GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 1175 



using fresh eggs in connection with the school lunch program and 

 getting out of the expensive process of powdering. 



Secretary Brannan. You jump at the conclusion that powdering 

 now is a very expensive process, but the handling, refrigeration, and 

 transportation under refrigeration of fresh eggs is more expensive 

 than dried eggs. You remember the school lunch program is of a 

 character of putting reasonably small quantities in many, many places, 

 and it is just not feasible to handle commodities which requhe refrigera- 

 tion and storage in that type of way. As a matter of fact, I think 

 as and when we begin to put meat into the school lunch program, we 

 will probably have to have it canned meat or some other process to 

 make it storable. 



Mr. Pace. If there are no further questions on eggs, I will ask you 

 now about chickens. Do you have at present a support price program 

 on chickens? 



Secretary Braxnan. We do not have one. I think we have an 

 obligation under the present law to support chickens, but we are not 

 now buying under that obligation. 



Mr. ^VIuRRAY. They are much higher than the support price, are 

 they not? 



Secretary Brannan. That is right. 



Mr. Pace. What has been the cost during the last 2 or 3 years of 

 the support program on chickens? 



Secretary Brannan. We have not had any cost on the support of 

 chickens, I think. 



Mr. Pace. Do you recommend that the chicken support program 

 be based on the payment plan? 



Secretary Brannan. It is our recommendation that for the time 

 being, even if we had authority to support both eggs and chickens, 

 that we would operate in eggs as long as it was effective to support 

 both chickens and eggs. In other words, they are so closely related 

 that the operation in eggs alone, we hope, would be satisfactory, 

 would be sufficient to support the price of chickens or to keep chickens 

 from getting out of line. 



Mr. Pace. Would it have that eft'ect so far as the commercial chick 

 producers are concerned? 



Secretary Brannan. I am not sure about that. You are talking 

 about the broiler industry? 



Mr. Pace. No; about chicks. 



Secretary Brannan. About baby chicks? 



Mr. Pace. About baby chicks. 



Secretary Brannan. We are not operating in that area. 



Mr. Pace. And never have? 



Secretary Brannan. No, sir. 



Mr. White. Mr. Secretary, I understand you propose to operate in 

 turkeys, in price support this year. Am I correct in that under- 

 standing? 



Secretary Brannan. Yes. I thinK we have a statutory obligation 

 to. As a matter of fact, we have a statutory obligation to operate in 

 almost every kind of fowl. 



Mr. Pace. Are there any questions on chickens? 



Mr. Hoeven. Mr. Secretary, I understand, then, you are not 

 recommending that chickens be made a part of the experimental 

 program. Is that right? 



91215 — i9 — ser. v. pt. 6 4 



