WHEAT VALUES IN N.Z.

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 748, 22 August 1929, Page 8

WHEAT VALUES IN N.Z.

WORTH OF INDUSTRY TO DOMINION FIGURES GIVEN AT INQUIRY Press iMOinattot WELLINGTON. Today. Be fore the wheat inquiry yesterd* r Mr. J. W. Collins, secretajry of the partment of Industries, and Commerce, gave some interesting figure*. After describing the various stages through which the industry had passed he said that domestic requirement* of wheat might be stated to be as follows: For milling. 6.500,000 bushels, for fowl feed and other 2,000,000 bushels; for seed, bushels; total. 9,000,000 bushels. During the year 1927-28 the total yield off 260.957 acres had been 9-543,444 bushels, or 35.56 bushels an acre. Mr. Collins submitted a number ef tables dealing with the various aspects of the wheat industry in 1928. Xew Zealand exported 692 bushels of wheat and imported 761,055 bushels. The quantity of flour imported during 29:| was 9.500 tons, as against 14.224 tons in 1927 and 26,591 tons in 1926. The value of the wheat, flour, bran and pollard imported during the past <We years was as follows: Wheat, £2,899.760; flour. £901,146; brae. £57,183: pollard. £116,136. total. £3.974,225. Dealing with the flour milling industry Mr. Collins said that there were 49 flour mills operating in Xew Zealand, 40 being in the South Island and nine in the Xorth Island. The average yearly output was approximately 135,00 tons of flour, 19,700 tons of bran and 31,460 tons of pollard and the average yearly requirements of wheat for milling purposes were from 6J to seven million bushels. The value of the land, buildings, plant and machinery of the flourmilling industry in the Dominion was £810.178. The number of persons employed was 697 and the wages paid during 1928 totalled £175,956. The value of the products was £2.949,921, and the value add*d la the course of manufacture £W7.995.