OCR Text |
Show Uintah Basin Feeling Effects Of Meat Shortage Local meat market operators are today shaking their heads and wondering about the pros-j pros-j pects of supplying beef for table use in the Uintah Basin. A meat shortage hit Roosevelt several days ago and there appears to be no immediate relief in the offing according to local retail butchers. Curtailment of beef slaughter-:ng slaughter-:ng has reduced Uintah Basin di-distribution di-distribution 20 below what it was in 1944. The slaughtering of beef for the retail trade has been set at 80 of the 1944 kill which due to the war, was in itself far below normal. Black market operations op-erations have cut distribution to and even lower figure. Some meat packers have reported that their beef production last week was the smallest in all their history hist-ory and the American Meat Institute In-stitute charged that the black market in meat is running, "wild-I "wild-I cr than ever". Packers are experiencing difficulty dif-ficulty in out bidding the black market for meat animals. This one factor alone, they claim, will make federally inspected beef a rarity on American tables. The federal government is tightening its regulations on inspected in-spected slaughters. Food commitments com-mitments must be met and the government is obligated to make up in full by increase set-asides the deficits in relief supplies of meat which occured prior to March. The deficit orders must be filled prior to June 15, In the meantime "No Meat" signs are appearing in increasing numbers at Basin meat counters. Claiming that the slaughter curb is a complete failure, western west-ern livestock men and meat packers pack-ers are accusing the OPA for the free hand being taken by the black market. Chester Bowles, economic stabilizer is also coming com-ing in for his share of criticism for holding the prices to farmers and ranchers so low in reiauon to other commodities and services serv-ices that there is not sufficient inducement for heavy marketing. market-ing. It appears that marketing has been further curtailed by the federal restriction limiting the feeding of grain to livestock. Whether or not June 15, the date the government will meet its deficit food commitments, will bring relief to the meat shortage in the Basin is a matter of question. ques-tion. Presumably it will not since restrictions are becoming more stringent and Eureopean food commitments must be met. |