Growers Should Organise To Widen Grass Seed Demand

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18064, 15 April 1933, Page 12

Growers Should Organise To Widen Grass Seed Demand

TT appears as though. Gisborne ryegrass seed growers are being left behind in the race for markets. Hawke's Bay, by organisation, has gained a definite lead, and already a promising market has been established in Australia. Mahawatu, also, is contemplating forming an association to look after the growers’ interests. It is in periods of low prices such as the present that organised attempts to popularise a product are more than ever essential, and it is only by united effort that this can be done effectively. Gisborne maize growers realised this recently, wdion they formed a maize growers ’ association, and their action in doing this was welcomed by the merchants, who realised that much could be done to strengthen the market by co-operative action from the growing end. Hawke’s Bay has had a seed growers’ association for two years, during which time it has lost no opportunity to boost the high quality of its product. t Initial Misunderstanding.

Poverty Bay ryegrass seed was famous before the days of certification, and*.’it is still recognised as being unsurpassed by any grown elsewhere, but’of recent years, since the certification scheme was inaugurated, the name of Poverty Bay became submerged under the title of Hawke’s Bay, and no determined step.? have been taken by growers to assert this district’s claims.

Although Poverty Bay seed has been generally referred to under the name of Hawke’s Bay, Gisborno growers have never had the advantage of this in the matter of marketing. In uninitiated quarters, and even with some who should be correctly informed, it is believed that New Zealand’s best ryegrass seed comes from Hawke’s Bay, where certification tests have proved that Poverty Bay, the home of the perennial strain, still maintains its high reputation.

The plant research , station, in the early days .of certification, initiated the misunderstanding by referring to Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay seed as Hawke’s Bay, and the growers’ association of the latter province lias taken full advantage of this to put forward its claims. And during all this time, Gisborne growers havo been silent and inactive. A Name to Keep.

Munawatu growers have seen that they have yet a name to make, and are meeting to form an association t.o this end. Poverty Bay has a name to keep. It is fast being lost in this race for markets, and growers here should be active enough to see that the reputation of the district’s seed is maintained in tho eyes of the buyers. Certification results are useless unless they are made widely known.

If it is essential for Manawatu growers to organise, it is doubly neces- I sary for those of Gisborne to do like- j 1 wise. The area certified to in the i Gisborne district this season was 3800 j acres, while Manawatu, a new district j ' to seed growing, had only about' 150.0 ] acres. But the Manawatu area seems ! like increasing in future seasons. Gis- ' borne growers should spe that this is not done at their expense. j Hawke’s Bay growers spared no ] pains to acquaint the recent Victor- j ian farmer visitors of the advantages 1 provided by sowing Hawke's Bay ryegrass seed, and the result has been that a small trade has already sprungup, With the promise of it growing considerably. Gisborne did not have ! the advantage of entertaining the Australians, but by an organised attempt it should be able to do much.