The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-08-18
GOVERNMENT READY
TO BUY 100000
Pigs FROM FARMERS
Will Employ Packers to Process
Swine and Distribute
Meat to Needy
AIM IS TO LIFT SURPLUS
Increase Of rs to 30 Per Cent
in Price Of Remainder Is
Forecast
AIM IS TO LIFT SURPLUS

Chicago, Aug. 18.-(P)-secretary
Wallace Friday outlined the govern
ment's emergency hog program for
buying 100000 swine, employing
meat packers to process them, and
distribute the meat to the needy.
In an address at the Century Of
Progress exposition. he said that the
program will be ready to go into effect
in a few days and that he expects 1t
TO boost purchasing power in the corn
belt substantially.
The plan should increase prices Of
swine, possibly Is to 80 per cent. he
asserted. and at the same time pro-
vide relief to farmers heavily stocked
with swine but with short feed sup
plies due to drought.
The program calls for purchase of
100000 pigs weighing Is to 100
pounds at from to 9h cents pound,
and 100000 sows soon to farrow,
weighing a minimum Of 275 pounds,
a. market prices on the day marketed
plus a bonus of 81. The purchases
are to be complete by about october 1.
Will Designate Agents
They will be made by specified
processing for the department OF ag-
-riculture. The meat will be turned
over to the federal emergency relief
administration for distribution.
Wallace estimated the cost Of the
program at up to $55,000,OO0 to be
met by a processing tax on hogs which
will go into effect after September 80.
The tax rate and effective date will
be fixed later, he said. estimating that
the levy, paid by those who turn the
swine into marketable pork, will be
considerably less than a cent q
pound.
Wallace said the plan originated
with hog farmers and their represen-
tatives to meet the emergency facing
producers as result Of this years
short feed crop, adding:
There are some things about It that
we do not like but we are putting it
into effect because we have not been
able to think OF anything as good"
He estimated that the purchases will
reduce the total tonnage of swine
marketed for the 1933-34 marketing
season starting October by up to
1900, 00O, 900 pounds, or about 16 per
cent OF the hog tonnage annually
marketed.
Cooperation Needed
If past experience. is any guide, a
reduction of IS to Is per cent in
market supplies would increase hog
prices for the season by anywhere
from Is to 80 per cent" Wallace said.
Prices paid for these pigs and sows
will, I believe, be sufficient to war
rant the cooperation Of hog produc-
ers."
The federal emergency relief ad-
ministration, Wallace continued, has
indicated its desire to dispose Of all
the meat to needy persons. It will be
purchased by the relief group at a
price sufficient to defray the costs Of
processing, storage and freight.
He said the meat will not be sold In
competition with that sold In regular
trade channels, and that inedible por-
tions, which will be converted into by
products Should be distributed in
such manner as not to upset the
market"
The program will be followed up
quickly by drafting of corn and hog
program, Wallace said, asserting that
100000 acres of corn should be
taken out of production in order to
adjust supplies of swine and corn,
grown chiefly as feed for hogs, to fu-
ture demand.
Unless long-range program was a
certainty, Wallace said he would be
unable to approve of the emergency
program because Of its potential ef-
feet on hog prices in coming years.