Australia’s Production Of Food For Allies

Northern Advocate, 25 February 1944, Page 2

Australia’s Production Of Food For Allies

(P.A.); WELLINGTON. This Day. Commenting ;on a -Press 'report showing tHe decline in the volume of foot! " exported from Australia to Britain since the first year of the war. the High Commissioner for Australia (Mr. T. G. D’Alton,) pointed put that the way the figures- were published was likely to create a, wrong impression about Australia's food production. With the exception of dairy production, said .Mtv.D’Alton, Australian food production had been increased, and today Australia had more cattle, sheep and pigs than two years ago. With Japan's entry into the wftr, Australia had been called upon to supply vast quantities of food to all parts of the Pacific, Middle East and India, and this was the main factor in the reduced exports to England. It would be unwise to go into details of the amounts supplied to various sectors or Allies, said Mr. D’Alton, but to give an indication of the type of orders Australia was being called upon to supply, he would quote just one order for canned meat which involved 227,0C0'.000 lbs. carcase weight, and the same story applied to other classes of primary production.

Mr. D'Alton added that in these times of shipping difficulties it was obvious that the best use must be made of ships. Therefore Australia had been called upon to assume vast responsibilities on the food front in adjacent areas. This had been accomplished with the concurrence of the Allied nations.

Besides maintaining food production. Australia had established and given effect to a munitions programme which had amazed the world. This had been accomplished despite the fact that since the first year of the war, from which time the figures were quoted in the Press article showed a decline, Australia had increased fourfold the number of enlistments in the armed forces. The growth of all arms of the forces, together with the enormous expansion of the munitions industries and maintenance of food production, was truly a remarkable achievement.