Dorothy M. Bell, mitor
Palmer, Alaska
Published every week at Palmer, Alaska, for the I'ntanuska Valley Palmers* Cooperating
Aurociation for the purpose of giving news of the Associations Tork, Problems and
Accomr lishmen-ts and dissemination of information of a public character,,
3T SCRITTI0N RATE $1.75 per year Single copy lOfT
OUTLOOK FOR ORIRLJ IROUSTRU 111 1948
The Outlook,
Ac Cor c’ing to Dairy magazines and'papers, is that demand, production and prices will
stay about the same as this year, according to the appraisal released in October by
the bureau of agricultural economics.
Prospects arc that:
1. consumer incomes will stay high; 2, consumption of fluid milk aid croarn will con
tinue near the 40* pounds per person estinatod for 1947; 3, changes that are'likely
to occur in the exports of dairy products will not affect prices significantly, and
a. milk production may not be much different from that of 1947 in spite of smaller
feed supplies and a lewer dairy pro duct s-feed price ratio for the first half of 1948
compered with the first half of 1947.
Dairy exports at the end of 1947 may total 3,000,000,000 pounds, with nonfat dry milk
solids likely to continue high but seme decreases likely in 6xpofts of cheese and can
ned milk.' Exports of cheese in 1947 probably will total 150,000,000 pounds of evapor
ated milk, about 300,000,000 pounds.
Although average nrices for dairy products in 1948 are likely to bo about the same as
in 1947, seasonal price patterns for ij ilk'used in manufactured products may be differ
ent. During the first few months of 1948, manufacturing prices are likely to be some
hi'her than during the same period this yeah. However, their rise from the seasonal
low is not likely to be as great as in 1947,
Cash receipts from the sale of milk and dairy products will he about the same as the
j4,"00,000,000 expected'for 1947. Because of higher prices'for feed and other p»o
ducts dairy farmers buy, net incomes are likely to be lower.
From Washington D.C. HIGHER PRICES ON DAIRY PRODUCTS FORESEEN
According to a report in the"Dairy News” by Fred T.T. Lardner, it appears that produc
tion and prices of milk, dairy nroclucts and milk by-products will be on the increase
:'or several years. ,
According to evidence presented in October hearings on a long-range farm programs
it a:-cars that the government' is encouraging higher per-capita consumption of milk
a change in the farm price'parity formula which would assuro higher prices for
bvtterfat, wholesale milk and even milk cows.
The program includes government support of high levels of consumption and price, re
vision in the parity formula, and many other factors designed to benefit the farmer.
Some cf these issues have been hanging fire for years. The administration has selec
ted the 1948 session of congress as the ideal time, from the democratic viewpoint, to
make a real issue of them.
T o present price suprort program, which requires government support of various basic
coinoditios at 90-percent-of-parity prices, expires December 31 i 1948. Secretary of
.V nicultural Clinton P. .Anderson himself believes these supports too high. Before the
committees he said:
”1 do not hesitate to say that we in the department feel that the 52 per cent minimum
level now provided in the continuing agricultural adjustmeht'act of 1938 is too low
a support level for our basic commodities. At the same time, we also raise the ques
tion as to whether the 90 per cent minimum now carried in the Steagall amendment is *
hot too high a mandatary level as we look ahead to more normal conditions. It soem3
to us that the answer lies somewhere between.these two limits—perhaps around 75 per
cent."
In regard to the increase of the consumption of milk and milk products, Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture Charles F. Bronnan tbsjfs itoat there is a potential consump
tion averaging 1,000 pounds cf milk per capita, as compared with an average con&imp
tior. of 818 pounds in 1946, in all forms. To attain such eonsumption,d6partment of
ficials said, will require greater use of milk for industrial purposes, an eitpansion
o ' the school lunch program, and a start on some food’allocation program. Such a start
is planned as soon as the European emergency is ended.
A