The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1942-11-26
(By Fred j. Hurst)

JdckSOn, MlSS.-lne tentative ma
. tional and state farm production
goals for 1943 were submitted Il
the State U.S.D.A. War Beard BY
Secretary of Agriculture, Claude R
Wickard, this week.
!, The goals will be subject to fina
review and revision at the regiona
meeting scheduled to be held ir
Memphis on December TO.
The 1913 goals call for increases
in production Of practically all kinds
of livestock and livestock product,
and many food crops over the 1912
production which was IL per cent
higher than the 1941 harvest and
36 per cent above the past ten year
average.
Although practically every farm
has lost some labor and there will
be less new farm machinery and
other supplies and equipment for use
in 1913, the state War Board at a
meeting here this week tentatively
approved all Of the goals set for
Mississippi except that for peanuts
and milk.
SO much dissatisfaction has been
expressed by farmers over the price
Of oil peanuts and the lack of har-
vesting and marketing facilities that
the board voted to postpone action
on the peanut goal until a more
satisfactory program has been work
ed out.
No marketing facilities have been
set up for peanuts in some counties.
The GFyA., official peanut market
ing association, however, is working
cut plans for handling this years
entire peanut crop and promises an
early solution to the problem that
has vexed any producers.
Secretary Wiekard says that "mil-
itary and iend-lease needs for food
in 1913 win be half again rs great
as they were in 1912 and will take
about one-fifth Of our total food
production"
For some foods the need will be
greater. military and allied needs"
the Secretary says, twill take a
quarter of our meat, a third of our
lard production, nearly one-third Of
our eggs, and half of our output OF
canned vegetables"
Next years total farm production
must be as large as we can pos
sibly produce" says Secretary Wick
ard. Farmers will also be asked to
produce things needed most and
which can be stored and conserved.
At the same time civilians are
told that they will have to ''make
adjustments" in their eating habits
because there won't be enough OF
everything they would like to have
This does not mean that anyone viii
go hungry, but it does imply that
nearly everyone will have to make
some change in their diets, eating
more of some foods and less of 9th.
crs than in the past.
With meat rationing in sigh
civilians are already being told tina
hey will have to eat more eggs
J cheese, beans, and other protein
substitutes.
Everybody, especially the farmers
agree with Secretary Wickard tina
next years goals will be hard t
reach" The biggest problem ahea'
Of farmers in l943 is the critica
shortage of farm labor. The Seize
tive Service, voluntary enlistmentS
industry and Government war plant
have made heavy inroads on the farr
labor supply.
e The latest Official reports reves
mat more than a third of the norma
e farm labor supply has been lost
e the armed services and war indu:
With price ceilings stabilizing mo
d farm prices at present levels farm
ers can't compete with industry ia
al labor, since industry is guarantee
lie cost of production plus a profit.
+ Farm leaders point out that tn
Y most critical phase of the farm labc
5: shortage is the fact that it has bee
70 the youngest and most skilled me
who have been taken from the farm
se The young farmers and farm lobo
ers who have driven the tracto
V. and operated the combines and 9th
'ebor saving machinery all too oftt
have been the ones who have be,
ost from agriculture.
IN The recently announced nlanpow
to commission program is designed
defer the skilled and experience
farm workers who remain on t
farm. Some agricultural leade
ere now emphasizing the great ne
TO Cor an effective farm training pr
gram in which farm boys from
o II would be given special trai
ed ing in the operation of all kinds
improved farm machinery.
he Asserting that "we worldn't ha
nd had this years record production