GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 419 



ing of the parity formula, then, of course, the coniinocUty-unit value 

 of the family farm-production units, as we have them in this schedule, 

 would have to be reweighted, so that the commodity unit of each com- 

 modity at the parity price of that commodity would equal the same 

 total dollar income that the commodity unit of any other family farm- 

 production unit would be. 



That, it seems to me, is the secret of the whole thing. If you exclude 

 any commodity, particularly that large group of storable commodities 

 which constitute, as I understand it, a fairly substantial part of the 

 value of the total agricultural crop, from the unit computation, it seems 

 to me that you have almost an administrative impossibility in effectu- 

 ating the basic purposes of the unit plan itself at the outset. 



Unless all commodities are taken into it, it would seem to me that 

 it would be almost fully unworkable. 



I do not like to challenge the Secretary's thinking, in a sense. I do 

 not know the basis of his thinking, but my own thinking would indicate 

 that it would be almost fully unworkable unless it goes clear across 

 the board. 



Mr. Andresen. Mr. Chairman, will Mr. Albert yield to me for an 

 observation ? 



Mr. Albert. I will yield. 



Mr. Andresen. It seems to me that this shift in production has been 

 bandied around here as a pretty easy thing to do. I know 3'ou can do 

 it with grains and other storable cro^js. 



Between 80 and 90 percent of the diet of the American people con- 

 sists of perishable crops, meats, poultry products, dairy products, 

 fresh fruits, and vegetables. I know you can shift on chickens, so if 

 you start to shift to chickens you can get your eggs and hatch out the 

 chickens and get chickens in a year. You can probably get hogs if you 

 get hold of the sows or the young pigs and do that in a year or ll or 

 16 months, but when it comes to shifting to meat and dairy cattle, you 

 are going to take from 2 to 4 years to get your production up and make 

 that shift into that type of commodity tliat goes into the human 

 consumption. 



These shifts do not take place as rapidly as most people think they 

 do. You do not do it in a year. You can raise potatoes, but we are 

 raising too many potatoes now. 



Mr. Talbgit'. Obviously you are correct that some connnodities you 

 cannot get into and out of as readily as some other commodities. 



Mr. Andresen. Now, you recognize that, but you also recognize 

 that these perishable crops make up between 80 and 90 percent of the 

 diet of the American people and the Secertary says he wants to get 

 150,000,000,000 pounds of milk. 



We are producing now around 115,000,000,000 pounds of milk, and 

 it is going to take 7,000,000 more milk cows to produce that extra milk 

 to give people lower-priced milk. That will take from 7 to 10 years 

 to accomplish. That is generally conceded by the dairying authorities. 



Mr. Talbott. Obviously, it will take longer to do that than to shift 

 from one grain crop to another. 



Mr. Andresen. And it takes time to go into the production of beef 

 cattle. 



Mr. Talbott. Congressman Andresen, that ties back into what I 

 said this morning. I do not believe you were here at that time. 



91215 — 49— ser. r, pt. 3 5 



