ACUTE SHORTAGE OF FOOD IN WORLD FOR NEXT TWO YEARS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 February 1948, Page 5

ACUTE SHORTAGE OF FOOD IN WORLD FOR NEXT TWO YEARS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The world will be ffcutely short of food for the next two years. New Zealand’s greatest contribution will be to increase her dairy and meatproducing industries to the utmost. These points were emphasised by the director-general of the. Department of Agriculture (Mr E. J. Fawcett), who returned by air today after more than a year abroad. Ho represented the New Zealand Government at conferences of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations at Washington, Rome and Geneva. He was delegate to the International Trade Organisation conferences at London, Geneva, and Havana. Between conferences Mr Fawcett toured agricultural colleges and research institutions in Britain. “It is obvious that the international food position is going to' be extremely difficult for probably two years.” he said. “At the end of that time, provided the Continent of Europe experiences good seasons, the situation should be easier, but that will not mean that the major undernourished nations will be adequate!}' fed. Many years of hard work will be required to achieve the United Nations’ aims in this respect." Asia and India required the greatest help, said Mr Fawcett, but our first duty was to make available to the people in Britain as much staple foodstuffs as possible. Long-term stability was essential if all the producing nations were to contribute.to the maximum. The focal point of the efforts to achieve stability were the trade and employment conferences at Havana.