RUSSIAN WHEAT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 441, 5 December 1930, Page 12

RUSSIAN WHEAT

THIRTY SHILLINGS A QUARTER | LOWEST PRICE FOR MANY YEARS. An English paper dated October 3 last, says that September 1930. which will be remembered by English farmers for its dismal weather, will be remembered also as a period of the intensest dumping campaign that they have ever experienced. During last mouth the Soviet Government chartered scores of vessels from England. France and Germany and poured into English ports about a million quarters of wheat. This was offered at 30s a quarter, the lowest price for many years, anil about 2->s a quarter less than the price at which the British farmer can grow it. Fruit Left Unpicked. Fruit pulp was dumped into this e"untrv from Russia at £l2 a ton. about half what it costs the British grower tn produce the fruit. Over thousands of acres in England fruit was left on the trees because* tin* prices obtainable did not cover the cost of picking and packing and carriage. Farmers who had specialised in black currants were hit most severely, the competition in this case coming chiefly from Holland. Dutch currants were sold here at £l2 a ton. whereas th.* ?o>t of production in England is about £2O a ton. Bacou and Butter Next. The Soviet dumping policy, dictated by the desire to create confusion in international markets and to obtain money at all costs for their army and their propaganda organisations, has hern planned tn eovt-r also bacon, butter and eggs. Now that the fruit and grain attacks have been made British farmers are expecting the campaign to begin ou the other articles. During tin* same period the Soviet dumped soap into this country, the imports reaching !•<» tons in one week, at tbouf £3O a ton cheaper than British manufacturers can produce it. „

Timber-producing countries have suffered from Russian dumping of wood and wood pulp produced under conditions of slavery and sold at. prices with which ordinary industry cannot com-