WHEAT PRODUCTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18392, 28 July 1931, Page 2

WHEAT PRODUCTION.

COST PER ACRE. comparison with pre-war. Comparisons of the detailed costs of producing’ wheat between pre-war years and 1929 are made possible by figures compiled at the Canterbury Agricultural College and published in the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Bulletin for July. For 1929 contract prices are used in the table below', but these differ from direct labour costs by only Is 7d per acre. It cannot, of course, be claimed that the figures represent the actual costs on every farm, for costs are likely to vary from farm to farm. But the figures are compiled by the same authority on the same basis for the two different years, and hence may be regarded as representative and as presenting a fair comparison of detailed costs typical in wheat farming.

The detailed figures of the costs of producing wheat per acre are as fol-

These figures are based on an estimated yield of 45 bushels per acre In the pre-war period, and of 40 bushels per acre In 1929. According to the totals given, costs of production per *ore appear to have increased about 76 per cent.

lows: — About 1914. £ 3 Cl Land per acre .. 35 0 0 1929 £ s 40 0 d 0 Interest at 5 % 1 15 0 at.*r% 2 8 0 Taxes k rates .. Waste . land, rences, building's, etc. at 5 0 G 4 0 7 1 9 per cent 0 1 11 0 2 Skim ploughing Discing k har0 5 0 0 7 6 rowing 0 3 10 0 7 6 Deep ploughing Cultivating and 0 7 6 0 12 6 harrowing Drilling k har0 2 7 0 4 6 rowing 0 2 10 0 4 G Seed, 11 bush. 0 6 0 0 10 0 Manure Spring harrow0 7 6 0 10 0 lng Fence mainten0 0 10 0 1 6 ancc, etc. Residue from 0 1 0 0 3 6 grass Cutting, stookIng and stack0 10 0 1 0 0 lng 0 13 ■ 0 1 12 G Threshing, at 3d 0 1 1 3 at 6d 1 0 0 Carting, at Id 0 3 9 at 2d 0 G 8 Sacks and twine Supervision, capital depreciation and extras* 0 1 2 0 0 10 G 0 £5 •No estimate In 1914 19 6 £10 11 0