Evening star., 1943-09-10
Rising Meat Supplies
To Permit Point Cuts,
0PA Officials Say
'By JAMES Y. NEWTON


Civilian meat supplies are ex-
pected to increase progressively
through the fall and winter a trend
which will permit the lowering OF
ration point values. officials of the
Office of Price Administration de-
clared today.
The greatly improved meat out
look is a result of two actions ta-
ken by the War Food Administra-
tlon-the removal for so days of all
quota limitations on the slaughter
OF livestock, which is expected to
be made permanent, and the low
ering of farmer support price for
hogs Sl.25 per 100 pounds.
An official said the Nations meat
storage capacity already "is taxed
almost to the limit" and the in
creased marketing and slaughter
of hogs and cattle expected in COM
ing weeks mean that more meat
must be released to civilian chan
nelS. This situation, he said, prob
ably will result in somewhat lower
ration costs in October and even
greater benefits to housewives later
Increased Marketings Seen.
The action of VIA yesterday in
reducing the support price of hogs
from S13.75 to $3.50 per 100 pounds,
Chicago basis, was hailed by OPA
as the most significant move vet
made to bring meat prices in line
and assure civilians of adequate
supplies.
Although the reduced support will
not become effective until October
l, 1914, the results of the action in
bringing increased marketings
should be immediate, it was said.
New support prices will apply to
butcher hogs weighing 100 to 23O
pounds. The current higher price
applies to weights from 200 to 27O
pounds
The present population of hogs on
farms is estimated at 125 100000,
greatest in history. The official said
this is far greater number than
the Nations feed supply could sup
port for any length of time. Re-
duction of support price is expected
to reduce the hog numbers to about
108,000,000.
Price Hike Only Alternative.
OPA declared that the only alter
native to reducing the number of
hogs was to allow increases in dairy
and poultry prices, so that raisers
of those products could compete for
short feed supplies with hog growers.
While the lower hog support price
does not become effective for a year.
farmers may be expected to increase
greatly the flow of hogs to market
this fall in planning farm programs
for next year, officials said. Since
pigs farrowed next spring will be
marketed under the lowered price.
farmers also are expected to sell
numbers of brood sows. 1t hardly
would be economical, it was pointed
out, for farmers to keep such large
numbers of soWs over the winter.
officials expected growers who plan
to reduce their hog numbers to in
crease production of other foods.
Rise in Food Production Seen.
One well-informed OPA official
said he expected this years meat
production to be 10 to 12 per cent
greater than 1912 and the overall
food production to show an increase
of to 8 per cent over 1912, a more
optimistic prediction that the Agri-
culture Department made recently.
Reduction of livestock numbers on
farms does not mean that the Ma
tion's total food production of the
future will suffer, an official ex-
planned He said it will release
more feed for dairy and poultry
farmers and will make available
more cereals for direct consump-
ton. He pointed out that in our
projected feeding of a large part
of Europe it would be more eco
nomical to export cereals than to
feed the grain to fat hogs and
ship the meat.
The fact that farmers soon will
not have benefit of support price
for heavier hogs will result in earlier
marketings of the animals. This
result and the expected reduction
in hog numbers is expected to save
200 100000 bushels of feed corn.
Beef to Be Tougher.
A trend already noted on farms to
finish cattle for market on grass
rather than on corn is expected to
increase. This will result in earlier
marketings and consumers beef will
be slightly tougher on the average.
an official said. This trend is ex-
pected to save some 10000 900
bushels of corn. Hogs annually con-
sumo somewhat more than so per
cent of the total corn crop and
cattle somewhat less. The farm
cattle population now is estimated
as in excess of 100000, of which
some $4,000, 900 are dairy stock. The
number of beef cattle, likewise, is
expected to show a drop soon.
Although ration costs have not
been reduced appreciably so far,
consumers at least find meat in
SUFFICIENT quantities to honor their
ration stamps.
Officials hope eventually to be
able to reduce ration value of beef
cuts to the approximate level when
ratloning was first started. At that
time most of the popular steaks
and roaStS cost 6, 7 and points
per pound as compared to the cur
rent cost of 9, 10 and IL per pound.