WORLD’S FOODSTUFFS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25240, 1 June 1943, Page 2

WORLD’S FOODSTUFFS

GREAT SHORTAGE FORESEEN ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) HOT SPRINGS, May 30. A great world shortage of foodstuffs unless adjustments in production are effected now and also immediately after’ the war, is foreseen by the special subcommittee in its report submitted for consideration by the United Nations’ Food Conference. The report states: “There are likely to be severe shortages not only of the t principal foods, but also in transport and the means of production—fertilisers, seed, machinery, implements, and petrol. It seems there will be a world shortage of meats, milk, and other live stock products, as well as oils, fats, and even rice. The lack of adequate transportation from countries with surplus stocks of grains may even cause shortages of bread and grain* in some areas.” The report adds that the principal production aim during the post-war shortage period must be the alleviation of hunger, with nutritional improvement temporarily filling a minor role. “This calls for an increasing acreage of crops for direct human consumption, while holding back the rebuidling of live stock herds and the limiting of the production of other crops.” ! The report foresees over-production, with a consequent reduction in prices, when the devastated areas are again producing, unless “ each nation progressively adjusts the use of its production resources'to conform with a long-term co-ordinated production plan for the best use of these resources on a world scale.” The Associated Press of America states that the conference experts estimated that it would require at least 8000 cargo-ship voyages to supply 1 libbr-, ated Europe’s immediate food needs after the war. It addds that this shipping problem, will be increased by the necessity of maintaining large armies of occupation.