6 



WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



(2) In the second group of markets, that is, those 

 in which the home supply exceeds the demand, are most 

 countries of the New World, and in addition several of 

 the Old World. The chief are the United States, Argen- 

 tina, Dominion of Canada, Russia, Roumania, Austral- 

 asia, India, their comparative strengths being shown by 

 the following table: 



TABLE II. 



Average annual production of wheat and average annual exports 

 of the chief exporting countries during the past three decades : 



From these tables may be drawn certain definite 

 conclusions which will be of assistance in discussing 

 the development of the wheat industry in New 

 Zealand, despite the fact that the annual production 

 of wheat in the Dominion has never been more than 

 a fragment of the world's crop. 



The great market for wheat lies in Western Europe, 

 though that continent produces more than half the 

 world's crop. The tendency in this area is for pro- 

 duction to fall relatively to advances in total produc- 

 tion, population, and the progress of civilisation, and 

 even in some cases there has been an absolute decrease 

 in production. Until recent years the United States 

 of America was predominant in this market, but her 

 exports are now on the decline, while those of Russia 

 and Roumania are increasing, and there has been a 

 remarkably rapid increase in production in Argentina, 

 Canada, and Australia. This expansion is one of the 



