SEASON'S CEREAL CROP

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 584, 9 February 1929, Page 12

SEASON'S CEREAL CROP

ESTIMATED YIELD (Special to THE SUN-> WELLINGTON, Friday. A preliminary estimate of the season's harvest has been compiled by the Government Statistician from reports furnished by stock inspectors of the Department of Agriculture. The results are shown in the following summary:— 1925-29 1927-2 S Estimate Actual Bushels. Bushels. TV heat S. 400.000 9.341.444 Oats 3.300.000 3,552.657 Barley 730.000 561.955 Tlie estimates of the areas sown were published in November as fallow:— Wheat 235,000 acres (as against .62.000 acres in 1927-2 S); oats. 303.000 acres (as against 303.700. of which SS.OOO acres were threshed and the balance chaffed!: barley, 22,000 acres (as against 21.*00 acres). The average yields per acre of the present harvest are estimated as • Wheat, 33.96 bushels (35.66 in 19-. --S). oats. 43.45 bushels (43.66); barley, 04.49 bushels (40.87). . f The annual consumption of wheat tor all purposes in New Zealand is abou 8,300,000 bushels. a TRADE IN PRODUCE POSITION IN CANTERBURY Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. Wheat is coming in fairly freely and there has been a marked improvement during the last few' days in samples. Offers of wheat are rather in advance of the capacity of buyers. Any business done has been on the basis of as bd on trucks, but buying is limited, howl wheat is quoted at 5s 7d. f.0.b., for prompt with March-April-May at 5s 7d to 5s 7£d. The oats market is lifeless, and merchants cannot see much of an encouraging nature in the future. values at Home and in Australia preclude any chance of export to these quarters in the meantime. Values nominally are os Gd for spread A Cartons, and 3s od for B's, but buyers are few'. Inquiry for prompt chaff is fair at £3 15s to £4 a ton on trucks, but forward is weaker, being quoted at £3 10s. . Reports from time to time have indicated the probability of a disappointing ryegrass crop in Canterbury. This forecast has been supported in trade circles bv a rather sharp advance in prices during the week. A good deal of business has taken place at 4s 6d a bushel, on trucks, for perennial, and 3s 6d to «s Sd for Italian. Reports from Southland indicate a promising ryegrass crop. A number of samples of plains cocksfoot have been offered. The bulk of it is of good quality, and from 6-id to 7d a lb is being offered farmers. Peninsula crops promise to yield well and to be of good quality. Prices nominally are from 7d to Sd a lb for Akaroa seed, but merchants are somewhat chary of paying these prices until the Northern demand shows some life. In the meantime it is very slow. There is no interest in clovers so far. The pea market is lifeless. Reports from the South are to the effect that the dogstail crop is promising particularly w’ell'and the perennial ryegrass crop is also promising. There is little difference of opinion in the trade as to the value of potatoes, sellers and buyers at £4 17s 6d, f.0.b., s.i., being about equally divided. It is claimed that potatoes will not be wanted in Auckland from the South until April, which would of necessity affect values when the main crops commence to come in. On the other hand farmers are not sellers at the equivalent on truck price of £3 10s. It is agreed that there is little likelihood of shipment to Australia.