§ Mr. Sydney Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what encouragement is being given by the Government of Northern Rhodesia to the dry land production of wheat and what proportion of the total wheat consumption of Northern Rhodesia is imported.
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§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd,pursuant to Mr. Profumo's reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 16th July, 1957; Vol. 573, c. 930], supplied the following further information:
The prospects for dry land wheat in Northern Rhodesia are not very good. Production in the cool season is not successful because of the almost complete lack of rainfall and consequential lack of moisture in the soil. On the other hand conditions are not favourable during rain, because of the warm humid conditions which prevail and the fact that weeds, especially grass eleusine indica, grow vigorously in contrast to the relatively slow early growth of the wheat plant. However, the Department of Agriculture is conducting research with the object of producing a suitable variety of wheat for dry land production during rain. In the meantime, dry land wheat production in Northern Rhodesia on a farm scale is not practicable.
The prospects for irrigated wheat are much better from the biological point of view. Large-scale irrigation presents difficulties but these are being investigated in the territory.
99 per cent. of the wheat consumed in Northern Rhodesia is imported.