UNSATISFACTORY YEAR FOR FLOUR MILLERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 221, 7 December 1927, Page 13

UNSATISFACTORY YEAR FOR FLOUR MILLERS

REVIEW OF 1926-7 SEASON (Special to THE SU2i.) WELLINGTON, To-day. The Government Statistician, reporting on the milling industry for the year ended March 21 last, says that, according to the reports of the flourmillers in their returns, the year was unsatisfactory in the industry. The basic cause of the unsatisfactory conditions appeared to be a shortage of the Dominion’s wheat crop at the 1926 harvest. Evidence of this shortage is afforded by the fact that the quantity of wheat used in Hour mills during the year, 5,074,795 bushels, was considerably greater than the total wheat yield in 1926, 4,115,606 bushels, all of which did not go to the mills. Overseas markets had to be drawn on to make up the deficiency, and 1.697,385 bushels were imported during the calendar year 1926. Even this, however, was not sufficient to keep the Dominion’s mills working at full capacity, and quite a number of mills reported slack times during the 1926-27 period. In addition to the importations of wheat, 537,826 ’centals of flour, representing approximately 1,291,000 bushels of wheat, were imported. The number of mills furnishing returns was 52, representing a capital value of land, buildings, plant and machinery of £744,405, and employing nearly 650 people. Wages aggregated £162,325, and the cost of materials used £2,153,007. Prior to 1924 the imports of wheat and oats and their manufactures were negligible, but in that year wheat and flour were imported worth over £1,000,000. In 1925 this figure was approximately £922,000 and last year it was again over £1,000,000. Over 8,000,000 bushels of wheat and 5,500,000 bushels of oats were produced in 1923, and the three following harvests were very poor. The 1927 harvest was considerably improved but the return was lower than that of 1923. The estimated areas sown this year were: Wheat 270.000 acres, compared with 221,689 in 1926-27 season: oats, 312.000 acres (386,726); and barley. 21,500 (30.414).