THE OAT-GROWING INDUSTRY

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 492, 18 February 1880, Page 3

THE OAT-GROWING INDUSTRY

(New Zealand Times.) Ik town and country throughout New Zealand at the present time, harvest prospects and probably prices form the most fiequeut topic of conversation. Reliable iulormation on the subject is much needed, and it is already being vo-li ventilated in many of the leading journals. We lately received a copy of tiie “ New Zealand Agriculturalist,’ a monthly publication issued under the auspices of the North Otago Agricultural .Association, as a supplement to tiie Oumaiu Mail. It is n carefully compiled sheet, ami one which deserves the notice of New Zealand farmers throughout the colony ; any dictum emanating from it merits careful consideration, and wo therefore draw attention lo ihe fact that in its market repo: t ol the 31st January, it declares that “ outs are likely to be a drug In the market tiie pires quoted Lung in Dim*'min at Is 7-L1 to Is 8n per bushel for feeding quality, ami in Christchurch Is 5d to ls7d. With the above opinion wo entirely agree, and inasmuch as oats form the staple product of New Zealand grain-growers, w“ think that the reasons which influenced us in forming this opinion may be worthy of publication. As a proof of the importance of the indue’ry in New' Calami, we may remark iu passing th.it in 1879 the estimated production of oats in New Z -aland was 8,368,000 bushels ; , but the total estimated production of ail the other Aiistndian colonies put together was less than 3,600,000 bushels. This colony must therefore be regarded as the cat market of Australasia. The following table shows the position of New Zealand oat-growers during the past three years :

Area under Estimated Oats— produce— Export—y Acres. Bu-he!s, Bushels. 1577 ... 150.C00 4.707.000 354,000 1878 ... 100,000 5,1)20.000 302.000 187'J ... 278.000 8,308.000 842,000 Estimated Value per Bushel. 1877 2s Sd 187S ... ... ... Os lld 1870 2s 7cl From the above it will be seen that the aiea under oats has increased by about 85 per cent in three years—that there were 7,526.000 bushels of oats retained in the colony last year, as against 0,(127,000 bushel’s in 1878. The question arises, was it possible for New Zealand farmers to consume this extra surplus of nearly two million bushels within the year? We think not. It is worthy of, notice that last year the increase in the area under oats was 87,000 acres, whereas in JS7B it was only about #9,000, the total increase for tiie two years being about 127,000 acres. The increase in the area under wheat during the same two years was 101,000 acres in 1878, and 21,000 in 1879, altogether about 122,000 acres. The average increase of acreage under wheat and oats was therefore about the same (luring the two years under consideration. The increase in the area under wheat has been

more constant ami regular th'u jh the case with oat«, ;.st a oeiisidt.'•.d.-lc decrease :n Ui* area under oats was reo-nlcd in 1877. In the absence of di-Snite a:ul detailed information on tho subject from the different grain growing districts, it is impossible to form any reliable estimate of the probable area nndcr oats and wheat during the present year. Judging by the agricultural statistics of previous years, and by the lowness of the prices now ruling for old oats, we have come to the conclusion both that oats are likely to he u drug in the market, and also that the increase m the area sown in oats would be less than last year. We are led to anticipate a largely-increased production and surplus of grain, both from tiie glowing reports of the harvest prospects and from the knowledge that in good seasons like 1878 the average crip of wheat in New Zealand exceeds 30 bushels, and the average crop of oats is equal to nearly 40 bushels per acre ; whereas last year bats were only estimated to average about 30 bushels, and wheat about 23 bushels. These anticipations are confirmed by tho further knowledge that in previous years, whenever the ngricuitural returns of any year show a large area under fallow, that year has been followed by a large increase in the area under grain. In addition to ibis, it is well known that sviiem-ver wool is low in price fanners are sure to endeavor to increase their annual income by paying more attention to agriculture, as opposed to mere wool-growing. The fact that only one-tenth of the whole estimated production ofoais was exported, may have induced farmers to sow less oats last, spiing than they would otherwise have dune. The superabundance ot labor which has prevailed dining tlie past year would also encourage far huts to bring more land under the plough. If a further reason is needed,'we may point out that last year, for the first lime, combined reapers and binders Were largely used ; if we remember might, the value of this class of implements imported prior to last harvest was e?stirnated at alumt £2Ou,UOO. The increased facilities accorded to graingrowers for seeming their crops by these machines would add considerable stimulus on the .graiu-giowing industry. We have given above several reasons why the increase in the area under oats would probably be considerably less than last year, when an extra 87,000 acres of oats were laid down, although the area under grain will probably be much larger than in 1870. On the other hand, it is within our knowledge that in Some districts lands which were intended for wheat, was laid down in oats, as the wet season prevented wheat from being sown. If called upon to make a rough estimate of the coming oat crop from the data before us, we should say that we look forward to a total production of oats of certainly not less titan 10,000,000 bushels ; it may, and very likely will, prove to be nearly 12,'100,000 bushels, as from South Cautei bury and elsewhere reports have reached us of an unusually large area under oats.

We have already more than once suggested that some system of official'valuation of.exports should be adopted in accordance with a r. solution passed by tiie Legislative Council last session. Tin* fact that exporters valued the New Zealand on is sent away by them at 2s Sd per bushel, whereas now at the close of the year from Is fid to is ckl is about the real valim at tho final port of shipment. points to the neceft-ity for the exercise of some offend eor.t'ol over the valuation of exports, if the annua) statistics arc to i .* accept'd by statesmen or money-lenders, as afo.r ling a r- iiadile index of the annual im.cuae of Now Zealand, which is derived !rom outside sources, 9he several Chambers of Commence throughout tho Colony would readily undertake, to assess the export values of staple products quarterly, if they were formally requested to do so by the Commissioner of Customs.