OVERSEAS LICENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26748, 17 April 1948, Page 3

OVERSEAS LICENCES

IMPORTATION OF SEED POSITION BECOMING CLEARER Excellent weather in Otago, enabling farmers to make progress with their seasonal work. If the autumn sowings of wheat, oats, and barley are not greater than those of recent years it will not be because of the present conditions. Growers are still making deliveries of wheat, but the flush of consignments is now over. Fowl wheat has a steady demand, but merchants have been able to meet all orders for reasonable quantities. There is still a demand for oats, particularly from buyers in the North Island, but few merchants are able to respond. Coastal freight presents a problem, as there is more cargo offering than there is space available for it. Enough chaff is available for the local trade, but it is ndt likely that any shipments will be made from the port of Otago. The digging of main crop potatoes is now fairly general, and the trade is being supplied through the stock and station agents. The quality of the lines coming to hand so far has been good, and the growing conditions this year have certainly been favourable. The position in respect to overseas licences for seed is becoming clearer. Although no announcement about the granting of import licences to the United Kingdom has yet been published, present advices seem to indicate that, white licences for some of the higher classifications of certified seeds will be granted in full, some of the others may be cut severely. Trading has been cautious as a result of the uncertainty that existed up to the present, but as the position clarifies a more stable basis of prices should be reached. The rates for uncertified and permanent pasture white clover have a tendency to ease, but those for certified mother seed are firm. , , . Litle variation has been recorded in the values of perennial ryegras, but inquries have been made for certified lines of short rotation ryegrass. The demand for Italian ryegrass is much smaller than it was a few years ago, and this has been reflected in the quantity harvested. The amount saved this year is only a fraction of that offered at the peak period. The future outlet for browntop, Chewings’ fescue, and crested dogstail is still uncertain. Some exporters do not consider that the prospect of free tiading in these lines is bright.