Evening star., 1947-08-17
Russians Say Grain
Prospect Is Excellent
By Richord Tompkins

LONDON Harvest time In
Europe finds drought and the black
market dogging the impoverished
continents eternal quest for food.
Widespread drought has reduced
the grain harvests in virtually an
countries except Russia. Bulging
black markets, especially in France
and Italy, are paradoxical to the
hungry without money.
Only Russia has produced enough
food to feed the country and allow
food for export. Other nations still
look for outside help, particularly
from the United States.
OF Russia's prospective grain
yields, the Moscow radio said: THE
news is extremely favorable. A
yield of As bushels per acre, which
exceeds the prewar yield of wheat
in Denmark or the Netherlands, Is
reported by scores of farms on
thousands and thousands of acres"
Dry Spell Hurts Britain
AS the reaping crews move north.
ward to harvest the bumper crop,
the Moscow radio reports the
gathering Of grain in full operation
from the Black Sea and the Ukraine
to the central parts Of the U. 8. s. r.
Beyond the Uras, 1t says, pros.
poets are exceedingly bright"
In Britain, where farmers toiled
extra hours to overcome the effects
of last winters blizzards and spring
floods, there has been little rain to
nourish the late and famished
grain. Farmers reports to tho
Times show that wheat. barley. oats.
potatoes and sugar beets are all
well under the 10-year average
yield. .,.
The National Farmers Union Of.
Britain says harvest prospects in
most countries are below average"
The union said: "Lateness of the
season, sodden or flooded ground
and drought all had combined to
retard production"
However, Minister of Food John
Strachey said last month there Is
no food crisis and there will be no
food crisis between now and the
next harvest. We have stocks and
supplies of the major foodstuffs to
see us through until the fruits of
the 1947 Northern Hemisphere har-
vests are gathered"
Cereal Harvest Short
In the Danube Valley breadbasket
of Central Europe and in normally
food-rich Poland and Denmark,
drought and frost have taken 0
heavy toll.
s. Buigaria's estimated million ton
cereal harvest is a half million tons
short of estimated needs Of her
bread -eating people. Only imports
of cereals will make possible any
raising of the present bread ration
of 800 grams daily for town dwellers
and 500 grams daily for peasants,
a government source said.
Polands harvest Is expected to be
better than last, but still insuf.
ficient, and the government already
is looking to Russia for grain. 1t is
estimated that A per cent of Po.
lands wheat, % per cent of her rye
and IS per cent of other grain suf.
fered from last winters weather.
Denmark's rye and barley crops
are expected to be almost 20 per cent
below last years, q loss of TOO 900
tons. Denmark introduced meat
rationing August for the first time
since 1922, in an effort to increase
food exports to Britain. Danes
probably face a cut in bread rations
this autumn, an agricultural council
spokesman said.
France Better of
Only Hungary has a really
bumper crop, much more than last
years, say government oficials. But
20 per cent will 60 for reparatioris
and bread remains the principal ra-
toned item, along with cooking fats.
A ministry of supplies spokesman
in Bucharest said Romanias grain
crop, If stringently rationed, might
make the country self-sufficient in
the coming year. The wheat harvest
Is estimated at 1.200, 900 metric tons.
300, 900 tons short of normal.
: Frances food situation has shown
some improvement, except for wheat
which Is reported very bad" and
has resulted in poor quality bread.
Fruit and vegetables have become
more abundant.
The estimated wheat harvest In.
France is 10000, 900 quintals, COM
pared to the 1898 normal Of 10000
600 quintals. Milk production In
July was 100000 liters, compared
with 100000 liters in July, 1888.
Beef arriving at Paris slaughter
houses is only half what 1t was In
1888. Coffee and fats are still
scarce. .' r.
But on the black market tourists
and Frenchmen with money can
find anything they. want--steaks.
fruits, choice wines, vegetables and
delicacies. An excellent meal can
be bought for 500 francs (about ~
but that Is beyond the reach OF
poorly paid Frenchmen.
Black Market Prices
In Italy the black market again
is Just a mirage to the poor. Food
prices have SCARED week by week
until spaghetti has reached the
price of 420 lire a kilo on the black
market, compared with about l2S
lire five months ago. .-