^ 



Cold storage holdings Jaimary 1 . The follovlng tahle indicates percentage 

 changes in cold storage holdings for the 12 months ending Janiiary 1, 19^* 



Fresh apples -53 percent Cheese t5^ percent Pork t k percent 



Frozen fruits +21 percent Eggs f56 percent Total meats +25 percent 



Frozen vegetables +80 percent Frozen poultry +20 percent Lard 1-75 percent 



Butter +517 percent Beef <-78 percent 



The figures pertaining to huttor and cheese are somewhat deceiving because 

 they include government -owned stocks. For example, out of total creamery buttor 

 holdings of 154 million pounds, 79 million pounds were held by the Dairy Products 

 Marketing Association euid 19 million pounds by the Food Distribution Administration. 

 Likewise, of the 175 million pounds of cheese in storage, 53 million pounds were held 

 by the DPMA and 36 million pottnds by the FDA, The increase in the amount of frozen 

 vegetables on hand doubtless counts for the fact that points were removed on most of 

 these items. You have heard considerable about the difficulties Involved in hog mar- 

 keting, but the amount of pork in storage is very little larger than a year ago and 

 almost the same as the 1939-^5 average on January 1, There is, however, a very large 

 supply of beef in cold storage. 



The War Food Administration is taking steps to increase frozen meat storage 

 stocks during the current heavy production season in order to take care of a possible 

 period of scarcity this coming spring and sunaaer. Steps have been taken to make 

 available enough additional freezer space to store one -half billion pounds of meat. 

 The War Food Administration hopes to see a further increase in storage stocks as of 

 February 1. This would indicate that the storage situation has not been the princi- 

 pal item contributing to flooded hog markets. Uie limitations on slaugjhtering capac- 

 ity have been much more important. 



Milk and cream consumption . Ihree government agencies recently completed a 

 survey of fluid milk and cream consumption. They point out that the consumption is 

 now at the highest level in history, and that it will have to be kept within present 

 limits if an adequate supply of manufactured milk products is to be reached. They 

 emphasized that the possibility of maintaining or increasing milk production is tied 

 up with the feed supply situation. The feed supply for each animal is not guite so 

 large as last year but about the average of prewar years. The distribution of avail- 

 able feed supplies is a serious problem. Government agencies, manufacturers, dealers, 

 and farmers are attempting to work out this distribution so that drouth areas and 

 usual feed-deficit areas can receive enough to maintain their output of livestock and 

 livestock products. The goal is to increase the number of milk cows by 2 percent eind 

 to increase production per cow by 50 pounds. However, the present trend is toward 

 slightly less production than last year. 



Let^s check on the weather . The Weather Bureau contends that long-range 

 weather forecasting has not reached a stage where it is reliable. Four or five days 

 ahead is about as far as the Weather Bureau will venture at the present time. How- 

 ever a newspaper reports that Robert D. Edwards, who teaches the science of aerology 

 at Colgate University's Naval Pref light School, has done some long-range forecasting 

 in which you may be interested if you keep in mind the present limitation in that 

 field. He expects some exceptionally mild weather from Jemuary 5I to March 15, noth- 

 ing vmuaual from then until June 5, when we are likely to have a week of unseasonal 

 heat. The winter of 19**-^-^5 is expected to be an unpleasant one, rivaling -that of 

 1935-5^, when we had some uncommonly cold weather in this part of the country. Fol- 

 lowing that there may be a severe drouth in 19*<-5, according to Mr. Edwards. 



-0- 

 GLJ:sh 

 l-27-Ui^ 



