DEAR WHEAT EXPECTED.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3451, 3 April 1920, Page 7

DEAR WHEAT EXPECTED.

VICTORIAN MINISTER’S PLAN. .E.fl;'ol'ts are being; made by the Victorian Governinenl to secure it wheat crop of four million ael'es. During the past four years the area under wheat in the State has declined from 3,679,000 acres to 2,214,000 acres. Pamphlets ‘rll-at -are being distl'ibut.buted by the Department. of .~'\g‘l'ieulture aniovg, fzu'inel's in the w‘.le:lt rountry state that when :1 .-s.‘.mil;:‘: uppeal was made five ye-;u’s aé»_'n the respunse was at Frop of 4.1.15-).i’0«) ucz‘-‘:‘, of which 450,000 :le_l'es were cut for hay. Fzll'lllel's \\'ei'e now being urged to sow :1 peace crop of four million acres, :1n(l_, wit‘ll favourable ziutunin ruins this should be possible.

In an address to f:ll'nlCrS. tho’ Minis‘ter for Agri.cultlll'o_, Hr Oman, said the “more whczlt canlpaign was part of the general pfl‘.'ort to incv:~3ase produc‘tion in order to meet the war debt. Discussing the prospects of wheat growing, Ml‘ Oman s:1i:,1 w]lcat was

131-ixigiiig famine priee.<~: in fi:Jiil'ope. The ‘teachings of lllSlLOl‘_\' was that the price of \\'ll(“.:1t. soaretl atfter every War, ’and the recent trend of wheat prices indicated tlzzlt. hisl‘ol'y would :i.g‘ain repeat lliSL‘ll’: Sonie years must elapse bc-t'ore Europe could be supplied with sufiiuieut. food to feed the sturviiig populations .'111d,111211]11.11111 normal :'~3s(.'rve.q. Blioiilcl the new crop harvested in the northern hemisphere fall short. of requirements, further ilicre.ases in pri('.~?S [would appear inevitable. Next year, with a good season. and a. large acreage under crop. Victoria would be in :1. fine position to meet her war obligations b_v disposing of her surplus wheat at highly favourable I.)ri<:es. The Government had gumanfeed a minimum price of 5/ a bushel. Wheatgi'cwei's therefore know before they .~:o\~;ed that prices at lia:‘\'est' would be profitable. He urged‘ them to bend’ their eilel'gies to the L<o\\‘ing' of a record acreage during the coming season. I A lienvy crop would give a large exporiable Slll"Dl1l5; whieli would realise) high prices abroad.