-5- 



m 



U. S. farm prices as -percentage of •peority 



Potatoes 



Wheat 



Barley 



Oats 



Hay 



98 

 98 



97 

 91* 

 90 

 69 



Except for estlmatlBg the protection farmers have on the basis of 90 percent 

 of parity, a conparlslon of present prices with prewar prices probably gives a better, 

 basis for Judging the ertent of disparity In prices at the present time. We have 

 listed prices received by Illinois farmers on October 15 as percentages of the average 

 of 1935 to 1939. Illinois prices for these commodities. The most vulnerable items ap- 

 pear to be milk cows, soybeans, oats and eggs. A little later is it likely that wool 

 and wheat will Join the vulnerable list. Apple prices fluctuate from year to year as 

 a result of very great changes In supplies. This year the abnormally high price is 

 partially the result of abnormally low output, 



Illinois farm prices as a percentage of 1933-39 average 



Poultry price support considered . Chester Bowles, price administrator, told 

 the House Agricultural Conaiittee that the War Food Administration is considering a 

 poultry price support program which might cost around 75 million dollars, and that 

 the Office of Price Administration is working on a plein to force down retail poultry 

 prices as producer prices decline on a "community" price system. 



Dairy allocations for fourth quarter . According to a government report, more 

 butter, American cheese, evaporated milk and dried milk is allocated to U. S. civil- 

 ians during the current quarter-year than during the previous three -month period and 

 more also than during the same October-December period of 19**^^ the Department of Agri- 

 culture said today. 



Greatly Increased quantities of dairy products have been allocated to UNERA, 

 France, Belgium, the Netherlands and French North Africa. These claimants are 

 receiving more than U50 million pounds of dairy products in this quarter, which is ap- 

 proximately four times greater than the U. S. has made available in any previous quar- 

 ter to meet relief needs. Allocations to these claimants substeintially meet their 

 requests for dairy products. At the present time, butter is the only dairy product 

 under rationing or similar distribution control. Unallocated dairy products, such as 

 fluid milk and cream, cottage cheese and chocolate milk will be in eidequate supply in 

 most eireaa, even though this is the season of lowest milk production. 



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