Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 18, Number 27, DeMotte, Jasper County, 4 June 1948 — Farmers Cost Of Living Reported [ARTICLE]

Farmers Cost Of Living Reported

Hits Record Peak As Mid-May Arrives; Bulging Grain Prices Do Not Quite Match HCL Washington, June 2. The Agriculture Department reports that the farmers’ cost of living in mid-May was almost at the record peak of last January. During the month ended May 15, prices received by farmers for their products declined less than one per cent from the month before, the department said. The increase in the farmer’s cost of living resulted from increases ih food, machinery and clothing prices which were only partially offset by drops in prices of feed and seed. Prices for almost all crops were lower than they were a month ago, except for cotton and oilbearing crops. Beef cattle prices advanced to a new all-time high of $23.70 a hundred pounds. But prices farmers received for hogs went down to $19.60 per hundred, the lowest price since price controls were removed. Average actual prices received by farmers for major commodities in mid-May and the parity prices: Actual Parity Commodity Price Price Cotton (lb.) - $ .3727 $ .31 Wheat (bu.) 2.22 2.21 Corn (bu.) 2.16 1.60 Oats (bu.) 1.12 .998 Sorghum Grain (100 lbs.) 3.58 3.02 Soybeans (bu.) 3.74 2.40 Peanuts (lb.) .104 .12 Potatoes (bu.) 1.96 1.86 Apples (bu.) 1.91 2.40 Hogs (100 lb.) 19.60 18.20 Cattle (100 lbs. 23.70 13.60 Calves (100 lbs.) 25.50 16.90

Lambs (100 lbs.) 23.40 14.70 Butterfat (lb. .836 .623 Milk (100 lbs.) 4.59 3.60 Chickens (per lb. live) .285 .285 Eggs (dozen .415 .463 Wool (lb.) .456 .458