The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-14
DEMAND FOR EGGS
REMAINS BULLISH

The tribulations Of Humpty-
Dumpty are. sharply paralleled IN
the ups-and-downs of current egg
prices, ceilings, supply and de-
.mand prospects.
During the holidays at the turn
of the year Grade-A large eggs,
loose, sold in North Carolina at a
peak OPA ceiling price of SO cents
the dozen. At that time supply
Jagged behind demand. Now, as of
Thursday, January 10, the OPA
ceiling has slithered down to 1872
cents but supply, contrary to ex-
pectations, is still sluggish and
demand is as bullish as ever.
How long this situation will con-
tinue, State College Extension Ser
vice poultry specialists can not
predict. The OPA, however, has
anticipated egg price trends to
slide gradually downward to q
low on February 28, there to level
off until May 80, and then to start
a slow, gradual climb again, and
has established ceiling prices ac-
cordingly with a low for loose
Grade-A's set at 1872 cents whole
sale. (OPA ceilings mentioned are
those set up for Zone IS, the Pied
mont section of the state.
Ceilings for the mountain zone
are a small fraction of a cent per
dozen lower, a short fraction of a
cent higher in the Coastal Plains
zone, hence, the Piedmont Zone
prices may be used as median.)
Spring showers are expected to
bring with them a deluge Of eggs,
and prices, it is predicted, will
sink in the mire, there to be bog
ged down for at least three
months. Three factors will COM
bine to make this a flush season
for eggs: % Infinitely smaller de-
mand by the Army and Navy:
% Lifting of meat rationing: 81
Heavy production by the states
and nations war-geared poultry
industry.
SO great is the egg supply ex-
pected to be that the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture has announced
a 1916 price support program for
the product. The plan is intended
to hold the average farm price up
to 70 cents per dozen through gov
eminent purchases of dried, frozen
and graded shell eggs. The govern
ment, with a pleading market in
War-torn countries, has pledged
through its price support program
assurance to producers that sur
pulses will not be dumped on the
domestic market and that an aver
age farm price Of 20 cents will
be maintained.
Producers throughout the ma
ton" Secretary of Agriculture
Clinton P. Anderson says, ''have
supplied eggs in record-breaking
quantities to meet high war de-
mands. Thus farmers find them
selves geared for production in
1916 on a scale nearly so per cent
greater than prewar production,
but with the prospect of sharply
reduced wartime outlets"
During the years when meats
were tough to get and tough to
cut. Americans ate 800 eggs per
year per person, an increase of
almost 100 eggs a year over pre-
war consumption. Now, with meats
again welcome part of the menu,
what do you think?
Extension poultry \ specialists,
pointing to the enthusiastically
short supply and higher prices of
eggs in December and JANUARY
months during which older laying
hens are least inclined to lay
again encouraged Tar Heel poultry
men to keep all-pullet flocks be-
cause OF the first-year layers
never failing record Of greater
productivity.
What with long lines of English
men waiting with mouths agape
for American eggs-even powder
ed eggs-perhaps not the Kings
horses but certainly the Kings
men will help to put Humpty-
Dumpty together again.