RYEGRASS PROSPECTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17949, 29 November 1932, Page 4

RYEGRASS PROSPECTS

INCREASED AREAS

FIRST SOUTH IS. MOTHER CEO!

An outline of the prospective rye gras, seed harvest throughout the Bominion was given to-day by Mr. 11. U. Wilton, export manager for Messrs. Wiiiilit, Stephenson and Company, Limited, who is on a visit to Gisborne,. He. ha s been visiting also the Month Island.’ Hawke's Bay and Alauawatu. In touring Canterbury, he said, d-

was very noticeable that the area ni certified rye grass had increased materially ; in fact, the area sown throughout the South Island was close oil oOuO acres, of which 35C0 acres were to be harvested in the Canterbury and North i.tago districts. The production should average somewhere between oO and 40 bushels to the acre. '‘Practically the whole South Island area is first harvest- and permanent pasture seed, he said, “but there i.s one area of 40 acres which is likely to ho certified as mother seed, this being tile first South Island crop to come in as mother seed. The whole of the crops are looking exceptionally well, and, with good weather conditions over Hie balance of the growing season up till harvest time, a crop of high quality seed .illor.ld be saved. “In the Sandnn district, Manawatu, about 3500 acres are likely to he saved. The Hawke’s Bay crop i.s looking parti• cularly well, and is expected to produce a very large, out-turn. Poverty Bay probably looks drier than all the rest A the districts concerned, and while the production here may not be < heavy, prices must fall into line with the others, and those necessarily are likely lo rule, at a good deal below last year’s value in view of the larger aggregate supply of sec.l. “The farmer in New Zealand (Ins coming sca.si.-u.'’ he went on, “is not going to have the same amount o' money to spend on his farm leqiuTonients as hitherto, and with t his smaller demand the grower must ho content to accent lower v dues. “Another factor is that Australia is not likely to he such a heavy importer •i-; was at first anticipated. Naturally, she will purchase a fair quantity of seed, and propaganda work is already in action in an endeavor to induce the farmer to sow New Zealand certified seeds such as rye grass, cocksfoot and white clover. However, the Australian farmer, generally sneaking, is slower on the uptake than the New Zealand farmer, and the depression s having the same effect in Australia in relation to the spending power of the farmer as it is in this country.

“Tn summing uy> the general position,” lie rmicltidcrl, “growers of certified rye grass seed must come to the opinion that they arc not going to get the high prices for their seed that they have been used to in the past.”