Food Production Not Matching Population

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31062, 18 May 1966, Page 18

Food Production Not Matching Population

(N.Z. Press Association —Coppriphtl ROME, May 17. World food production apparently failed to keep up with population growth last year and the prospect for this year, for reasons which include the Australian drought, is no better, says the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“Neither food nor raw materials taken separately are likely to have advanced in step with population growth,” says the organisation’s annual commodity review, based on information up to the middle of March. If final figures available later show a production increase in 1965, it will be small, says the report. It added that production for 1965-66 was unlikely tc maintain the population I growth rate of 2 per cent, i It was noted that vital 'j crops of wheat and rice were j down, with only a slight increase in coarse grains. Among developed regions. I North America had a large increase in agricultural produc-

tion. Production in Western Europe also rose. There was a small gain in Japan but drought caused serious harvest reductions in South Africa and Australia. Among developing countries. Latin American production increased sharply but the I rapidly expanding population of the region left the output per person basically unchanged Unfavourable weather cut I production in the Far East, 'including India and Africa. In Communist economies, said the report, mainland China appeared to have maintained grain production at 1964 levels. but severe drought conditions in the Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe sharply cut production there. The organisation said factors in a world-wide increase I of exports were grain shipIments to the Soviet Union

and Eastern Europe from the developed countries. There was a fall in coffee exports by the developing countries, but increases in sugar and cocoa. Among agricultural raw materials exported by these countries, there were increases in cotton and rubber.

Export prices declined moderately in the first three quarters of 1965, the review said, although there was some recovery in the fourth quarter.

The price of sugar decreased further on the free market, after the steep drop in 1964. The world value of sugar exports was substantially reduced in spite of the increase in the volume shipped. The review said the impact of production and trade on food consumption was not yet clear, but added: “In the developing countries some setback in consumption levels of basic foods seems likely following the harvests of 1965 and 1965-66, especially in India and some Central African countries.”