FOOD FOR BRITAIN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 200, 25 August 1942, Page 3

FOOD FOR BRITAIN

CRITICISM ANSWERED

Australia Adjusts Industry To

Meet Demands

United Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1 p.m. MELBOURNE, this day.

The Commonwealth is working in closest consultation with the British Government regarding the production of foodstuffs for Britain, said the Minister of Supply, Mr. Beasley, replying to Mr. H. L. Anthony, M.P., who last Week charged the Federal Government with falling down on its obligations to supply food for Britain.

Mr. Beasley said that the production of cheese in Australia was expedited last year, at the expense of butter production, in accordance with a request from London. This decision had been rescinded and the whole dairying industry was now operating on a production plan for the current year, which should be a record under existing conditions.

Regarding the pig industry, Mr. Beasley said that the present state of the pig industry in Australia was caused by the repeated changes in policy of the British Government. "I do not biame the British Government for these changes, as there must be changes in every angle of the war front from week to week," he said. "Britain was not told she could not obtain eggs because she had not asked for eggs." The Minister of Commerce, Mr. W. J. Scully, has announced an embargo on the export of third grade mutton in order that the service demands for dehydrated and canned supplies can be met. He said that the embargo would in no way affect exports to Britain as there were ample supplies of higher grades to meet the present requirements.

Mr. Beasley, commenting on imports of cheese from New Zealand, said to-day that one Victorian firm had been given permission to import a small quantity of matured cheese to mix with local cheese.

Cheese was not the only item imported from New Zealand. Hides had been coming for months. Boots made in Australian factories of hides from New Zealand were now being worn by troops in Australia, ?ndia, Syria and the Middle East.