OAT CROPS

Southland Times, Issue 20081, 19 January 1927, Page 6

OAT CROPS

LOW ACREAGE IN CANTERBURY

“The position regarding oats has been agitating the minds of farmers and I have looked into the position,” said Mr W. W. Mulholland, chairman of the Agricultural Committee, at the meeting of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Mr Mulholland presented the following report—‘The returns on November 30 showed stocks of grain to be 1,424,777 bushels, which was 43,067 more than last year. More than half the quantity was in Otago and Southland. Stacks for threshing, however, showed an estimated decrease of 30,157. Stacks for chaff showed a decrease of 24,509 tons from last year or 700,000 bushels. Of 124,550 tons produced in Canterbury only 8,639 tons remained in stack, and as apparently 4,360 tons were exported it was fair to assume that local consumption was between ten and twelve thousand tons per month, indicating a very short supply and the necessity of starting immediately on new chaff in many cases. If as was probable farmers in Canterbury generally needed to keep an extra stack for chaff this year that alone would absorb the equivalent of roughly 1,500,000 bushels which would not be available in commerce. “It was a common impression that the number of horses had largely decreased in the Dominion, due to the use of motor-cars, trucks and tractors. The decrease as yet, however, was not nearly so great as was supposed. From 1920 to 1926 the numbers decreased from 346,407 to 314,867, or barely 10 per cent., so that this outlet was not greatly altered. “Although the yield in Canterbury at least promised to be very heavy the acreage estimated by the Government Statistician as having been sown was not a large one. In fact it was the lowest for a number of years excepting last year, and it would take good yield to give an average crop.

“It did not therefore seem necessary for farmers to sacrifice their crops at low prices, at any rate until the position had developed considerably more. Then it would probably be found that there would not be the large over-supply so frequently predicted. Oats at under 3/- per bushel were cheap feeding, and farmers who could do so to advantage should use as much as possible on their own farms.” The report was adopted, and it was decided to send it to the branches and to the other provincial executives.