FOOD: Land of Plenty

From the Department of Agriculture came a report which would make wistful and incredible reading for Europe’s starving millions (see above). The U.S., its farms untouched by the war, was still a cornucopia land: in 1946 its citizens would probably eat better than ever be fore in their history of plenty.

There was nothing but good to report of the U.S. larder. “Plentiful supplies of most foods are in prospect. . . . More ice cream, cheese, condensed and evaporated milk, fluid cream, canned vegetables and fresh and frozen fish will be available. . . . Eggs and fluid milk will continue plentiful. . . . Chicken, turkey, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen and dried fruits, potatoes and sweet potatoes and cereal products will continue substantially the same. . . . Supplies of some meats and fats (other than butter) will be larger than before the war. . . . Sugar supplies should improve. . . .”

The average citizen will get substantially more food of all kinds than this year, will probably get even mere than in 1944, when he ate a record 11% above the level of prewar years. The only remaining shortages will be in pork, high-grade beef, butter, sugar and canned fish—where there will not be enough to satisfy the demand at present price and prosperity levels. And even these shortages are more apparent than real. The average consumption of meat next year will be 145-155 pounds; the record for the last 30 years was 150 pounds.