Evening star., 1942-08-30
Larger Meat Output
Necessary 10 Fill
Vast War Needs
Production Is Breaking
All Records, but So
Is Potential Demand
BY FRANKLIN MULLIN,


during fall and winter to eat the
amount of meat you normally con-
sumed before war broke out in
Europe and the rest of the world?
The answer is yes, providing ex-
ports do not expand sharply above
current levels.
Are you going to be able to buy
as much as you want at prices
which now are prevented from
going higher by Federal regulation?
The answer is, no.
These questions, asked by civilian
men and women throughout the
nation in recent weeks of tightened
meat supplies and local shortages
OF some cuts, are cleared up to
some extent by statistics of the
meat and livestock industry.
Must Go Even Faster.
Statistics indicate that the meat
production machinery, now turn
ing out food in unprecedented VOL
ume, must whirl even faster If all
the potential wartime demands are
to be satisfied. Production is ex-
pected to expand greatly in
few weeks when marketing Of the
big new hog crop gets under way,
but livestock experts are trying to
determine whether it can be main
tanned. This, they said, depends
on the incentive to raise and feed
livestock, price relationships be-
tween animals and feed, and the
ability of the Nations vital meat
raising and processing industry to
do the job.
If it were not for three factors,
the all-tlme record rate of produc-
tion and the seasonal increase ex-
pected soon might be enough. These
factors are:
/. The American consumer wants
to eat more meat than normally.
2. Uncle Sam wants to feed his
armed forces all the nutritious food
required for maximum fighting trim.
3. Meat requirements of the
United Nations particularly Britain
and Russia, are unpredictable. Only
supply and shipping space are hold
ing down exports now. President
Roosevelt Illustrated this when he
suggested that if the United States
| should ship more meat to battle
fronts it would release shipping
space now being used to carry meat
from Australia, New Zealand and
Argentina, a longer haul.
Rationing Considered.
This, the American meat factory
capacity of which is unknown, must
be speeded up to meet all contin-
gencies. Domestic civilian consum-
ers will get only share. Because
the law of supply and demand,
normally reflected in price, has been
amended by price ceilings, the Gov
ernment Is preparing to resort to
some sort of ALLEGATION or rationing
of meat stocks to make sure every
one gets his share.
The Nations meat output this
year is expected to approach 22,000,-
600, 900 pounds, exclusive of lard
compared with 20,500, 100000 last
year and almost 19, 900, 900 600 in 1910
Before that, production seldom got
above 17.000.000,000 pounds annually
and in 1895 it was below 5000 ,000, 600
Estimating that the armed forces
and United Nations may use about a
fourth Of this production, there
would be left close to 17000, 900 ,00C
pounds for the domestic population
which is smaller than in previous
years because many persons have
been transferred to the military
group. This is not as much meat as
was consumed domestically in l94t
and 1941 but it compares favorably
with what the larger population hac
In previous years.
Soldiers Eat More.
Experts pointed out that armed
forces sent to foreign localities neal
native meat supplies diminish thu
number of consumers that must be
fed from domestic production. How.
ever, they said, a man transferred
from civilian to military life more
than doubles his meat consumption
Livestock trade experts believe
per capita consumption this veal
may be around 145 pounds, exclusive
of lard compared with 148 last veal
and 1416 in 1910. Previously, 1t hac
not been above 140 since 1925 anc
had dropped as low as lit in 1885
These figures indicate, livestock mer
said, that the American consumer il
not suffering from lack of meat. He
just can't buy all he wants.
Normally, the incentive to in
crease livestock and meat produc-
ton is found in high prices. Hogs
and cattle recently have averaged
the highest since 1920 and 1923, re-
spectively, and with big feed crop
expansion of production is possible
Government experts hope none OF
the steps they take to assure proper
distribution of available meat will
impair this incentive. But there
are many angles to watch.
Feeding Ratio Watched.
For example, the price of hogs
must be kept high enough in rela-
ton to that of corn to encourage
fattening. Now this relationship is
the most satisfactory in years
Trade experts said, however, the in
centive to fatten beef to prime quail
ity and heavy weights has been di-
minished because high-grade cattle
have not been bringing usual pre-
MUM prices, due to the unusual
demand for medium and lower
grade beef. The extent to which
farmers reacted to this is shown by
the fact that the number OF cattle
being fattened for market in the
corn belt now is 10 per cent smaller
than a year ago.
Nevertheless, the Nations popu.
lation of cattle and calves mex,
January is expected to be slightl,
greater than year ago and tn.
largest on record. Population o.
other meat animals is expected t.
be at or near new highs. Produc.
ef yNso l.se -