Evening star., 1934-02-11
International Problem
Of Wheat Production
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Faced by a number Of vexing prob
lens, the International Wheat Ad-
visory Committee, meeting in London.
realized two Of its principal OBJ
jectives and made strenuous efforts
to reach a third.
The committee received definite
pledge from the United States De-
partment of Agriculture that Aneri-
can wheat acreage would be reduced
by the full Is per cent agreed upon
in the wheat agreement made last
Summer So far the Winter wheat
acreage in this country is only some
per cent below the average soVn
from 1880 to 1882. while the Spring
acreage is believed to be less by per-
hapS 10 per cent. However, it Is un-
derstood that a supplementary re-
duction" will be effected through the
A. A. A.
The United States Is pledged not
to harvest more than 45,800,000 acres
or IS per cent of the average 1881
1888 acreage, amounting to about
53,933 900 acres. The prospective CROP
Of both Winter and Spring wheat now
covers about 51,222,00o acres, after
allowing for average abandonment OF
planted Winter and Spring wheat
acreage.
For years there has been a serious
wheat problem in the Danubian coun-
tries, centering around export totals
Hungary has been forced more than
once to sell wheat for purely finan-
cial reasons. Several other hard
pressed countries of Central Europe
are resorting to other expedients
Rumania. herself a large exporter of
wheat, has agreed that Hungary shall
have an additional substantial share
OF exports, thus easing the situation
~
Efforts have been made to persuade
Premier Mussolini of Italy to rescind
his recent decree banning wheat i'm
ports. Italy is one of the wheat deficit
countries which formerly imported
large quantities. Recently Italy in
creased domestic production, in line
with the growing adherence to poll
cies Of self-suff1ciency in agriculture
Russia has been a puzzling factor
in the problem, and it has not been
known just what she would do with
her tremendous output. Although the
Russians have not agreed to accept
any limitation on their own exports
fear of further Russian dumping
seems unjustified. because the Rus
sian shipping season is virtually over
and the Soviet government has not
exported more than some 100000
bushels. The Russians have asked for
q larger quota than that allotted to
them last year, but, even II refused
it is not believed they will upset the
arrangements now.
The third problem, and the most
serious of all, is presented by the al
most continuous decline in the world
wheat price since last Summer. The
committee will now attempt to fix a
minimum price for wheat throughout
the world-somewhere between the
present price and that effective last
Summer This Is daring effort and
its success Is doubtful.
4 -
There seems to be no serious
tendency to reduce wheat production
in Europe. According to figures re-
ported to the International Institute
! of Agriculture at Rome surplus stocks
this year are some 200 per cent
greater than In 1929. There has been
generally speaking, moderate re-
duction Of acreage planted. but out
put per unit of area under produc-
ton has been increased. There has,
at the same time, been a decided de-
crease in wheat consumption in Eu-
rope.
DR.. Mordecai Ezekiel. economic ad-
wiser to the Department of Agricul-
ture, believes 1t is necessary for the
European nations to increase their
wheat consumption. The marked In