■ h 



Set 1945 Production Goals 



By L. H. SIMERL 



FARMERS are responsible for the pro- 

 duction of the primary munition of 

 war — food. In spite of a greatly re- 

 duced labor supply — (over 26,000 

 members of Illinois Farm Bureau fam- 

 ilies are serving in the armed forces and 

 many others, are working in war plants) 

 — farmers have increased the production 

 of food by an almost unbelievable a- 

 niount. As compared with the average 

 of the years 1935-39, food production in 

 the United States in 1944 was increased 

 as follows: 



Food grains 53% 



Meat animals 52% 



Poultry and eggs 50% 



Fruits and nuts 21% 



Dairy products 13% 



Truck crops _ 40% 



Other vegetables 6% 



In order to complete the record it is 

 necessary to report that the production 

 of sugar in 1944 was 17 per cent less 

 than in 1935-39. 



Favorable weather and great effort 

 has enabled farmers to supply civilians 

 with more food than they had before 

 the war, to provide food necessary to 

 make our military forces the best fed 

 group in the world, and to permit our 

 sending large quantities of food to re- 

 lieve hunger in other countries. 



But what of next year? The govern- 

 ment has asked Illinois farmers to make 

 some adjustments in production for 19- 

 45. The adjustments for the major 

 products are indicated in the accompany- 

 ing table. 



^iJ 



slaughter of cattle, even to the extent 

 that the total number of cattle on farms 

 is substantially reduced from present 

 levels. 



The biggest shortage of food seems 

 to be that of sugar. Before the war the 

 United States used about 7 million tons 

 of sugar each year. Approximately 2 

 million tons of this was produced in con- 

 tinental United States. Another two mil- 

 lion tons was imported from Cuba and 

 a million tons each from Puerto Rico, 

 Hawaii and the Philippines. The short- 

 age of sugar was caused by the loss of 

 the Philippine Islands, the difficulties of 

 shipping from other sources of supply, 

 and the need for large quantities of sugar 

 materials for the production of alcohol 

 and explosives. 



Before the war the United States used 

 about 26 million bushels of flaxseed an- 

 nually. About two-fifths of this amount 

 was produced in this country and three- 

 fifths imported, mostly from Argentina. 

 The war brought greatly increased needs 

 for flaxseed, used principally for its lin- 

 seed oil, the principal drying ingredient 

 for paint. To meet these needs farm- 

 ers produced 52 million bushels of flax- 

 seed, about five times the prewar crop 

 in 1943 and 25 million bushels in 1944. 

 The import situation is uncertain be- 

 cause of the unsettled nature of rela- 

 tions between Argentina and the United 

 States. 



Unforeseen developments may cause 

 some readjustment in the agricultural 

 goals for 1945. In any event, it should 



Product 



Corn 



Soybeans 



Oats 



Sows for spring farrow 



EgSs 



Milk 



Adjustment 

 5% reduction 

 No change from 1944 

 5% increase 

 ,3% reduction 

 15% reduction 

 1% increase 



8,70(5,000 acres 



3,400,000 acres 



3,500,000 acres 



871,000 head 



200,000,000 dz. 



55,500,000 cwt. 



According to preliminary indications 

 the 1945 national goals for most farm 

 products will be about the same as in 

 1944. The largest increases asked are 

 in flaxseed (52%) ; sugar beets (47%), 

 and sugar cane (11%). The largest re- 

 duction is in egg production (16%). ' 



The overall view seems to be that the 

 land should be farmed somewhat less 

 intensively in 1945. This is to be 

 brought about by growing less corn and 

 more small grains and hay. In livestock 

 production it seems desirable to increase 

 meat production by a relatively heavy 



b)S recognized that these goals are not 

 statements of the -quantity needed, but 

 only an estimate of the amounts which 

 / it is hoped can be produced. The actual 

 needs for sugar, meats, dairy products 

 and many other food items will be much 

 greater, than the announced goals. 



*/' 



A new. circular, "About That Farm 

 You're Going to Buy," has just been 

 published by the Farm Credit Admini- 

 stration and may be secured by writing 

 the FCA at Kansas Gty, Mo 



Plan Series of Labor 



Saving Shows in Stale 



A series of 24 labor-saving shows will 

 be held in various parts of Illinois dur- 

 ing January, February and March, ac^ 

 cording to P. E. Johnston, state farm 

 labor supervisor. The extension serv- 

 ice of the College of Agriculture, county 

 farm and home advisers and the Illinois 

 Farmers' Institute are cooperating in 

 staging these events. 



Latest methods of saving labor 

 through machinery, time-study and gen- 

 eral farm and home management will be 

 featured. 



A truckload of models, machines, 

 photographs, motion pictures and dis- 

 play panels will be taken to the places 

 where the show is scheduled and will be 

 set up for one-day stands. In addition, 

 each county adviser and his farm labor 

 assistant are rounding up for display lo- 

 cal labor-saving equipment, inventions 

 and "gadgets" developed by farmers that 

 have proved practical during the labor 

 shortage. Housewives are also encouraged 

 to bring in labor-saving ideas and devices, 

 Johnston" says. County and state prizes 

 will be offered. 



The first labor-saving show will be held 

 in Champaign county at the College of 

 Agriculture on January 12. 



"I hope every farmer who has an idea, 

 device or gadget will display it at one 

 of these labor-saving shows," he added. 

 Those interested should contact their 

 farm adviser in the following counties 

 where shows will be held: Mason, ^m. 

 17; Macon, Jan. 18; Logan, Jan. 19; 

 Livingston, Jan. 23; Marshall-PutnaAi, , 

 Jan. 24; Stark, Jan. 25; Hertry, Jaj^6; 

 Iroquois, Jan. 30; LaSalle, Jan. 31; will, 

 Feb. 1 ; Kane, Feb. 2; Richland^ Feb. 13; 

 Fayette, Feb. 14; Bond, Feb. 15; Jack- 

 son, Feb. 16; Pike, Feb. 20; Motgan, 

 Feb. 21; McDonough, Feb. 22; Knox, 

 Feb. 23; Rock Island, Fd). 27; Lee, Feb. 

 28; Stephetisoo, lyfarch 1. and McHenty, 

 March 2.- ^^■■■i',^>-^^''_lyi::J^^-\:.y'^^J 



Swartz Resigns As Fndl ' "^ 

 Exchange Sales Manager 



Howard Swartz, who has been sales 

 manager for the Illinois Fruit Growers 

 Exchange for the past three years, has 

 resigned his position and is moving with 

 his family to Grand Rapids, Mich. His 

 resignation became effective Dec. 15. 

 Swartz will be associated with his father- 

 in-law as representative pf a large manu- 

 facturing organization. 



Swartz, a graduate of Michigan State 

 College, came to the Exchange after serv- 

 ing as manager of the Fennville Fruit Ex- 

 change in Fennville, Mich., for five /ears. 

 His work in Illinois has been unusually 

 successful 



ll A. A. tIECORD 



:0oe of 

 : AFBF'; 



the r 

 meetin 

 Farm . 

 their h 



XILNUJ1 



