Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-07-20
MEAT PRODUCTION
AND THE DEMAND

Washington, D.C.-That meat pro-
duction has not kept pace with the in
crease in population and that its fail
ure to do 50, combined with increased
cost of production and diminished pur-
chasing power of the money unit, has
contributed to higher prices not only
in the United States but all over the
world is stated in Part of the exhaus-
tive report on the meat situation in
the preparation of which specialists
of the U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture have been engaged for some time.
This country, it is said, is participat-
ing in a worldwide movement and it
is not expected that the situation
will undergo any radical change in
the immediate future. On the other
hand, it is believed that there will be
a gradual growth and expansion in
the worlds production of beef, mutton
and pork which may or may not equal
the rate of increase of the meat-eat-
ing population.
In America this gradual expansion
appears to have begun already. Be-
tween 1907 and 1913 there was a
marked decline in then umber of cat
tie but in the last two years thishas
not only stopped but has given way
to perceptible increase. The esti-
mated number on farms and ranges
on January 1, 1916, 81 ,441 900, is, how
ever, still much below the correspond
ing figure for 1907, 72,534,000. With
the exception of temporary checks
due to losses from hog cholera, there
has been in recent years a persistent
increase in the production of swine.
On January 1, 1916, the number in
the country was estimated at 6S,000,-
900 as compared with 5S,200,00 in
April, 1910. On the other hand, the
number of sheep declined during this
period from 52,500,000 in 1910 to 49,
10000 in 1916. AS the decrease, how
ever, is not sufficient to offset the in
crease in cattle and swine, it may be
said that the total production of meat
in the United States is increasing but
that this increase is not yet proportion
ate to the growth in population.
The available supply Of meat would
be much greater if it were not for
the enormous losses caused by disease
and exposure. Since 1900 it is esti-
mated that from 100000 to l, 1,475,000
cattle have died each year from di-
sease and from 100000 to 100000
from exposure. With sheep, the loss
es from disease have been about the
same, but from exposure much larger.
With swine the relative prevalence
of hog cholera is perhaps the deter
mining factor in the annual loss. In
1894 this was as low as 100000, but
in 1914 it amounted to 100000. If
these 100000 hogs had been saved,
it is said, they would have produced
enough meat to furnish every family
in the United States with 40 pounds
of pork.
Despite these facts the United
States remains the greatest meat eat
ing as we'll as the greatest meat pro-
ducmg nation in the world. Approx
imately twice as much meat is con-
sumed in this country as in Germany
before the war and the total normal
consumption in Russia, Great Britain
and France is less than in Germany.
The per capita consumption is also
far greater in this country than any
where else with the exception of Aus
tralia and New Zealand.
Our own exports now consist large
ly of pork and pork products and these
are derived to a great extent from
corn. In the fiscal years 1914 and
1915 we imported more fresh, chilled,
and frozen beef and mutton than we
exported, and more beef of all de-
scriptions was imported in 1914, than
was exported. In this limited respect
we have joined the great majority. |
Practically the whole of the worlds |
export trade in meat is maintained
by nine countries-Argentina, Aus
tralia, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, un-
der normal conditions, New Zealand,
the United States and Uruguay.