Evening star., 1943-06-12
Declining Food Supply


recent crop report leaves no room
for further easy optimism concerning
the ability of the United States to
feed the American people, our Allies
and the inhabitants of the conquered
countries who may be liberated in
the next year or so.
We had been basing our calcula-
tions on substantial increase in
food this year. Now, instead of the
hoped-for increase, it is clear that
there is going to be an even more
substantial decrease, and this is a
prospect which ought to be faced and
understood.
The department estimates that
wheat production will be about 26
per cent under last year. The har-
vests of rye, oats and barley also are
expected to be substantially lower
The corn crop was off to an alb
normally late start, with about Is
per cent of the acreage implanted as
of June l. Unusually favorable
weather will be necessary throughout
the balance of the season if this crop
is to mature. Commercial truck
crops are down about 13 per cent
and fruit production, except for the
citrus varieties, will fall off by about
10 per cent.
The case of wheat seems especially
significant. AS result of heavy
yields in past years we had accumu-
lated a considerable wheat surplus.
But greater human consumption of
wheat products as a result of the
meat shortage, the use of wheat for
livestock feeding and it's diversion to
the production of industrial alcohol
have cut heavily into the surplus. AS
result, there is beginning to be agi-
tation against further use of wheat
for animal feeding and as of the
first of this month the Department
of Agriculture suspended it's sales
of Government wheat for livestock
feeding.
When these developments are
added to the decline in this years
estimated wheat production, the i'm
plication is clear. Wheat either has
or soon will cease to be a surplus
commodity. Instead of searching for
ways and means of getting rid of
stored bushels, the problem is going
to be more one of finding enough to
supply the demands of our own peo-
pie and those whom we are under
taking to feed The Government no
longer is saying that there is going
to be plenty of wholesome food for
everybody-that shortages will be
manifest in a scarcity of certain pre-
ferred items, but there will be no lack
of the essentials of a good diet. In
stead, Food Administrator Davis says
that 1.-The meaning of this (crop) re-
port to all of us is redoubled effort to
produce food on the farm, in Victory
gardens, to conserve every scrap of
food, to waste nothing" 1t is time
that this kind OF advice was being
given and it is time that it be taken
to heart.
1t is also worthy of note that even
this downward revision of crop esti-
mates is based on the assumption of
favorable weather from now until
harvest time. In other words. our
prospective food supply may be hit
even harder than it has been hit by
flood, rains and governmental ineffl-
cheney. The weather is something
that is beyond our control, but we
can and should refuse to tolerate
any further bungling by the various
official agencies which have been
stepping on one another's toes in
directing the food program. And the
way to do this, it would seem, is to
turn the whole job over to Mr.. Davis.