AUSTRALIAN WHEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1921, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN WHEAT.

NEW SOUTH WALES HARVEST. SURPLUS OF 40,000,000 BUSHELS. The Government Statistician, Mr. H. A. Smith, has issued a preliminary forecast of the wheat crop of the current season in New South M ales. Although the dry conditions during the earlier part of the year restricted sowing operations, the season of growth has been most favorable, as ample rainfall has been received each month. The heavy downpour in December caused losses of grain and of hay, but the damage was more apparent in the quality than in the quantity harvested. From all parts of the State, almost without exception, reports are most optimistic, and there appears little doubt that a heavy haivest will be reaped. The yield is estimated at 55,302,000 bushels- The area harvested for grain amounted to 3,107,500 acres, so that t.he average production for the State was 17.8 bushels per acre. This is the highest general average icr acre recorded during the present era of wheat growing, ; and slightly exceeds the average of the i season 1903-4, when It was 17.5 bushels, s It is most gratifying, coming after an average of 3 bushels per acre in the ■ preceding season. The following statement shows the six • years of highest average in the State - during the last 20 years (that is, when i the average exceeded 12 bushels per i acre), from which will be understood 1 how satisactory is the present average: 1 __1903.4, 17.5 bushels per acre; 1909-10, f 14.3; 1910-11, 13.1; 1912-13, 14.6; 1915-16, . 15.9; 1920-21, 17.8. The number of growers which had been decreasing for six years, increased durj ing the current season to 17,502 from ■ . 16.266 in the preceding year. 1 The stocks of old season’s wheat and i . flour held in New South Wales at. the I 7 end of November, 1920, were (in equiva- . lent wheat) 1,500,000 bushels. In addit tion, there were 45,000 bushels stacked r at country railway stations or in tran--4 sit per rail, making a total of 1,545,000 e bushels carried over from previous liarv ’ vests and from importations. If the ■ ’s ■ estimated production during .1920-21 of • ! 55,30'2,000 bushels be added to this, there o‘ is available 56,347,000 bushels. The rejjquirements for local consumption and ’c; 1 seed arc estimated at 17,000,000 bushels, ■r i so that there will bc a surplus of apd proximately 40,000,000 bushels available »- for export. r. —— . - ~