OCR Text |
Show Civilian Food Supply Large Civilian food consumption for the year 1944 is expected to equal that of 1343, a summary made by the bureau of agricultural economics econ-omics stated, and when allowances are made for probably production of town and city gardens, consumption con-sumption in both years will reach the peak 1941 level, which was eight per cent above the average of 1935-39. According to the bureau's report food supplies as a whole will be relativiy plentiful this fall and winter because the somewhat smaller supplies of meats and dairy products will be offset by larger supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables and cereal products. The civilian food supply is being maintained at this high level despite de-spite large war requirements because be-cause of the tremendous increase in total food production, since the beginning of the war, said the statement. The volume of agricultural agricul-tural production of foods for sale and farm home use this year is expected to be 38 per cent above the 1935-39 average and almost five per cent larger than last year, with most of the increase over 1943 testing v in food grains wheat, fruit, truck crops and meat. For the last half of 1944, the supplies of meat available for civilian civ-ilian consumption may be some-' what below the rate of consumption consumpt-ion in the first six months. The average for the entire year is now estimated at about 143 pounds, six pounds above 1943 ,and 17 lbs. above the 1935-39 average annual rate. The expected reduction in year are about a fourth larger than in 1943. However, the supply of canned fruit for civilian consumption con-sumption in 1944-45 may even be a little less than in 1943-44, because the increase in non-civilian requirement may be greater than the expected 47. per cent Increase In-crease in the pack. About the same situation holds for vegetables increased supplies of fresh vegetables veg-etables and a smaller supply of canned can-ned goods for civilians despite a larger pack. However, the civilian consumption of commercially produced pro-duced canned and fresh fruits and vegetables will be supplemented by; home-canned supplies and victory garden produce. For the first time in three years the prospective domestic wheat crop appears to be large enough to cover expected food and non-food needs, without reducing the size of the carry- over. As of July 1," the indicated crop was 1,128 mil-, lion bushels; which would be the largest in our history. Total utilization util-ization for food, seed, and industrial indus-trial alcohol is expected to be about the same as in the year just past, with materially less wheat being used for feed. On the basis of indications on July 1 that rye production this year would be only slightly less than last year, and rice production about equal to last year, sufficient suffic-ient quantities of these grains will be available for food use in 1944-45 meat supplies for the remainder of 1944 will result from a small reduction re-duction in meat output and increased in-creased non-civilian demand declared de-clared the bureau summary. Supplies of most dauy products will also be less as production decreases de-creases seasonally. There will be less butter for civilians in the July-September quarter than in either of the previous quarters and probably still less in the last quarter quar-ter of 1944. For the year as a whole, however, butter consumption by civilians may average close to 12 pounds per capita, approximat-ly approximat-ly the same as last year's average. A relatively good supply of other fats and oils will be available until un-til October. Lard production for 1944-45 year beginning October) is expected to fall off markedly. The 1944-45 production of other fats and oils is forcast to be below be-low that of . 1943-44. Poultry supplies will be especially espec-ially large in the next few months, much above the average but somewhat some-what below the very high level reached in the corresponding months of 1943. Egg supplies wiill also be above normal, but they will be reduced from the abundance abun-dance of the past few months by what may prove to be greater than usual seasonal decreases in production. This year's crop of apples and other major deciduous fruits is expected" to total a fifth larger than last year's short crop. With record citrus crops in both 1943-44 and in 1944-45, as now indicated, the fruit supply during the coniing months will be fairly large. Civilian Civil-ian fruit juice supplies for this |