Evening star., 1947-01-02
Meat Prices FIuctuate
Widely During Year;
1947 Forecasts Vary
By Lawrence N. EIdred
Associufsd Press Market Writer

By Lawrence N. EIdred
| Assoeioied Press Market Writer
| CHICAGO, Jan. 2.-Meat of any
kind or description seized and held
the national stage in 1916 for its
greatest one-year play in history.
Prices ranged from those under
ceiling controls to as much as double
such quotations and the highest on
record. Supplies varied from the
scantiest in market history to totals
jamming pens at all terminals.
Reduced to pork chops. and beef
steaks, hamburger and hot dogs, the
demand for steadily decreasing sup
plies in June, September and the
first half of october brought con-
sumers to kind of national hys-
terra.
Meat lines formed outside butcher
shops at the drop of hint there
might be fresh supplies inside.
Small riots ensued when meat did
appear.
Then suddenly the President re-
moved price controls, values shot to
record breaking heights and con-
sumers decided they didn't want
meat so much after all-not at the
price, at least. Buyer resistance"
developed, meat backed up in dis
tribution channels and by late De-
cenber livestock prices were feeling
the pressure and sliding down
steadily.
After a midsummer decontrol
period a new ceiling was set Sep
tember / at $2O.25 on cattle and
held until October Is, when controls
went off. In the next two days
prices made the sharpest rise in
history to $36 and by the day after
Thanksgiving set the present all
time tide mark of $39.
Hogs travelled right along with
beef animals after midsummer de-
control. A new ceiling starting Sep
tember was $16.25, but when con-
trolls ended in mid October the price
promptly jumped in one day to
$27.50 and was never topped there
after.
Even slaughter lambs, on which
no price ceilings obtained at the
live animal level, scrambled from
$3.50 a hurdredweight on June 80
to a new record at $28.
AS the year ended prices on top
grade beef animals were about $35,
on hogs around $21 and s22,, and on
lambs under $23.~ Lower grades and
classes of. beef animals had eased
considerably. more, than those at and
near the top, with the result price
disparity was extremely broad.
Weekly meat production varied
during the year from the lowest in
years to a record high. In the week
ended September IA an approximate
100000 pounds of meat went
through federally inspected slaugh-
tering plants. In contrast, during
the week ended October 26 total
of some 4s4,OO0,O00 pounds was
and inspected.
Despite supplies which were short
in comparison with demand, civilian
consumers averaged 145 pounds of
meat apiece this year, compared
with 15-year average between 1925
and 1889 of less than 1872 pounds,
But the Bureau of Agricultural
Economics estimated the Nations
at present levels of pros
perity would be some 100 pounds
apiece annually.
Accordingly, meat producers and
feeders showed profitable year.
Packing companies, too, managed to
show comfortable profits picture.
Forecasts differed as to what
might happen in 1947..
Some farm economists estimated
the average consumer next year will
have between $50 and 155 pounds of
meat ''at slowly declining prices"
On the other hand, the Bureau of
Economics estimated a
spring pig crop of 100000 head,
only / per cent higher than this
years. The Department of Agricul-
ture had asked farmers for $4,000, 900
spring pigs.
The difference between hope and
forecast-presaged continuing high
prices in the spring and summer,
the BAE said. Finished pork prices
might be lower for the next go days,
but no sharp decline was expected
until a year from now.
Lamb prices too might be ex-
pected to stay high during the
spring, the bureau added, because
of reduced production and supply.
Beef prospects were considered
much brighter than pork and lamb
for next year. The number of cattle
on fed in Midwestern Corn Belt
feedlots at the yearend was esti-
mated at about 100000 head, the
highest yet recorded.
When the present large supplies
of granted beef reach the consumer
market in the spring and range
cattle become available next summer
and fall, the BAE foresees falling
prices.
The total beef and veal slaughter
in 1947 was forecast to go above
IS, 100000 animals, compared with
80 ,0O0, 900 this year.
Regardless of what happened next
year, however, few expected the
sleepy-eyed steer, barrow, and
wether could come up to the startling
performance they presented in the
first full postwar year of 1916.
raisad rates sharnlv Near suburban