FOOD CRISIS PASSED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27291, 18 January 1950, Page 5

FOOD CRISIS PASSED

Britain’s Nutritional Position Pre-war Level Exceeded NZPA—Copyright LONDON, Jan. 16. The world crisis caused by food and dollar shortages has passed, the Minister of Food, Mr John Strachey, told members of the Fabian Society today. The Minister said that official assessment of Britain’s nutritional position during the last six months of 1949 showed broadly that, for the first time since the war, the level of nutrition of the British people as judged by the three most significant indices—calorids, proteins, and fats—had passed the prewar level.

Discussing ration increases achieved in the last two years, Mr Strachey said: “ I ask my colleagues whether we of the Labour Government are yet quite putting over to the country the

extent of the improvements. I think that it is very important that we should do so in the next few weeks. “ The world food shortage has been overcome by a very positive policy designed to stimulate and increase world food production in every possible way. Our main instrument for that purpose has been bulk buying and the long-term contract. "We have 45 of these arrangements in operation all over the world. They have done more than any other single factor to give overseas producers the necessary confidence to expand their production.” Mr Strachey added: “By far the largest and most important of the bulk buying and long-term contract arrangements are made with our own farmers, to whom we have given under guaranteed prices arrangements of what are in effect long-term contracts and bulk-buying arrangements for every one of their staple crops.” Mr Strachey said that because of the improved nutrition of the people, the ordinary British family had had just about the best Christmas in living memory.