AUSTRALIAN FOOD PRODUCTION

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25364, 11 December 1947, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN FOOD PRODUCTION

British Mission For Canberra Talks HOPE OF RAISING BEEF EXPORTS LONDON, December 9. The British Food Minister (Mr John Strachey) said at a press conference to-day that general discussions between a British food mission and the Australian . authorities would begin in Canberra in the second half of January. The whole range of Australian live stock and crop production would be reviewed, with special attention to commodities most needed in the United Mr Strachey said that Australian meat production had risen, but too slowly for British liking. Britain, intended to pay for increased food imports from Australia by increasing the exports of manufactures which Australia wanted. Britain was interested in increasing her imports of mutton and bacon as well as beef. The Food Ministry’s Controller of Meat and Live Stock (Sir Henry Turner) would explore the development of beef production, particularly in Northern Queensland. Western Australia, and the Northern Territory, said Mr Strachey. Mr Strachey said that Sir Henry Turner and the Food Ministry’s Director of Dairy Products (Mr J. W. Rodden) would visit New Zealand after the talks in Australia. He pointed out that all schemes to increase Australian agricultural production depended on a big expansion of agricultural machinery manufacture in Australia, as Britain’s capital resources were limited. The Minister made it plain that although New Zealand had not extensive areas of undeveloped land as was the case in parts of Australia, the Ministry of Food was still vitally interested in discussing any possible means of increasing New Zealand’s primary production.

Asked whether the Overseas Food Corporation would be Interested in developing the production of coconut oil and other products in the mandated territory of Samoa on the same lines as contemplated in New Guinea, Mr Strachey said that the New Zealand Government had not suggested that this should be examined, but that the Food Corporation would be most interested if any such suggestion were made.

Britain’s Shortage of Meat During the conference, which was also addressed by Sir Henry Turner and Mr Rodden, Sir Henry Turner, who described himself as “Britain’s chief butcher,” said that Britain was faced to-day by an entirely different situation from that existing before the war. Some of her old sources of meat supply were not likely to return to the pre-war export figures, with the result that less quantities of meat were available and likely to be available for some time to come.

In addition, although home production of meat was now recovering after a disastrous winter and a difficult autumn, it was recovering at a disappointingly slow rate. To-day domestic production of meat in Britain was down to 700.000 tons yearly, compared with 1,100,000 before the war. There was an almost dramatic world shortage of meat Under these conditions it was extremely important that the great possibilities for increasing production which existed in Australia and elsewhere should be carefully examined.

Possible Price Increases Asked whether the 30s a cwt increase in the price of New Zealand butter announced under the new contract agreement would mean an increase in the retail price of butter in Britain, or whether the increase would be absorbed by the Increased Government subsidy. Mr Strachey said it was too early yet to give a definite answer. “There is no doubt, however,” he said, “that any increases in the overseas price of food must tend to raise prices at home, particularly since it has now been decided that further increases in subsidies cannot be granted.” Mr Strachey strongly denied an assertion made by the “Daily Express” this morning that the Government might refrain from buying food because it appeared that this would increase the cost of subsidies. “We need every pound of food we can get,” he said.

He emphasised that Britain would be very ready to conclude long term agreements to purchase increased food Breduction,8 reduction, and that she was anxious lat these agreements should protect farmers against damaging fluctuation of prices.

There was no reason, be said, why the Ministry’s effort to obtain extra food from Australia and New Zealand should alarm the Argentine, for Britain needed all the extra food that any of her suppliers could sell her. In the case of the Argentine payment might present difficulties, but this was a matter for negotiation. In the case of Australia and New Zealand, British manufacturers must studv their requirements of consumer goods, for any increase in trade arising from food negotiations must operate both ways.

. on Slipway.—-The 4.000.000-dollar former United States Navy tanker Ponaganset, 523 feet long and 18.000 tons, split in half at a repair slip to-day while she was being converted for peace-time use. Fourteen workers on the vessel were injured when a crevice 15 feet wide opened amidships, but fortunately none of the 275 men converting trie ship was directly at the place of the split, which is believed to nave been caused by a structural weakness affected by the cold weather. The Ponaganset wag of all-welded construction.—Boston, December 9.