GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1053 



Assistance to the tung industry by Congress would not only enable 

 the new industry to exist, it would go a long way toward buUding 

 up an adequate and stable source of supply of highest quality tung 

 oil for the many, many American industries that need it, and use it 

 in then present processes. 



The imports of tung oil should not be cut off, because we fully 

 realize that domestically we do not produce enough tung oU for the 

 industries in the United States that require it. We do not want the 

 tung oil imports cut off at all. But we do request that we be given 

 some assistance in our own native production. 



This tung-nut production in the United States is increased from 

 1,160 tons in 1939 to a record high of 67,200 tons in 1948. The 

 prices varied from $42 per ton in 1939 to $105.20 per ton in 1946, 

 when the tung od reached a high of 38% cents, and then went under 

 the OPA ceiling for the duration of the war. Since the war the price 

 has steadily declined untU today it is approximately $45 per ton, 

 based on a field content of 18 percent of the oil in the tung nut. 



There is included in our brief a table showing how the industry 

 has grown in the United States since 1939, the first real year of 

 domestic commercial production. From this table, it can be seen 

 that the tung industry has shown a constantly increasing trend toward 

 expanding production, which has been accomplished by putting to 

 work an increasing number of cut-over lands and marginal cotton 

 lands. Certainly not a week goes by but what we read in the paper 

 the Government is interested in preserving the soil of the United 

 States and preventing soil erosion. We have seen the multimillions 

 of dollars spent in the West to build dams so that land that could 

 not otherwise be cultivated properly may be cultivated by the use 

 of irrigation of one type or another. 



An increasing number of emploj'ees have necessarily been engaged 

 by the industry and it expanded. These employees are hired in an 

 area of the United States that was once referred to as the economic 

 No. 1 problem of the United States. So that you can see there has 

 been another advantage in that area by the hiring of these additional 

 numbers of employees. 



It is conservatively estimated if an adequate support of prices is 

 forthcoming with proper management in regard to fertilization and 

 cultivation practices, domestic production may reasonably be expected 

 to reach a volume of 70 or 75 million pounds per year by the end of the 

 next 5 years, and by 1960 be up to a volume of 100,000,000 pounds. 

 This increased production would be of immense help to the consumer, 

 as well as to the producer, because the consumer up to the present 

 tim.e has been concerned with the lack of a dependable supply from 

 foreign sources. It is now practically impossible for the American 

 farmer who is accustomed to enjoy a high standard of living to com- 

 pete with the Chinese coolie, whose living standard is among the 

 lowest in the world. T think we all recognize and know that. It has 

 been brought to our attention many times, and has been one of our 

 proud boasts that we here in the United States enjoy a high standard 

 of living and intend to maintain that. 



In connection with the expanding production from 1939 to 1948, 

 we wish to acknowledge the fine cooperation rendered by the United 

 States Department of Agriculture through its Research Division, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, and other agencies, and since the mid- 

 forties by the Commodity Credit Corporation, which has also aided 



