MAY LOSE £250,000

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 300, 10 March 1928, Page 27

MAY LOSE £250,000

QUEENSLAND MAIZEGROWERS DISORGANISED MARKETING The maize crops throughout Southern Queensland generally promise large production, but because growers are unorganised, it has been stated by Mr. L. R. Macgregor, Director of Marketing, that they might easily lose £ 250,000. The present lew price of maize, in many instances below the cost of production, is causing great concern to the maize-growers. In New South Males the position is little, if any, Letter than in Queensland, and much interest is being taken in the meeting of the New South Wales State 1 Committee of the Australian Maize Council, which is to be held in Sydney in a few days. Referring to the position in Queensland, Mr. Macgregor stated that two lean years with high prices have been experienced, but the crop now on the land promises to approach the record, the previous best being the season 1924-25, when 7.330,821 bushels were Produced. May Have to Export There appears every indication that It might be necessary to export during the conung season, as was the case in the 1024-25 season, when between September and December approximately a million and a-half bushels were exported. Present export values are around 3s 2d to 3s 3d a bushel, f.0.b.. which, taking into account rail freight and other costs, would barely nel 2s 6d a bushel country station, °ut of which the farmer would have to Pay for his bags. It the present or* > prospects materialised, values ma\ probably fall to the world parity of 2s 6d a bushel, w hich would be unpayable.