NEW SEASON’S RYE GRASS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17957, 8 December 1932, Page 10

NEW SEASON’S RYE GRASS

BIGGER AREA IN SEED effect on market price FI ELDS SUPER! NTE.N DENT’S VIEW The .huger crop of certified rye grass sped expected in New Zealand this year may have the chert of easing the price to the grower a little, hut tne big demand created for certified seed of the type grown in the Gisborne district should keep values up to a fairly high level. This opinion was expressed to-day by .Mr. W. J. McCulloch, fields superintendent. Department of Agricutlure, whose district embraces the southern part of the North Island, including She Gisborne district. He said that ll any drop in the price occurred, it would be'mainly on first harvest and permanent pasture seed, tor there had been little increase in the areas of mother seed available, and mother seed was the most desirable.

Mr. McCulloch came to this conclusion after a survey of the conditions ruling in his district, together with what he had heard from other parts. The Hawke’s Bay crop would be much larger than that of last year. The area entered for certicfiation reached approximately 10,000 acres, but he doubted whether the total area certified to would be as great, in proportion to the total entered, as it was last year. CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE

The ilats In the vicinity of Hastings had provided practically ail the certified crops in Hawke’s .Bay • up to the present, but this year the areas entered under the scheme had extended to the outskirts of the flat country and up small valleys. The difficult times through which the farming industry was passing and the low prices received tor most types of produce had induced larmors to take advantage of the high prices of rye grass seed to shut up as huge an area as they possibly could. 1 here was an abundant growth of grass and the properties were not stocked over heavilv,| and every possible acre was kept for grass seed, lie had not made a thorough inspection oi the whole area, but he feared that there would be; a greater percentage of ’ ejections. On the other hand, there appeared to be a very heavy yield on some of the Hawke's liny properties lie had scon, and one man expected to take 60 bushels to the acre off his place. (jisborne’s increase in area was onn about 500 acres. Large percentage increases had taken place in other districts, but the acreage was not large, for, apart from Poverty Bay ami Hawke’s Bay. very little rye grass was produced in the past few years of -certification. Wairarapa Imd between 600 and 700 acres, Manawatu about 2500 acres, and AA auganui from ICC’j to 12yu acres, whereas in the past these districts Imd very little or no certified ive grass seed to offer. The South Island, too, he understood, had increased its areas a groat deal on a percentage basis, although the increases there were only in hundreds of acres, and not in thousands of acres, as in Hawke s Bay. INTERNAL DEMAND

“The farmer who wishes to buy seed popes to get rye grass seed cheaper than lie has been able to in the past, and lie must get it cheaper,” said Air. McCulloch, “but whether the price will come down this year, or m a tew ycais, ] do not know. AVhile the present internal demand keeps up. prices will not conoe down a great deal. Hie demand will be there for a long time. AA'e cannot hope to export much rye grass seed while it remains at its present high level. A little went to Australia last year, and a certain small inquiry has been received from Australia- already this season, but we cannot build up an export trade until prices come down. And prices will not decline very much until our own internal demand is satisfied. “A small decrease in values may take place this year, but even if prices decline Is to 2s per bushel, growers still should be well satisfied with results.’ Air. McCulloch anticipated a greater difference in the values of mother seed m comparison with those of permanent pasture and first harvest, than m the past. The increased areas in the Dominion this veav were almost- entirely in first harvest and permanent pasture variety.