BRITAIN'S FOOD

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1944, Page 4

BRITAIN'S FOOD

THIS YEAR'S PROBLEM

A CALL TO NEW ZEALAND

(By W. Bankes Amery, Leader of the Unite" Kingdom Food Mission to Australia and New Zea- . . land.) I have just concluded a most interesting and valuable tour of many of the farming districts of New Zealand in both Islands. I wonder how far it is generally realised in this favoured country, that it is possible to eat in a single day, 'almost as much meat or butter as would keep a person in the United Kingdom going for a whole week. When, for instance, a liberal helping of butter . has been placed before me at tWe breakfast table in New Zealand, I have not been able to avoid the reflection that that single helping was often equivalent to a whole week's ration (2oz) in the country from which I come. It may *be of interest to recall that just before Lord Woolton, the Minister of Food who was responsible for feeding Britain during most of the war period, left his office a short time ago to take up other duties, he mentioned in a public speech that the rations of meat and dairy produce were always in danger, and that during 1944 he would be even more dependent upon supplies fr"om Australia and New Zealand than ever before. He informed his audience, however, that he knew for a certainty that these countries, inspired as they were by a sense of loyalty and affection for the land from which their ancestors came, would leave nothing undone that was humanly possible to give Britain sufficient physical strength to continue the vast output of munitions of war, and to carry her through the struggle that lay ahead. This statement recalls a famous speech by Mr. Churchill, at the end of which he exclaimed: "Give us the tools and we will finish the job." Lord Woolton's speech may perhaps be summarised as "Give us food to help us finish the job." DECLINING STATISTICS. Figures were recently issued by the Commonwealth Government of Australia which show that the export of butter from Australia to Britain in 1939-40 amounted to approximately 109,000 tons, but that in 1942-43 the figure had declined to about 49,000 tons. In the same period the exports of meat fell from approximately 260,000 tons to about 110,000 tons, i Cheese fell from 18,000 tons to 7000 tons. These figures provide the key to the difficulties Britain is experiencing in maintaining the meat, butter, and cheese rations during 1944, because the exports from New Zealand are unfortunately also very much less than they used to be. It is, of course, well known that New Zealand has many more mouths to feed fhan she had pre-war, when Britain was her only important export market, and that there are many new wartime claims upon her food resources. Meat, for example, has now to be canned in quantities immensely greater than before the war; and dehydrated meat, which is a war invention, has to be produced, so that it can be shipped in small compass in non-refrigerated space for feeding troops. Similarly, there are great new demands upon milk production—particularly the manufacture of evaporated milk in great quantities for service requirements. These new demands for processed food, etc., coupled with the current difficulties of primary producers, are no doubt the prime cause for the decline in exports to Britain. In the light of facts such as these, it is my job to consult with the appropriate authorities to see how best we can all balance our national food budgets; and to ensure that in the stress of great and growing wartime difficulties arrangements are made to maintain the rations in Britain, where the workers are engaged in an all-out effort to produce munitions in sufficient quantities to enable the fortress of Europe to be captured—dare we hope during 1944? EFFECTS OF A RATION CUT. The scientists in the United Kingdom feel that it will be very difficult indeed for the workers to be able to continue their heavy duties if their rations fall below the present level. Professor Sir Jack Drummond, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Food, for example, has recently stated that Britain's present food situation is nutritionally disturbing. He pointed out that there is a shortage of "good protein" foods such as milk, cheese, and meat. The present rations of these foods are barely sufficient to mainthe health of the people—particularly in a country which has experienced over four years of rationing and is still subject to disturbed nights by enemy bombing. He explained that, even from a cold-blooded nutritional point of view, the people were only just getting enough food; and that a cut in the rations might have a very marked psychological effect on the whole national life. Professor Drummond concluded by stating that every person in Britain was intensely grateful to New Zealand for the food already supplied; and that Britain would have been in desperate nutritional trouble without it. FOOD PRODUCTION AT HOMcl. Britain is, of course, doing her utmost to maintain her own production of foodstuffs. She grows over twothirds of her own food nowadays, as compared with one-third pre-war. She has been able to maintain* her dairy herds and to increase her total milk production to a point at which it has been possible to give priority supplies of milk to mothers and children, so as to ensure the good health of future generations of Britons. But the ordinary population in winter time have no more than two deliveries of milk a week —each of one pint, and even in summer they do not get more than four pints. This is particularly hard

on old people for whom milk in various forms—and in the welcome cup of tea—is sometimes the principal nourishment.

Other forms of animal husbandry have declined because it has been impossible to import feeding stuffs on a scale sufficient to obviate a considerable reduction in the numbers of beef cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry.

Before the war Britain used to produce well over 1,000,000 tons of meat annually—more even than the total production of Australia. In those days about half her total consumption of meat was home killed. Under war conditions the production of meat has had to give way to the production of milk; but nevertheless Britain is still by far the largest individual contributor to her own meat supplies. She produces two-fifths of her wartime meat consumption—the remaining three-fifths being contributed by several different countries. The South American countries are supplying approximately their pre-war quantity; and for the remainder Britain must rely to a large extent upon the Dominions, who in pre-war years sent large quantities of meat in the ordinary course of trade. Indeed, if by some miracle New Zealand could maintain her pre-war exports of carcass meat, Britain's difficulties would be substantially solved.1 DAIRY PRODUCE. Britain now contributes little butter and cheese towards her own requirements, because most of her milk is required for consumption in liquid form. Consequently she must rely mainly upon Australia and New Zealand for the maintenance of the 2oz butter ration; and if New Zealand could somehow contrive to send to Britain about half the difference between the average pre-war exports and the present exports, the anxiety for the maintenance of the 2oz butter ration in Britain1 would be removed. The cheese ration has recently been reduced from 3oz to 2oz,and it is most important that there should be no reduction in any other rations. I have heard surprise expressed in some quarters that Britain should not be able to get her wartime requirements elsewhere, and thus free New Zealand for the time being to concentrate on supplying food to her own civilians and to the fighting forces in the Pacific war zones. Britain, however, as shown above, can only feed her population of 47,000,000 people by keeping open all her available prewar channels of trade. And although she is prepared to take all the dairy produce and meat which New Zealand can supply for export, she is not pressing for any quantities in excess of pre-war levels. There was a period during the war when there was more food tnan ships. That was when the forces. of Britain and the Dominions faced the enemy without allies, and when Mussolini had to be chased out of Africa and the Mediterranean via Suez. The ships were then wanted for troops and munitions more than for food. The situation is now somewhat reversed. Food is shorter than ships, and Britain can annually supply refrigerated space for all the meat and dairy produce Australia and New Zealand can spare for export. This does not mean that there may not be an occasional difficulty at the height of the peak killing season; but taking the year as a whole the ships will be there. A YEAR OF CLIMAX. A quotation is made at the head of the article from a former speech by Mr. Churchill. Another recent speech by him mentioned that the year 1944 would be a year of "climax." It will be a year in which an all-out production of munitions will be essential. Spitfires and Lancasters made by British workmen and workwomen will be required in ever-increasing numbers. Bombs and ammunition must be produced in prodigious quantities. Warships will still be wanted to convoy millions of pounds worth of supplies to Russia to help Russia also to finish the job, and when Hitler is beaten the warships and munitions and aeroplanes will be diverted for service in the Pacific. The workers who make them must be fed. They cannot maintain their strength if their wives have less than one pound of meat and two ounces of butter weekly to feed them with. Any additional effort which New Zealand can make towards ensuring that the exports of carcass meat and butter are increased somewhat towards pre-war levels will thus not only ensure the maintenance of the British rations but also help to shorten the war, save lives, and avert the possibility of crisis on the food front simultaneously with climax on the military front.