Agriculture: Supermarket to the World

Bucking and bawling, 150 spindly-legged calves were put aboard a Milan-bound TWA jet cargo plane at New York’s Kennedy International Airport last week, the first of 100,000 U.S. calves bound for European tables this year. Most U.S. farm exports do not rate jet accommodations, but they are increasingly getting a first-class reception around the world. In fiscal 1964 the U.S. reported a record $6.1 billion worth of agricultural products, $1 billion more than in the previous year. Only $1.6 billion of the total was tied in with U.S. aid programs—and the recent rise in the exports of foods and fibers has been almost completely among those sold for hard cash.

Hops for Germany. Though recent poor crops in Europe and Russia created some unusual demand, the bumper sales stem mostly from more basic and lasting sources: the world’s expanding population, improved diets and rising incomes in Western Europe and Japan, a labor-saving trend toward convenience foods. Exports are also getting an enormous boost from the U.S. Government and from aggressively competitive food processors. Industry trade associations are spending $7,500,000 annually on their many foreign promotions, and the Government spends $14 million a year to support the operations of Agriculture Department marketing outposts in 67 countries and agricultural attaches in more than 50 U.S. embassies.

U.S. food products are also entered in about 20 international exhibitions each year. This week some 50 U.S. processors go looking for customers at a joint Government-industry exhibit in Vienna, and the Agriculture Department opens a food fair in Frankfurt. Result of all the activity: 15% of the American farmer’s harvest now goes to market abroad, compared with 8% of the nation’s industrial output; last year U.S. meat exports alone rose 36% . Japan ranks as the biggest customer, followed by Canada and Britain. As West Germany’s biggest agricultural supplier, the U.S. ships not only such staples as cotton, tobacco, wheat, canned fruit and poultry—but even 30% of the hops for Germany’s beer.

Versatile Soybean. Yankee salesmanship is changing many eating and cooking habits around the world. U.S. promoters have introduced the doughnut to Africa and Asia, spread the benefits of milk to the Middle East and Latin America, made wheat a popular substitute for rice in the Japanese diet. They have increased grain sales to Italy by showing Italians how to mix American wheat into their pastas, amazed European housewives (many of whom now work and have less time to cook) with packaged mixes that produce effortless cakes, pies, mashed potatoes, cheese dips and even pizzas. One of the fastest-growing exports is the versatile soybean, which is being touted at expositions abroad in the form of cooking oil, soy sauce, soy noodles, soy flakes, soy powder and soy pancakes.

At the Vienna fair this week, the Viennese are sampling Southern fried chicken and smoked trout, served up free by Austrian models dressed as cowgirls. Last month the Agriculture Department flew an American Indian chief in full regalia to a German fair to get Germans to try corn, wild rice, pumpkins and frozen turkey. However foreigners may shake, bake or slice the U.S. products, American farmers, who regularly harvest more than the U.S. can consume or give away, are more than happy to sell them the makings.