Show U IM 1 4 4 9 many government officials and agricultural leaders are of the opinion that food is the item that shall dictate the terms of peace providing food for famine threatened europe in the postwar post war period thus would become the number one job for the american farmer already some food has gone to some of the occupied territories and there is considerable agitation on the part of some individuals and groups to furnish even more taken early this year the above picture shows flour being loaded for shipment to hungry france but thus tar far only token shipments have been made be held in check while the supply of others will b be increased programs objectives what are the new programs objectives jec tives and how will they work briefly the plan proposes to I 1 break the shackles of regional one crop agriculture by having farmers change their crop plans from wheat cotton and tobacco already produced in overabundance over abundance to commodities the world needs more desperately such as dairy products milk eggs butter cheese pork lard beef lamb fruits and vegetables 2 provide vast quantities of protein vitamin foods for britain and the other democracies to help turn the tide of war definitely against hitler 3 maintain and lm improve prove living and nutrition standards for all americans including those serving with the armed forces and those employed in the vital defense industries 4 build huge stock piles or reserves of food pork dried eggs dried milk etc which can be employed as a fifth column to undermine the nazis during the war and provide food for famine threat ened europe after peace comes under the new production plan goals have been set for all farm commodities this means that there will continue to be quotas under the AAA program for wheat cotton corn potatoes tobacco and some less important crops some of the goals for example farmers are being asked to produce billion pounds of milk in 1942 as against billion million pounds in 1941 increase egg production product io n to 4 billion I 1 dozen from 3 billion million mi lion dozen produced this year slaughter hogs in 1942 compared with 71 million head this year boost beet beef and veal production from head to 28 million head raise 7 billion chickens next year compared with 6 billion million in 1941 increase nerease lamb and mutton output to head next year compared with head this year indicative of the shift in emphasis on other farm commodities are the following the corn acreage goal is set for sta to 90 million acres this compares with a 1941 acreage of 87 but is far under the 1936 40 a average of acres the 1942 wheat goal is set for 50 to 55 million acres or a reduction of 10 to 15 million acres compared with 1941 the 1942 cotton goal is set for 22 to 24 million acres the lower figure would be sharply less than the 1941 average of and would represent an even more drastic cut from the 1936 40 average of acres which was in itself a controlled and reduced total acreage considering production schedules as a whole it is evident that curtail ments in the acreage of certain crops will be more than offset by increased devoted to others moreover Y ceover the urgent emphasis on moe milk kiik and dairy products and on more beef pork park lamb and poultry means ta that at the acreage devoted to feed crops will have to be adjusted upward this means that more farm land will be under cultivation next year it means that fields will have to be worked harder it means that farmers will have to perform a better production job with labor becoming scarcer and scarcer the demands on agriculture for increased production will have to be met with fewer farm workers in all history there never has been a time when it w was as more important for our farmers to follow the most efficient methods of production and to utilize to the fullest extent every farm practice which will result in maximum production with minimum labor in such a program the importance of fertilizer is self evident the U S government is leading the way in its crusade for soil conservation and the abolition of wasteful soil mining practices if america is to produce more food we must help our soils do the job that means putting back into the land more fertilizer elements to help produce that food every pound of beef or pork every quart of milk every bushel of potatoes corn wheat or oats removes valuable plant food from the soil fertility must be watched under normal conditions the total annual fertility loss to american farm lands is 16 million tons of nitrogen ai million tons of phosphorus and 36 million tons of potash with the expanded farm program for next year this total will show a marked rise the need tor for an ever increasing program of soil conservation according to the middle west soil improvement committee is indicated by the fact that fertilizers and manures are applied at a rate rat that restores only a portion of the total plant food loss hope that soil conservation measures will be increasingly promoted is seen in the recent statement of secretary that while the 1942 goals call for the largest production in history we are not going to have to plow up the hills and plains to get it mistakes of the last war will not be repeated then america pulled 50 million of western grassland into wheat production that led to the dust bowl to and disaster for thousands of farmers |