Average Maize Plantings In Poverty Bay This Year

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18547, 6 November 1934, Page 10

Average Maize Plantings In Poverty Bay This Year

'[TIE new maize crop being put in o ; * present in Hie 'Gisborne district i E expected to be a little les? in area hip about the average when taken over ;i large number ol seasons.

Much withe planting ljas been emupli'led, and the week-end rum will be a big help in starling the .young crops ou iheir way. The rain came at a time when it was most needed, and once the crops secure a good start tho absence of rain is not a serious drawback, unless a severe drought occurs. The area Ihi.s year is expected to be about L’.jOU acres, 300 acres short "l lust season ’s total. It. is a large increase, however, on the total of three years ago, when only about; 1800 acres were put down in maize. That was the time when South African importations threatened to swamp out the New Zealand grower, but since then the comparative shortage of South African maize and Iho higher exchange rate has hail the effect of keeping out importations. In spite ol that, however, juices have fallen to 8s a bushel.

Before the slump set in, it was estimated on figures submitted by representative growers tlmt the cost of productiion in i-he Gisborne .district was above. Is per bushel.« The price at that lime was just slightly above what the cost of production was claimed to be. Costs have declined somewhat since then, but on the figures submitted there could uot have been a very great drop in the average cost of product ion.

Commenting on this aspect, the other day. a well known man connected with the industry stuped that when the production cost was os a bushel growers said that they could nut produce it at the juice. Yet, indications were that the area put down this year will not be. below the average. And the present price is 8s a bushel. ‘‘l am not altogether sure that any farm production costings portray accurately the true state of affairs,” lie added. “I think they help enormously in comparing the management of one farm in relation 1:o another, but I am doubtful whether they -have any absolute value. So far as I can see, maize seems likely to remain tin important crop in Poverty Bay.”