NEW SEASON’S MAIZE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 671, 24 May 1929, Page 10

NEW SEASON’S MAIZE

GOOD PRICES EXPECTED CROPS DAMAGED BY STORM (From Our Own Correspondent) OPOTIKI, Today. The prospects of farmers receiving , good prices for new season's maize in the Bay of Plenty districts appears to be assured. Owing to the damage by the storm in the Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay and Hawke's Bay, the chief maize-grow-ing districts of New Zealand, there is 1 likely to b© a scarcity of maize this i year. It is reported than an endeavour made by .Auckland merchants to im--1 port a consignment from South Africa j has fallen through, owing to space not j being available, and it is not possible j to put on a special steamer, as suffij cient orders could not be obtained. It is reported that there is a good I deal of forward buying taking place, j The position of maize-growers in the ’ Bay of Plenty is now on a better foot--1 ing than ever before. ! As a result of the opening of the Bay :of Plenty line from Taneatua to j Auckland it is now possible for the ; Bay to serve Waikato direct. Large : shipments have also been sent to ! Southern towns, which were formerly served by Gisborne growers. One result of the opening of the line has ; been that farmers are receiving better ! prices than would have been the case if , the boat services had had to be relied ! upon. ! Formerly all the Bay maize had to i be sent to Auckland before being dis- ! tributed. Owing to the uncertain posi- j tion brought about through Bay I growers bein gable to serve the Waii kato and Southern centres direct by i rail, there was a considerable reduction in-the acreage put down in maize in Poverty Bay last year.