FARM MACHINERY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22786, 10 January 1944, Page 5

FARM MACHINERY

U.S.A. Supplying Allied

Nations

British Official Wireless

RUGBY. January' 7. The dependence of the' United Nations on the United States for farm machinery has been virtually complete*; according to. the latest United States lend-lease report. The United Stfites has been shipping to Britain tn "the last two years and a half 2 per cent of the United States production of sijcft machinery, with the help of which 8.000.001) acres lias been brought into farm production. Whereas before the war the British imported 21b of food for every 11b theV raised, now they raise 21b for every lib ini ported

Bombers now take off froth long, level fields which, four years ago. were among the best farms. The new acreage has had to be created from marshes and hammered out of rough soil lulls in the western counties. These marginal lands could not have been drained, cleared, and converted to food production without heavy-Jyjje farm power available only fir America.

United States troops in Australia and New Zealand are being fed almost entirely locally under lend-lease. which would have been virtually impossible without United States farm machinery. The United States has sent more than 1 000,000 dollars worth of machinery to India to assist the

country <> meet its critical food shortages. Smaller amounts have been sent to North Africa and the Middle East.

North Africa is now producing food not only for its own population, but for the armed forces and for southern Italy. “

Hundreds of thousands of tons of shipping space has been saved by increases in food production acmfeved

bv the countries of the Middle Hast.