Evening star., 1942-03-16
.Lend-Lease Buyinq
Indicates Record
Food Exports
Movement of Mony
Staples ot,Hiehest
Levels in History
BY FRANKLIN MULLN,
Associated Press Market Writer

CHICAGO, March 16.-Totaling
of the. first full years lend-lease
purchases of American food prod
ucts, vehicle for revival of the
United States tagging pre-war ag-
ricultural export traffic, indicated
today there has been a record
breaking flow OF many farm COM
n1odities abroad since mid March
of ,l941.
A year ago the United States
farmers wartime export market
languished Now, lending and leas-
ing of war supplies, including food
stuffs, has doomed this traffic far
beyond earlier modest expectations
and experience of World War 7,
contributing to a general price rise
particularly. for. items In demand
abroad. . .s5
Lard exports, for example, have
been revived to proportions Ameri-
can farmers have not enjoyed since
the pre-drought period a decade
ago. Flow of dairy and egg prod
ucts abroad exceeds anything ever
experienced, overshadowing that OF
the first World War. Movement of
cured and canned pork has been
stepped up to the best volume in
many years. Meanwhile, grain ex-
ports, which accounted for the bulk
of shipments during World War I,
have diminished sharply. The en-
phaSis now Is on more concentrated
processed food. '...-.
Steady Flow Indicated.
How much of the total purchased
for lend-lease has been delivered is
not known, but market experts said
the fact that buying is continuing
apace indicates that deliveries are
being made steadily. Meat, dairy
and poultry products constituted
the bulk of foods on lend-lease buy
ers' lists, and was sent mostly 10
Great Britain.
Unofficial figures compiled by
market experts indicated that in the
past year lease-lend purchases of
lard amounted to approximately
450,000,000 pounds. Exports in 1910
totaled only 20l 100000 pounds and
for, several previous years were little
better and frequently considerably
less. Canned pork purchases were
more than 35o, 900 900 pounds; cured
and frozen pork almost 800 ,ooo, 900
pounds. On weight basis, slaughter
Of more than 4,000, 900 hogs, or in
excess Of the national federally in
spected kill last month, would be
necessary for these shipments.
Cheese purchases were more than
$50 900 900 pounds in contrast with
exports of less than million pounds
for the last several years when the
Nation was on an import basis.
Evaporated milk buying exceeded
billion pounds compared with ex-
ports of lac. 900 900 pounds in 1910.
In addition such dairy products as
dry skim milk, whole milk, butter
and dried sweet cream buttermilk
were sent abroad.
Reach Huge Totals.
Shell egg purchases aggregated
more than 80 o,o0O, 900 pounds; dried
and frozen eggs almost $50 ,000, 900
pounds. Egg exports had not ex-
ceeded 100000 pounds since 1890
and did not reach the total pur-
chased the past year at any time
during the last war or postwar
period.
The foregoing purchases were the
biggest items on the lease-lerid pro-
gram. Pouudage ran high. however.
for such commodities as dried
beans, prunes, fresh apples, corn
starch, canned pork and beans, corn,
cotton and tobacco. Many canned
vegetables and fruits appeared on
the list, as well as chicken, turkey,
beef and lamb and more than 200,-
o0o, 900 pounds of canned fish.