CEREAL PRICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26545, 21 August 1947, Page 11

CEREAL PRICES

INCREASES ANNOUNCED WHITE OATS AND BARLEY P.A. WELLINGTON, Aug. 20. An increase of threepence per bushel in the ceiling price of white oats sold by growers for the 1947-48 season was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Cullen, to-night. This replaces the former price of 4s, f.o.r.s.e. The Minister said the increase was regarded as a fair assessment of the cost increase incurred since the earlier price was fixed and was in line with the increases given for wheat and malting barley. To counter breaches of • price orders which had been occurring, the ex-farm maximum price for white oats had been fixed at 2£d less, or 4s o£d a .bushel. The Minister said the price of malting barley was being increased from 5s 6d to 5s 9d for approved varieties, but other varieties would remain at the present price. This basic price of 5s 6d for inferior varieties and 5s 9d for superior varieties would be subject to the same price differentials as previously according to the areas where the barley was grown and the method used in threshing. The price of feed barley would remain at 5s 6d, but North Island growers would receive a differentia] of Is, giving them 6s 6d.

The Minister said he considered the new prices should give a fair balance between the price of wheat and the prices of the other main cereal crops, and should lead to a satisfactory acreage being sown this season.