Wheat Bag

Classed as a cereal together with corn, oats, barley and rice, wheat is used as food. Cultivated in China, Persia, Eygpt, Greece and throughout Europe in prehistoric times, wheat is one of the oldest cereals. About 56 years back, the world production of wheat was estimated to range from 130 tons to 140 tons excluding China’s production since statistics for China was hard to get.

In descending order, wheat producing countries between the 1950s and 1960s are Russia, United States, Canada, India, France, Argentina, Italy and Australia.

Wheat is used principally for bread. Wheat has protein.

A 10 years old boy, was asked by his father in 1956, “What trade mark is suitable for the packaging of wheat ?” 1956, a year before Malaysia achieved independence or Merdeka his son, Tan who admire and remember his See Chek’s gift to his father, quickly look for that souvenir item of a horse and a groom. (Ah Chek is a hokkien words for father’s 4^th younger brother) Si Lau drew the horse and the groom on a piece of drawing paper and showed his drawing to his father who then got the Savoy Cinema’s artist review before sending it to a wheat manufacturer in Japan for approval.

The Horse and The Groom, became a trade mark as you see on the wheat cloth bag. The man who painted the horse and the groom, recognised his art work as I showed him the wheat bag, yesterday, Tuesday 21 August 2012. I asked him, “Where do you get the idea for drawing the horse and the groom ?” Tan replied, “There is really horse and a groom souvenir item. It is still in my home.” I went to his home shortly and I’ve got this picture.