EXPORTATION of WHEAT to ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 447, 17 December 1866, Page 3

EXPORTATION of WHEAT to ENGLAND.

[South Australian Begister, 14th November.j The question of shipping wheat to Great Britain is receiving some attention amongst both farmers and merchants. The 64s a quarter, or 8s a bushel, which we quoted on Monday was from the Times of the 25th September, and is, of course, the price of the best imported wheat. As to the cost of exportation from this country, 3s a bushel was the charge published a year or two ago as the maximum of all expenses. The frieght alone would be about Is 6d per bushel. From the statement made in onr columns when the subject was under discussion on a former occasion, it appeared that the cost per quarter, all charges included, on wheat shipped to England, amounted to 24s 6d.

This may be considerably modified now. Instead of sacks and twine, for instance, iron tanks similar to those in which malt is frequently imported might possibly bo used to some extent; but even at a cost of 3s per bushel there maybe a chance of profit at the present time. Good dry wheat from South Australia would fetch the best price in England, and that price is now almost certain to ruls above the average until next harvest. That average has been about seven shillings per bushel for a long series of years, and now there are numerous circumstances tending to make it higher. Not only is the English harvest a poor one ; the same complaint is heard on the Continent, and particularly in France. It is for the farmers and shippers themselves to decide npon the question of trying the English manket from this colony. The letters which we are daily receiving from correspondents as to the state of the crops throughout the colony seem to show that the average yield will not be less than fifteen bushels to the acre. This yield from the 450,000 acres which we calculated would be put under crop during the current year would amount to 6,730,000 bushels, or 150,000 tons of flour, reckoning 45 bushels to the ton. Allowing, then, for the usual home consumption next year, there will be available for export more than 100,000 tons of flour. This we shall have to dispose of somewhere. At present it is too early to calculate what quantities the neighboring colonies will require. Their markets, at all events, are likely to be kept bare of American flour, and this alone* will make room for more than the 34,000 tons which they have taken during the present year.

Under an circumstances, it is not too early for farmers and merchants to look eut for markets. Probably India will be a customer if we are to judge from late reports. What, then, with famine in some parts of India and scarcity in Europe, our extraordinary largo crops may be in full demand, the “law of compensation” benefiting one country at the expense of another.