BRITAIN'S FARMING DISASTER

Chronicle (Levin), 31 March 1947, Page 5

BRITAIN'S FARMING DISASTER

Received Sunday, 7.0 • ; LONDON, March 29. The National Farmers' Union is launching an agrieultural disaster I'und. The union said the situation, unparallelcd in the history of British agriculture, had developed from the disastrous harvests of last autumn and the subsequent blizzards and floods. • The situation is so serious that it threatens Britain's rations. It is estimated the financial loss will be £20,000,000. Reports indicated that 1,370,000 sheep and lambs aiid 30,000 heud of store Ca'ttle died in snowdrifts, 100,000 acres of winter wheat hpve been written off as a total loss, and 100,000 tons of ; potatoes have been spoiied for consltmption, Britain- was not within sight of the end of bread rationing and would lieed every ton of home grown wheat next winter, said Mr. WiHiams, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, to a mass meeting oi farmers at GloUcester. No opportuility was being lost in saving the flooded land for spring sowing, Heavy equipment was being used to repair the drainage system, communications and farms but it was clear heavy los-tes and the lateness of the season Vv v nld seriously prejudice food supplies. The Food Minister had urrall ged the puivh'ise of a Considerabie qhantity of piaize in . United States and South America so that the ration for pigs and pjwltry could be imnrovecL Tractors and farming maehinery thatwould have been exported would go to the liolne market until the end of April. i