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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 23

Grain

Grain.

The sanguine predictions enunciated a year since, as to the speedy and decided improvement in the values of our cereals, have been more than amply verified, due to a singular combination of circumstances. The disastrous weather experienced in England being followed by an equally unfortunate season in Australia, but from exactly opposite causes, provided us with profitable markets for some months. For a time it looked as though our colony must be the only granary from which Australia would naturally draw her supplies, and for a short period shipments were effected to Sydney at increasingly advancing prices, but it was our misfortune to exceed the level of rates at which Californian, as well as Indian, holders of wheat could I operate to advantage; notwithstanding this, the colony secured a steady and continuous benefit from the circumstances that caused the outside markets to advance, as the remarkable increase in the volume of wheat exports during each quarter as compared with the quarters of 1887-1888 will show:—
Quarters Ending. 1888-1889. 1887-1888. Increase
Bushels. Value. Bushel. Value. Bushels. Value.
£ £ £
Sept 761,028 110,318 59,202 10,807 701,736 99,511
Dec 968,681 186,554 53,899 8,858 914,782 177,696
March 556,819 104,059 119,006 19,288 437,813 84,771
June 1,283,677 246,046 459,256 63,624 824,421 182,422
Totals 3,570,205 646,977 691,453 102,677 2,878,752 544,400

Thus it will be seen possible markets have been steadily taken advantage of with very beneficial results. It is very interesting to note the proportion of wheat exported to the United Kingdom and Australia respectively compared with last year.

Year ending June. United Kingdom. Australia.
Bushels. Value. Bushels. Value.
£ £
1888-1889 1,935,300 334,441 1,483,288 285,359
1887-1888 407,435 74,614 82,093 11,346
Increase 1,527,865 259,827 1,401,195 274,004

Showing a wonderful expansion in this trade, especially to Australia, as, while the ratio of increase to the United Kingdom has advanced nearly times, the increase to Australia exceeds 18½ times; or, if we take the value, we find about the same proportionate advance as in the quantity sent away to the United Kingdom, but to Australia the value exported is fully 25 times more than went forward in 1887-1888. This latter feature is undoubtedly highly satisfactory, seeing that it must be to our advantage to cultivate the nearer markets of the sister colonies as often affording the best prices with the quickest returns.

It is generally admitted that the United States have about reached the maximum limit of the quantity of wheat they will annually have available for export to foreign countries; hence with the increasing population of Australia, the comparatively contracted areas in which wheat growing can be prosecuted to payable advantage, considered with the uncertainties and variableness of its climate, we may reasonably look for frequent periods when we shall have large outlets in that direction, at prices more payable than will pro- page 12 bably be found in Europe. That New Zealand is in a very superior position to meet such demands through the productiveness of her soil, is shown in the average yield of wheat per acre in the Australasian colonies for the years ending 31st March, 1874-31st March, 1889.

Average Yield of Wheat per Acre for the Years Ended 31st March, 1874-31st March, 1889 (Inclusive).
1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. Mean.
New South Wales 13.43 12.87 14.66 16.43 13.84 14.74 15.48 14.69 15.35 16.35 15.00 15.52 10.45 17.37 12.06 4.76 13.93
Victoria 13.58 14.57 15.49 13.15 12.41 8.76 13.29 9.95 9.40 9.03 14.10 9.52 8.99 11.49 10.81 7.10 11.35
South Australia 7.87 11.75 11.95 5.40 7.76 7.15 9.78 9.96 4.57 4.21 7.94 7.53 7.53 7.53 9.75 *3.85 7.78
Queensland 10.63 13.56 8.11 20.40 8.41 13.89 4.34 16.17 5.11 3.12 22.10 0.89 10.56
Western Australia 13.44 12.00 11.00 12.00 11.00 9.97 14.94 14.94 7.00 11.00 13.00 13.00 11.50 12.25 9.80 10.50 11.71
Tasmania 16.17 18.51 16.38 19.30 18.12 16.10 23.22 14.99 18.88 20.74 17.74 19.30 17.32 17.91 16.67 20.16 18.31
New Zealand 25.61 28.15 31.54 28.63 26.30 22.94 28.16 25.07 22.69 26.28 26.02 25.43 24.40 24.89 26.37 24.22 26.04
The statistics just issued by Mr. Hayter, the Victorian Government Statist, verify a statement made in this Chamber six months since, that the total gross produce of the white crops of the whole of Australia for 1888-1889 would not reach the record of our little colony for the same period, as Mr. Hayter's own figures prove:—
Colonies. Wheat. Oats. Barley. Total.
bushels. bushels. bushels. bushels.
Victoria 8,647,709 7,803,800 1,131,427 12,582,936
N. S. Wales 1,450,503 109,931 36,760 1,597,194
Queensland 8,263 3,626 7,432 19,321
S. Australia 6,187,000 43,584 109,979 6,340,563
W. Australia 322,730 41,852 73,630 438,221
Total for Australia 16,616,214 3,002,793 1,359,228 20,978,235
New Zealand 8,770,246 10,977,065 1,402,537 21,149,848
Balance in favour of New Zealand 171,613
In this connection it is interesting to note the mean average produce per acre of oats, barley, and potatoes in the Australasian colonies from 1873 to 1887:—
Victoria. New South Wales. Queensland. South Australia. Western Australia. Tasmania. New Zealand
bushl. bushl. bushl. bushl. bushl. bushl. bushl.
Oats 21.20 20.70 13.11 12.93 15.91 25.72 91.98
Barley 20.00 20.25 19.50 12.59 14.96 24.26 27.31
tons tons tons tons tons tons tons
Potatoes 3.46 2.83 2.73 3.38 2.77 3.70 5.13

The fact is observed in the "Victorian Year Book" that "the average produce of wheat, oats, barley, and potatoes, is much the highest in New Zealand," and were we to add the mean for 1888-1889 we should still further distance our friendly competitors. 'Twere easy to multiply figures on the wonderful productiveness of New Zealand soil, but enough has surely been said for this occasion to show the unique position New Zealand occupies amongst these great grain communities of Australasia. And this position should be especially pleasing to us, seeing that out of the total area in cereals throughout the colony for the past year of 793,866 acres, 102,307 acres belong to Canterbury province. One of the most striking features of the year under review has been the excellent quality of the grain marketed, which should go a long way towards overcoming the prejudice that exists in some quarters against New Zealand production. Thanks to our system of farming, we ship our grain much cleaner than is the case with shipments from Australia, I or almost any part of the world; but we shall never obtain that perfection which will meet with the views of our foreign consumers, until we grade our numerous varieties into standard qualities. At the outset this would probably mean increased cost to growers, but it would undoubtedly pay in the end by the enhanced values that our I recognised standards would secure. Too much stress cannot be laid on this question of quality, I as we hear of really medium wheats being often offered in other markets as prime New Zealand I milling, which must work out detrimentally to our best interests.