WORLD'S WHEAT CHOP

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 141, 11 December 1929, Page 7

WORLD'S WHEAT CHOP

LOWEST SINCE 1924

The world's wheat crop harvest of 1929 is the lowest since 1924, according to figures received by the International Institute of Agriculture. The reason for this is the comparative failure of the wheat crop in the United States and Canada, says the Rome correspondent of the "Morning Post." The world's wheat harvest, according to forecasts for the northern hemisphere, which is only susceptible to unimportant modifications, will be less than 1928 b yabout 300,000,000 metric quintals (30,000,000 tons). It should be remembered that in this estimate the southern hemisphere, namely, Argentine, Australia, and South Africa, which latter country is a small wheat producer, are excluded, their returns not being available until the beginning of November.

For four-fifths of the northern hemisphere of the world, otherwise SO per cent., the estimated wheat crop is 643,000,000 metric quintals, as against 746,000,000 metric quintals in 1928. The average for the past five years for this four-fifths of the northern hemisphere was 673,000,000 metric quintals.

The reason why figures are at present only available for four-fifths of the harvest of the northern hemisphere is that Eussia and China do not return statistics, while France and Serbia do not issue theii s till later. France's crop is expected to be good to excellent. Europe's wheat crop is forecasted as good for countries whose returns are available—Eussia, France, Serbia, and Greece excluded.

Europe's crop is estimated at 228,----000,000 metric quintals, or 15,000,000 less than last year, and 12,000,000 better than the average. The reason for the drop of about 100,000,000 metric quintals in the world's production, or the fourt-fifths thereof for which figures are available, is the prolonged ummer drought in Canada and the United States.

Canada's production is estimated at 66,000,000 metric quintals les? than in 1928, while the drop in the United States -rop is estimated at 32,000,000. Europe's diminution of 15,000,000 quintals Is due to the relative failure of the Eumanian, Hungarian, and Bulgarian crops. For Western Europe the forecast is better than for Eastern Europe.

An early report of Argentine and Australian wheat, which is at present in the germinating period, indicates not over favourable conditions.