Show fl farm I 1 WAR NEWS I 1 the 53 cents that farmers get out of every dollar the american consumer I 1 spent for farm food products in 1944 was a record share the US DA reports it was a big increase over the 40 cents the farmer received during the 1935 39 period and far i above the depression low of 32 cents that he received in 1932 the farmers previous record share of the food dollars was 52 cents in 1943 and the third high of 51 cents goes back to 1918 the early spring lamb crop in the principal producing states is smaller than a year earlier for the fourth consecutive year the reduction in in the early 1945 crop Is estimated by the USDA at about 6 per cent and results from a reduction in the number of breeding ewes since the number of lambs saved per head of ewes appear likely to be a little different than last year favorable weather and feed conditions account for better development of the early I 1 lambs am bs than last year As a step toward curbing excessive charges for repairs to farm equipment quip ment automobiles and household appliances OPA has announced that repair shops which charge hourly raes to customers will be required to give detailed invoices and to keep detailed time records if and where an unreasonable discrepancy is found between the time used and the time charged appropriate enforcement measures will be taken repair prices generally are frozen to their highest march 1942 levels with the prospect that a great many pots may be short of chicken the is urging poultry producers to inar increase ease chicken meat production the increase is needed to meet military requirements particularly for military hospitals and also to supplement meat supplies in the summer and early f fall all when lives livestock stock marketing is low farmers are asked to raise chicks for meat purposes as early as possible since the need is an immediate one to meet nearly doubled military requirements and to east the shortage of meat for civilians the immediate price outlook is good with wholesale prices of chickens at ceilings and demand exceeding supply by ay a wide margin higher prices for eggs during most months in 1945 are indicated for egg producers in the latest analysis of the situation reasons are strong consumer demand and the reduction in the number of layers on farms and a 1 per cent drop in tho the rate of the lay jay for the first time in five years the january farm egg production declined from that of the previous january the decrease was 8 per cent and resulted from a 7 per cent reduction in the number of layers on farms cotton prices weakened with the news of crossing of the rhine by the american forces in germany according to reports received by the demand for cotton textiles continued to exceed substantially the output of cotton goods and reported estimated supplies to be 36 per cent less than stated requirements for the second quarter of 1945 demand for cotton for export continues to increase since sizeable supplies of cotton have been on hand at all times and serious shortages have been avoided as far as particular qualities are concerned it is obvious that textile output in the US has not been limited to any significant extent by the raw cotton supply situation percentage of activity in the cotton spinning industry has declined substantially from the peak levels reached earlier in the war period although the level is still much higher than in any prewar pre war period the tight labor situation has been the major factor in this decline |