Evening star., 1947-01-17
Milk Price Reduced
Outside District; Other
Foods Drop Here

The Agriculture Department to-
day issued an order reducing the
producer price of milk during Febru-
airy in five Northeastern marketing
areas, but exempted Washington
where milk prices viii remain un-
changed. The action came in the
midst of reductions in other food
prices. zE - sSep~-
OPA, however. announced an in
crease in wholesale sugar price
ceilings, which officials estimated
would mean an increase of about
one-quarter cent a pound at retail.
The increase is effective tomorrow
but it will not reach retail levels un-
til the arrival of the first shipments
under the new wholesale scale.
The sugar increases were ordered,
the agency said, because of terms
under which the Government buys
sugar from Cuba. These tie the
price paid Cuba to increases in re-
tail food prices in this country.
Acting one week after a hearing
here to gather information on re-
ported milk surpluses in some parts
of the country, the Agriculture De-
partment announced that produc-
ers would receive between 40 and A
cents a hundred pounds less for
their milk, starting February 1.
Raise Is l Cent Quart.
This figures out to about l cent
a quart at retail, although the de-
partment made no mention of re-
tail prices. Areas affected are New
York, Philadelphia, Boston, Lowell
Lawrence and Fall River, Mass.
No surplus exists in the Wash
ington area. In fact, distributors
are importing" from other areas
in order to meet the high demand
for fluid milk.
Meanwhile, following a national
trend, prices of butter. eggs, poul-
try, citrus fruit and pork products
were down further today in Wash
ington stores.
One food authority predicted that
next in line for price cuts are
canned milk and cheese.
Anything can happen in dairy
products, this expert commented.
Leading all commodities in a
marked price decline is lard. Soon
after price controls were lifted on
lard last October this item scared.
The chain store top price was SO
cents a pound Today lard is SELL
ing in chain stores for % cents.
Poultry also is becoming almost
a glut on the market here. with
broilers now selling for 81 cents a
pound. At its peak, poultry was
around rs cents pound.
Lard Down to 20 Cents.
Along with drop in butter prices.
eggs have fallen from IS cents to Sc
cents a dozen for the top grade.
Smaller size eggs are as cheap as
81 cents dozen. /
Experts said the drop in egg and
poultry prices was due to increased
supplies of meat, which thus eased
demand for the two items. The
drop in lard price is due to increased
marketings of hogs, which produce
Bacon and Hams Fall.
large quantities of cooking fats.
Bacon which sold at Is cents
pound now is down to 81 cents, |
while once-scarce hams are selling |
for 81 cents pound against a cham
store high of rs cents. !
Food experts say the best food
buy today is canned and fresh citrus
fruits. which have dropped sharply
in price owing to bumper crops IN
the South.
other Canned Goods Firm.
other canned fruits as well as
canned vegetables show no sign OF
declining and experts see little
chance of a fall until after the new
crop comes to market late this year.
Also listed by stores as firm IN
price were such staples as conee,
Government May Buy.
sugar, bread, flour and macaroni.
Meanwhile, it appeared that the
Government may have to buy about
$50, ,O00, 900 dozen surplus eggs this
year in order to carry out producer
price guarantees.
In a forecast on the poultry in
dustry, the Agriculture Department
said egg production this year is
expected to be greater than con-
sumers would buy at minimum price
levels guaranteed by law. 1t said
the excess may reach 100000 900
dozen.
The department also announced
that between February l and April
30, it will support producer prices
of eggs at a national average OF
ah to 36 cents a dozen.