SHORTAGE OF FOOD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1943, Page 3

SHORTAGE OF FOOD

ANTICIPATED WHEN WAR ENDS REPORT TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. GRAVE PROBLEMS RAISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) HOT SPRINGS (Virginia). May 30. A great world shortage of foodstuffs unless adjustments in production are effected now and also immidately after the war, is envisaged by a special sub-committee in a report submitted for consideration’by the general food conference. The report stales: "There is likely to be a severe shortage’ not only of the principal foods, but also of transport and of means of production — fertilisers, seed, machinery, implements and petrol. "It seems that there will be a world shortage of meats, milk and other livestock products and of oils, fats and even rice. The lack of adequate transportation from countries with surplus stocks of grains may even cause shortages of bread grains in some areas." The report says that the principal production aim during the post-war shortage period must be the alleviation of hunger, with nutritional improvement temporarily filling a minor role. "This calls for an increasing acreage of crops for direct human consumption, while holding back the rebuilding of livestock herds and limiting the production of other crops,” it says. The report foresees over-production, with a consequent reduction of prices when the devastated areas are again producing unless "each nation progressively adjusts the use of its production resources to conform with a long-term co-ordinated production plan for the best use of these resources on a world scale.”

The Associated Press of America says that the conference experts estimated the need of at least 8000 cargo ship voyages to supply liberated Europe’s immediate food needs after the war. It adds that this shipping problem will be increased by the necessity of maintaining large armies of occupation.