WHEAT SHORTAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 158, 22 July 1937, Page 6

WHEAT SHORTAGE

-Press Association.)

Importations Likely To Be Unavoidable

FEWER S0WINGS

(By Telegraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. New Zealand is faced witb a serious shortage of wheat in the coming season and 'indieations are that importations will be unavoidable. With overseas markets showing a strong tendency to rise," this will be expensive, as importations will probably have to be made at a price above that paid in the internal market. Although the returns of sowings obtained by the Wheat Committee are not yet complete, it is estimated that tbere will be a decrease of 9.37 per cent in the total . acreage sown throughout New Zealand this season as compared with last year. Returns have been received from 303 farms, leaving a balance of approximately 200 still to be obtained. Last year 303 farms, concerning which lnformation has already been supplied, grew a total of 23,894 acres of wheat, while this year their maximum sowing, according to figures in hand, will reach only 21,655 acres, a decrease of 2239 acres. It is considered that the position disclosed by the returns already in the hands of the Wheat Committee will obtain tliroughout New Zealand. Weather conditions throughout the wheatgrowing areas of New Zealand have been very bad, and in some areas farmers have not yet been able to do any ploughing. It is possible that the position may be eased slightly by the spring sowing, but this again depends on the weather and cannot increase the acreage to any appreciable extent.