1946 FARM OUTLOOK 

 REMAINS FAVORABLE 



THE 1946 production goals set for 

 Illinois farmers by the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture call for continuing 

 high levels of production with a sharp 

 eye on the road ahead. 



Demand is .expected to continue high 

 during the first half of 1946 because of 

 high wage and employment levels, 

 government military demands and over- 

 seas needs. Prices may become weaker 

 in the latter part of the year as foreign 

 needs and military demands slacken. 



Following is a summary of the Illi- 

 nois farm outlook as prepared by the 

 University of Illinois college of agri- 

 culture extension service: 



General Outlook for 1946 — De 

 mand will be good but weaker than in 

 1945. Farm income and farm prices 

 may decline moderately. 



Prices of most Illinois farm products 

 are likely to remain firm in the first 

 part of 1946. Consumer spending will 

 not decline much and shipments of 

 food to foreign lands will be large. 

 As food supplies become more plenti- 

 ful and foreign needs diminish in the 

 latter part of the year, prices may de- 

 cline moderately. 



Cattle Production — Demand will be 

 good and slaughter large. Subsidies 

 and ceilings may be removed. 



Returns on cattle in 1946 are likely to 

 be lower than in 1945. The large 

 number of cattle and calves on farms 

 and the prospective decline in cattle 

 prices will keep slaughter high in 1946, 

 Demand will continue strong but prices 

 will be no higher than those prevailing 

 last year. 



Hog Production — Demand will be 

 good, but civilian meat supplies will 

 be larger. Prices ^ill be lower. 



Hog prices will average moderately 

 lower in 1946 than in 1945. Civilian' 

 supplies of meats are expected to be 

 about 150 pounds per person in 1946 

 compared with 130 pounds in 1945. The 

 1945 fall pig crop is estimated to be 12 

 per cent larger than a year previous, 

 and preliminary reports indicate a two 

 per cent increase in spring pigs for 

 1946. 



Feed Supplies — Feed supplies are 

 down. Corn quality is lower. Less 

 wheat is available. Demand for feeds 

 will remain strong. 



Total U. S. supply of all feed con- 



centrates for the 1945-46 feeding sea- 

 son is two per cent smaller than a year 

 previous. The demand for feed grains, 

 high protein feeds and by-product feeds 

 for livestock will remain strong until 

 late in the year. 



Corn is of lower quality and much 

 will be fed to stock before warm 



weather. Other grains also will re- 

 main scarce until late in the year. 



Dairy Produce — Returns may be 

 lower. Government action on ceilings 

 and subsidies is the uncertainty. 



Although the dairy outlook for Illi- 

 nois farmers in 1946 is favorable, Illi- 

 nois dairy farmers will receive moder- 

 ately lower returns than in 1945. De- 

 mand is diminishing for canned and 

 powdered milk and cheddar cheese 

 Butter demand will continue to exceed 

 the supply. An increase in price, how- 

 ever, may divert more butterfat to the 

 manufacture of butter. Numbers of 

 milk cows are declining and milk pro- 

 duction in 1946 is expected to be from 

 one to three per cent lower than it was 

 in 1945. 



Sheep — Numbers are low. Fewer 

 lambs are on feed. Demand is good. 

 Wool stocks are high. 



Returns from the sale of sheep and 

 lambs, including the subsidy paid di- 

 rectly to producers, are likely to aver- 

 age higher in the first half of 1946 than 

 in the same period in 1945. Fewer fed 

 sheep and lambs will be marketed and 

 the demand will be strong. If subsi- 

 dies are discontinued June 30, returns 

 may be lower in the latter part of the 

 year unless ceilings are removed. Sheep 

 numbers are at their lowest level since 

 1928. 



Support prices of wool will continue 

 at present levels through June but the 

 1947 clip will sell at lower prices. 



Poultry and Eggs — Egg price out- 

 look is unfavorable. Supplies will be 

 large and demand will decline. 



Civilian demand for eggs will be 

 fairly good in 1946 but will decline 

 with more plentiful meat supplies. Un- 

 less exports are large, lower prices are 

 in prospect. 



Demand for chicken meat is expected 

 to remain fairly strong in 1946 with 

 prices averaging moderately lower 

 Heavy culling of flocks is recom- 

 mended. 



Lower prices can be expected for 

 turkeys. The upward trend in con- 

 sumption will continue but production 

 is nearly double the prewar average. 



Fruits and Vegetables — With aver- 

 age yields, production of tree fruits in 

 the U. S. in 1946 will be slightly larger 

 than in 1945. The apple crop will be 

 much larger. Larger supplies of fruit, 

 including imported tropical fruits, fore- 

 tell lower prices for domestic fruits. 



Illinois vegetables for processing are 

 likely to be moderately lower in 1946 

 than in 1945. Demand will be good 

 but canned supplies are at a record 

 high. 



Soybeans and Wheat — The need for 

 soybean meal and oil will continue to 

 (Continued on page 26) 



L A. A. RECORD 



A. E. Richardson, C< 

 Company manage 



YOUR Farm Bui 

 su ranee com pa 

 names. 



As of Feb. 1, 

 panies that Illinoij 

 bers founded and 

 top positions, wil 

 Country Mutual 

 Country Mutual 

 Country Life Insu 



Country Casualt 

 nois Agricultural 

 Company, or as 

 members called it, 

 auto company." 



Country Fire w 

 Mutual Reinsurai 

 most folks referre( 

 Bureau fire compa 

 The name Count 

 changed. 



Why were the 

 and fire companie 



The reasons for I 

 In looking ahead t 

 that the Farm Burea 

 will be serving fai 

 boards of directors 

 suggested that the 

 insurance companie 

 to show the bond 

 them. These Far 

 companies have bei 

 years, but they nev( 

 name. Since Coun 

 that all farmers se 

 decided to call the a 

 Casualty, and the f 

 Fire. 



FEBRUARY, 1946 



