The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1945-02-01
State Livestock
'urvey Completed
By MPL Co.

Mississippi had more cattle per square
nile in 1944 than Texas and was ahead
every Southern State East of the
Mississippi river except one, in this
classification, according to a recently
completed survey of livestock and meat
packing plant opportunities in Missis-
sippi.
The survey was prepared by the Mis-
sissippi Power & Light Company's Re-
search and Development Department in
an effort to concentrate the eyes of the
meat packing industry on Mississippi,
ard to stimulate increased interest in
livestock production in the State.
The States average Of cattle per
square mile was 1921, with a total of l..
4ss, 900 head. Iowa averaged 100 per
square mile with a total of 1884, 900
, ead. New York'ss average per square
mile was As with a total of 2,162 900 and
Texas averaged go per square mile hav-
ing a total of 1869 900 head. However
lississippi's average per-head-value wa
Nv $40 against the national averag
of 500. Iowa's cattle AVERAGED $72 p
eaG. New York's 1T, and the Texa
> r-head-value AVERAGED $50. Highes
verge v%alue-per- cad CT any state il
the Nation was S166 by New Jersey.
IN discussing various phases of tn
survey, R. S. McFarlane, Research ant
Development Director for the Powe
Company, declined that eve believ
meat packing plants will create add
tional markets for our cattle n will
stimulate better standards for the
states livestock industry. This in turr
will mean more income for Mississippi
cattle raisers."
although Mississippi has made much
progress in recent years" Mr.. McFarlane
continued, "there is still a great need
to improve the grade. It is of vital in
terest to our state for livestock produc-
ers to become more interested in quality
than quantity if our state is to achieve
the maximum benefit from this impor-
tant industry.
1--WE are keenly interested in secur-
ing more meat packing plants, Mr.. Nc
F'arlane said, Because we believe they
will create additional markets for cat
tie and bring higher prices to livestock
raisers. They will also have a strong
and direct influence on improving the
grade of Mississippi cattle. Such better
breeding and upgrading will produce
more money for the effort involved. For
example, Iowa, with 100 cattle per
square mile, the highest of all states
- L.. -. tAtn1 xyoltta nf l
siO2, O4s 900 averaging s72 per head"
Governor Thos. l.. Bailey has express
ed keen interest in the Company's live
stock survey, and has promised complete
cooperation and support to the program
which seeks to make Mississippi one of
the Nations leading livestock producing
c~enters.
According to the survey, Mississippi
has only our meat packing plants
handling annually over a million pounds
of livestock on the hoof. These plants
are located at Meridian, West Point,
Jackson and Clarksdale. Business Lead
ers and livestock growers in Mississippi
proven that beef cattle can be pro-
duced at a profit in competition with
Western Plains and Corn Belt
states, the survey points out, adding
additional meat packing plant IA
will provide powerful stimula-
ton to Mississippi's average farm in
Mississippi Power & Light %Company's
survey has been prepared and presented
to the meat packing industry through
out the United States, and copies of this
survey are now available to Chambers
of Commerce and other organizations
in using the assembled data
as an aid in helping to secure meat
plants for their respective
n