British Government Lets Meat Production Slip

Chronicle (Levin), 28 April 1949, Page 5

British Government Lets Meat Production Slip

Received Wednesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, April 27. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, VI. Walter Elliot, fornfer Conservative Minister of Agriculture, points out that British farms are" today producing 300,000 tons less meat yearly thau wa.. t :ie case prewar, or more thau tli. lotal yearly Argentme meat skiic meuts to Britain. Mr. Elliot strongly criticises the Gov ■»rniuent's failure to eneourage the uome production of meat and particv iarly what be alteges to be tlie failure if tlie authorities to organise the re .storation of Britain 's pastures. IL poiuts out that the Government commitiOe on productivity claimed tiiat titi vountry could save £40,u00,000 yearly in foreign exchange by increasiug tlie uome grass crop. If such a saving is tiossible, Mr. Elliot asks why it cannoi ■jc used to buy extra quantities of im L orted feeding stulfs and so build "up britain 's stocks of poultrv and pigs. ALr. Elliot also claims that an iinme diate survey of Britain 's stock popula t i o 11 should be undertaken so that a balanee between the various branche:of livestock farming can be restoreil. x'he demand for such a survey, he slates, had been put before the Govern .ueiit again and again and refused be •ause the Government alwavs claimed uhat it could improve the conntry V meat supplies Uy concludiug fresh over seas agreements. "We produce here ii. this country better thau anywhere elst og earth^the raw niateria'l for beef and mutton, lamb and veal — which i.--grass," says Mr. Elliot. "Grass is tlu greatest crop grown in this countrv fhen let the Ministers let grass grow, so to speak, under their feet. But le; it be aetualJv instead of figuratively. '