Show income from crops last year increased 10 per cent over 43 grains jump 32 per P er cent 7 meats show smallest upturn continued strong demand for farm products both foreign and domestic is reported by the U S department ot of agriculture at the same ame S time it is announced that total receipts for farm for the period january through november 1944 amounted to about million dollars a 6 percent per cent increase over the 1943 receipts ts of million dollars income from crops w was as about 10 per cent greater than 11 1943 43 government figures show while receipts from livestock and livestock products went up only 4 per cent over last year G greatest gain of any of the commodity groups was made by food grains which increased 32 per cent over the same p period briod in 1943 it is expected that the demand for many farm products at ceiling prices may continue to exceed supplies since consumer expenditures probably will not decline dealin e as much as national income after fighting ends in europe reductions in the output of war goods may bring b ring about a b ou t a drop in national income due to reduced employment particularly overtime in the industries making such goods crop for 1945 suggested by the war food administration call for a slight increase over 1944 plantings with a small additional production or marketing of most livestock and livestock products except poultry and eggs largest proportionate increases over the 1944 acreage suggested on individual crops include acres of flags flaxseed eed 52 per cent more 38 47 per cent more mol e sugar beets per cent more cover crop se seeds eds 18 16 tobacco other than p per e r cent more flue cured and hurley burley il 11 per cent more sugar cane except for syrup 8 per cent more rye and 8 P per er cent more hay seeds suggested decreases in acreage include 39 per cent fewer dry beans 9 per cent less of truck crops grown for the fresh market and 6 per cent less rice and sorghums sorg hums except those for syrup arices prices remain stable prices for agricultural commodities on the average have remained stable for more than a year ye it is pointed out by USDA the maximum variation in the index of prices P rices received by farmers being U only 1 y 2 per cent A continuation of this stability is ant anticipated i ci for several months lower prices for truck crops and minor grains wera were found to have been more than offset by higher prices for wheat t corn cotton hay and oilseeds in most cases according to the reports these higher prices s reflect the increase in government ell n ent price support levels from 1943 to 1944 livestock and livestock products show a drop in the index of about 2 per cent since october 1943 when it reached the highest point during this war these changes in prices according to agricultural economists reflect basic supply and demand conditions but do not reflect changes in farmers income due to increases in production payments which are not included in computing the index meat prices the USDA report continues probably will continue at or near ceiling levels in most of 1945 it is expected that prices received by dairy farmers will decline less than seasonally during the months between december 1944 and march 1945 probably averaging about the same as a year earlier dairy farmers may anticipate the highest level of returns ever reported for that period because of a higher rate of dairy production payment during the next few months this would result in milk and butterfat feed price ratios being more favorable than other important livestock feed price ratios |