Food Shortages Persist This Year

Northern Advocate, 23 January 1947, Page 5

Food Shortages Persist This Year

(Rec. 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 22. Lord Henderson, speaking for the Government during the House of Lords debate on food, said acute short, ages in the world supply of major foodstuffs would persist throughout the crop year 1946-47 and, despite great improvements in expected harvests, quantities available in the international allocation fell short of claims made on them.

The meat outlook threatened deterioration on the 1946 position, mainly because of a decline in North American production.

Europe’s production of food has risen noticeably, but production of grains, potatoes and sugar was only 75 per cent of pre-war, and meat 55 per cent.

Britain, despite international difficulties, maintained a high consumption level in 1946, and for the first half of 1947 could not be expected to exceed that.

There was practically no hope of restoring the bacon ration to 3oz in 1947, and it might be difficult to maintain the 2oz ration.

Reduction' of the bread ration might yet be inescapable.

Reduced home production, which in 1947, would be below that of 1946, caused the main meat shortage.

INDEFINITE RATIONING

Lord Cherwell said that in the first peace year Britons had to eat less than in the last war year, and now, halfway through the second peace year, despite bumper harvests in practically every exporting country, they were told they would have to put up with even more meagre rations. Lord de Lisle said it seemed from Government statements that there was no hope of ending rationing for years. The final All-Canada wheat production for the 1946 season is announced as 421,000,000 bushels, compared with 319,000,000 bushels in 1945. ;*