Evening star., 1946-04-19
Food
Continued From First Page.)

thought much had been accom-
plished in this country by the vol
untary food conservation drive
launched in mid-March, but he said
he was unable to give an exact esti-
mate of its success to date.
Mr.. Truman spoke of the critical
food situation in India and the
Philippines, and also said that some
of the worst starvation areas were
in Japan and Germany.
The outlook for an American
Canadian agreement on wheat be-
gan to improve yesterday when ne
gotiations between representatives
of the two countries effected par
tial break in deadlock which for
several weeks has stalled a British
Canadian-American program for
increased famine relief.
The United States has been hold
ing up issuance of the -four limita-
ton order because it felt Canada
should place its consumers on a
wheat consumption program equiva-
lent to that proposed for this coun-
try. It also was the American po-
sition that Canada and Great
Britain should agree to divert to
hungry areas large quantities of
wheat originally earmarked for
Britain.
In another move linked with the
acute shortage of food and live
stock feed grains here and abroad,
the administration was reported
preparing request to farmers soon
to reduce hog production at least S
per cent below last years level.
Pork Supply to Shrink.
The reduction, If carried out,
would be reflected in still smaller
supplies of pork during the spring
and summer of 1947. The depart
ment has said that civilian supplies
of meat during the next several
months will be at wartime ration
levels.
The reduction in the yield of pork
from a S per cent smaller fall pig
crop would probably be much
greater than per cent, because the
scarcity Of grains is expected to lead
to marketing OF hogs at lighter
weights. 50.
Plans for curtailment irf pork
production were being made as the
department issued a report stating
that the current feed grain short
age is more acute in many areas of
the country than in any year since
the serious droughts of 1894 and
1886. vi, .,..a.-
The appeal for fewer hogs would
parallel request already made for
IL per cent fewer chickens this year.
Hatchery reports indicate that poul-
try production will be lower.
Little Feed Grain Imported.
The feed report pointed out that
the situation this year is aggravated
by the fact that only very small
quantities of feed grain can be OBJ
tanned from Canada or other coun-
tries. During the war, domestic sup
plies were padded out by imports
ITO great extent" the depart
ment said, the srrong demand for
feed is traceable to high rates of
feeding which in turn are largely
the result of favorable livestock feed
price ratios"
The Famine Committee recon-
mended that feed grain prices be in
creased to discourage excessive feed
ing of grain to livestock.
Meanwhile, Secretary Anderson
praised Argentina's wonderful CO.
operation" with the Combined Food
Board in increasing grain exports
to relieve famine conditions.
Mr.. Anderson told private lunch
con group at the Agriculture De-
partment that Argentina had
shipped 10000 tons of wheat in
the first two weeks of April and
promised to make at least 100000
more tons available for shipment
during the month.
The Secretary said Argentina s
wonderful cooperation with the ef-
forts of the food board was one of
the things that aided in meeting a
terrible crisis in food production .