Show agricultural OUTLOOK FOR 1931 A series of 0 articles artl clea giving the agricultural outlook tor for utah in 1931 will follow this article introduction in publishing the agricultural outlook report tor for utah for 1031 1931 an attempt has been made to present to the farmers of the state a picture of the local and nasonal agricultural cultural bit situation as it relates to utah the purpose la Is to give the farmer information on production and price trends together with the prospective demand tor for agricultural products so he can better plan his farming operations to meet future conditions since farming operations differ so widely it was thought advisable to submit mainly information which the farmer may use to adjust his farm operations the general agricultural outlook the decline in prices paid producers in utah began in january 1929 and has continued to the present time when in january 1931 the average index tor for all utah farm products was which means that the prices of 0 farm products in utah had reached a prewar pre war level this decline in farm prices tor for the past year reduced tho the agricultural income tor for utah approximately one fourth retail prices tor for goods gooda purchased by farmers have not declined during this period at the same ratio as have farm prices this has resulted in fit red reducing u c I 1 ug th the 8 purchasing power of 0 the farm dollar according to tho the national outlook therla there will not be any marked improvement pro in the demand tor for agricultural products tor for the first halt ot of 1931 but it seems fairly certain that with tho the improvement ot of busi business nesa conditions during the latter part of tile the year the demand for farm products for the crop year 1931 32 3 le laj I 1 likely to show considerable improvement over tho the present low levels it li 19 also predicted that unless agrical tural production is generally genei ally increased farm prices will advance more during 1931 32 than will prices of nonagricultural commodities Dome domestic domestico stio demand tor for farm products marketed during the first birot halt ot of 1931 Is not likely to show any material change from the present depressed conditions many conflicting factors make it difficult to mark specifically the beginning of a definite d ft to recovery but it seems fairly cert certain alft that recovery will be in evidence during the latter half of 1931 continuing with greater momentum into 1932 based on 1910 to 1914 equalling with such developments the demand for farm products during the crop season beason 1931 32 Is likely to show a considerable sid erable improvement from tho the present unusually low levels the decline in domestic activity which began in july 1929 has developed into a major depression with many features characteristic of such depression periods industrial production at the end of 1930 was approximately 38 35 per cent below the peak of 1929 factory fact ry employment was 22 2 per cent lower and payrolls had been reduced about 35 per cent in addition there has been a substantial reduction in building activity particularly ticul arly in residental construction toe the decline in industrial activity has been practically continuous over a period of IS 18 months prices of industrial stocks reached their lowest level so tar far in the depression it ap pears peara reasonably certain therefore increase in farm income during 1931 will be largely dependent upon improved demand conditions irl in the tha domestic and foreign markets t |