FLOUR SUPPLIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19138, 6 October 1936, Page 4

FLOUR SUPPLIES

CANADIAN WHEAT PROVISION FOR. BAKERS NONE FOR HOME COOKS Provision made by the New Zealand Wheat Committee to supply trade bakers with a percentage of flour milled from Canadian wheat importations, in order to overcome difficulties in making bread from available supplies ,of New Zealand flour, will not apply to the necessities and problems of home cooks. This information was obtained todav by reference to. a Gisborne merchant prominently connected with the distribution of flour on behalf of the Wheat Committee. He stated that the committee had authorised distributors to make available to trade bakers supplies of flour from Canadian wheat, in the proportion of 10 per vent of the bakers’ normal requirements for bread-making. So far these supplies had not become available in Gisborne, but .orders had been placed, and it was expected that the Canadian flour would bo available shortly.

Asked whether private consumers also could secure supplies of the flour milled in New Zealand from Canadian wheat, in order to overcome the difficulties of home-baking to which publicity has been given recently in the Herald, the distributor stated mat he had no authority to issue such supplies. Bakers were able to place then orders, but there was no channel, so far as he know, through which private consumers could secure the foreign flour.

Obviouslv the neglect of the Wheat Committee'to place the new flour on the market is due to an oversight, which, in view of the interest shown bv the committee in the complaints voiced bv home-baker,s through the Herald, should not continue for more than a few (lavs. In the Wheat Committee’s letter to the Herald, enelosiiio- an article specially written b) Dr. IliWndorf, director of wheat research, in answer to the complaints published in Gisborne, it was pointed out that bakers were naturally in a better position to gauge tho changes in method necessary to meet changes in the quality and 'character of supplies of flour. Now that the Wheat Committee has recognised the need on the part of the. trade bakers for the introduction of a proportion of flour of overseas origin, there should be little delay in making the same advantage available to retail buyers of flour for cooking in those areas which are not in close touch with trade bakers.