting barley:— “ Realising the unsatisfactory position of barley growers during recent years, and apprehensive of the rapidly increasing annual imports tions of malting barley, the Government was prompted to review the in ■ dustry as a whole with the intention of effecting an immediate improvement and of placing it on a sound basis. Following upon a careful study of the position and the representations made by growers I have had consultations with the principal buyers of malting barley and I am pleased to state that an agreement has been reached which will adequately protect the interests of the growers, and will ensure their receiving a price for their produce which will make barley growing a more attractive proposition. “A study of the existing practices during recent years convinced me that some of the buying interests were not adopting systematic steps to exploit thoroughly the possibility of locally grown supplies. To remedy this and at my instigation buyers of malting barley will in future adopt a system of contract growing for the whole of their anticipated requirements. In future permits to import malting barley will be given only to those who can show that they have taken reasonable steps to have adequate barley for their requirements grown under contract in New Zealand, and that any shortage, if such occurs, is due to unforseen circumstances. Most countries have adopted some system of grading for malting barley, but up to the present no uniform system has been in force in New Zealand, and in effect the buyers alone have decided the quality. The growers have felt that such a position places them too much in the hands of the buyers. "As a resuit of the negotiations the principle of independent grading is accepted by representatives of the buyers and a tentative grading system has been formulated. This system is subject to confirmation or amendment by a committee which is being set up immediately, consisting of representatives of the buyers, growers, and the Department ox Agriculture. The personnel of this committee is Messrs J. H. Gordon (farmer, of Garston, Otago), Albert Anderson (farmer, of Southbridge), J. H. Hewlett (Canterbury Seed Company, Christchurch), Bruce Duncan (New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., Christchurch), R. B. Tennent (director of the fields division, Department of Agriculture, Wellington, chairman), J. M. Smith (fields superintendent, Department of Agriculture. Dunedin). “ The system as finally determined by the committee ill form the basis of the prices for the coming harvest. For the present it is not intended to bring into operation Government grading of all lines of barley offered for sale, but provision is being made for independent grading at a nominal charge of all lines of which the grade is disputed between the buyer and the seller, the interests of both thus being protected. In order to msure the payment of prices for .siting barley equitable alike to both parties, consideration has been given to the various factors existing In the principal growing districts. As a result prices have been formulated which must be considered as quite satisfactory to the growers, and which have met with the approval of the representatives of the buyers. “It has been most apparent throughout the negotiations that the buyers are prepared to treat the growers fairly, and I have pleasure in making a rblic acknowledgment of their co-operation. “The accepted prices for malting barley containing under 5 per cent, of seconds and otherwise conforming to the No. 1 grade malting barley standard as Inally determined, are as follows: —Hawea-Luggate district, 5s per bushel, on trucks; Arrowtown-Frankton district, ss, on trucks; Garston district. 4s 6d, on trucks; Canterbury and North Otago, 4s; on rucks, Marlborough and Nelson, 4s 3d, in store. The schedule of prices covers the principal malting barley areas. When suitable malting barley crops are grown in unspecified districts the prices will be arranged as the occasion demands. “ In regard to contracts for malting barley already fixed for the present season, such are to remain in force, and where the contract price is lower than that shown in the schedule of prices the difference will be paid as a bonus. Action along the lines already indicated has aimed at an immediate improvement of the industry from the growers’ viewpoint. To me this does not appear sufficient as I am particularly anxious the industry should be progressive. With this object in view investigations will be put in hand in regard to the disparity in the yields in various districts. Manorial practices will be examined in relation to soil and climatic conditions, exploratory work will be conducted with a view to extending barley to districts at present regarded as unsuitable, and damage to barley during threshing will be investigated as also will influence on the malting quality at the time of harvesting, the duration of storage, etc “ It is also felt that the Dominion with its high per acre producing capacity should not be so dependent uoon securing its feed barley requirements from outside sources as is the case at present, and it is proposed to look particularly into this aspect of the, barley industry. To co-ordinate tKese investigations it is proposed to set up a small committee consisting of representatives of the industry and of the Department of Agriculture to act in an advisory capacity to the Government, and to facilitate the promulgation of pi notices for the betterment of the industry.”