NEW PRICES ARRANGED

Chronicle (Levin), 11 March 1947, Page 5

NEW PRICES ARRANGED

/. (Special Correspondent.)

• British Farming Given High Priority INCENTIVE TO PRODUCTION

Received Monday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 10.The Government White Raper, which has been ciosely follbwe'd by the release of new prices aiid a new pro-' gramine for the British farming induScry, is a reminder that the Government piaces the British farmiiig industry aext to coal ih order of importance in che hational econo-my. Although the world food situation is still too uncertairi to allow an immediate relaxation m Britain's home food growing programme, the Government has now indioated that by the beginning of 1948 it cxpects to be able to switch production x'rom crops to increased grazing and i-eeding of livestock and poultry. In view of the exhausted condition of inuch of Britain's farming country as che result of continuous cropping necessitated by the wartime agricultural pfogramme,' it is considered highly desiraoie that a more normal baiance oetween cropping and grazing shculd be restored as soon as possible. The farm#js' leaders have already strongly supportfed the . opinion expressed by the tf'orksliire Post in discussing the new farm programme "that much Of Britain's farm land needs a rest — much of it is cropsick, eelworm infested and of reduced iertility. "

bome disappointment is expressed tliat tlie world food situation will not permit British farmers to return to more normal economy eariier than 1948, bnt tlie farmers' leaders have already assnred tlie Government that tliey realise the eniergency and will do tlieir best to meet the uational needs. For the next 18 months it is the Government view that crops such as wheat, burley, potatoes and sugar beet must be given priority, but thereafter the wheat , acreage for the 1948 season • will be reduced by 500,000 acres and farmers , will be able to use their surplus sup ■ plies of h'oine-grown feeding stuff's on their own farms. The Government wi.ll j discontinue the issue of crop directives in 1W48 and farmers will then be able to deeide their own prograunnes. It is not proposed, however, to delay the switch-over cntirely until 1948. The process will be gradual and, as a beginning, tlie Government has decided to pay higher prices for milk, eggs, | Linseed oil and cake, beef and niutton. I i'hese increased prjces, it is hoped, will ! prove an induceinent to farmers lo pro- ! duce more of the foods Britain needs ' niost. 1 Higher' Prices To Be Paki i An extra (kl per cwt. is to be paid • for wheat and burley this year aiut an i extra shilling next year. The new , prices for oats and rye increase the | price by Sd -to 9d per "cwt. this year ! and by 2s 0d to 2s 9d next year. An , extra iive-sixteenths of a penny a ' gallon is to be paid for milk, the price C paid •■for beef is t: o be increased by 3s' lid cwt. liveweight'j and for mutton by Id per lb. deallweight. the price paid ! for eggs is to be increased by ld a ! dozen for the peri'od April to Heptemj ber, 1947, and by 2d a dozen for the period October to March, 1948. The I price of home-grown linseed is to be i increased by £1U a ton. In 194S, how- . ever, the Government will cease to pay | special acreage subsidies for wheat and j rye and will ask for 500,000 fewer acres under wheat. ! By 1948, according to the Minister 1 of Agriculture, Mr. Williatns, the j Government believes the world wheat i situation will have greatly improved aiul that increased wheat nnports will be Britain's most economic means of suppJenienting home supplies. The decreased acreage will mean a reduction of about 500,000 tons in the British wheat yield but will enable the grazing j of livestock and raising of poultry to j l>e increased. | The immediate food situation is, however, much less promising. The full ett'ects of the present disastrous winter are still to -be assessed but must inevitscrious^ It is -now antitflp.0ed that" will he: ' iiiipossible for British farmers to reach the target of 2,500,000 acres set for the 1947 wheat crop and that supplies of all home-grown farm products will also be seriously reduced. The most persistent criticism of the new farm plan is that it ruakes 110 new proposals to remedy the tremendous labour shortage in British agriculture. Lts only concession is to approve the employment of school children to pick seasonal crops. This employment is limited to only 20 half-days yearly. Meanwhile German prisoners' who have been an unwelcome but necessary mainstay of the British farm labour force, are being repatfiated at the rate of 15,000 monthlv, the British supply of farm labour is steadilv dwindling, and work 011 most farms is' at least a month

to six weeks in arrears with thiek snow Still coyering the ground. , l The AVifite 'Papef i'ecognised some" of these difficulties by recommending an expenditure of 24 per cent. (out of a total capital expenditure of 52 per cent.) 011 the purchase of new agricul- i tural plant and approving the importation of foreign labour to wrork 011 British farms. Any relief which mav be derived from this, however, is' in the future, and meanwhile British agriculture faces two diflicult and critical seasons at Jeast. The farmers' leaders have approved the new price sehedules and welcomed the promise of a return to more balanced husbandry. It seenis certain tliat the new programme will be adopted by the industry and possible that farming may be the first major British industry to make a start upon the implementation of the proposals eontained in the White Paper.