COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS IN BOSTON JUMP 150 PERCENT IN JUNE Due largely to greatly increased holdings of frozen mackerel, stocks of frozen fish in Boston on June 30 were 150 percent above five weeks earlier. According to the Service's Market News office in Boston, squid, haddock fillets, and sea herring also were held in increased quantities. Despite the enlarged holdings, the total was 27 percent below that for June 24, 1942. Holdings of frozen fishery products in New York cold-storage warehouses totaled 5,416,000 pounds on June 24, according to the Service's Fishery Market News office in that city. Although this was an increase of 40 percent over stocks held on May 27, it was 10 percent below the 6,009,000 pounds in storage one year earlier. Increases over May 27 stocks were general for most of the important species, with greatest gains occurring in mackerel, whiting, and flounders. As compared with June 25 last year, there were large increases in flounders, shad, and buffalofish and carp, which, however, were offset by decreases in stocks of halibut, salmon, and whitefish. Reports of the Service's Market News office in Chicago show that a 29 percent increase occurred in the cold-storage holdings of frozen fish and shellfish in that city during the four weeks ending June 24. Increased holdings of shrimp and halibut accounted for the major part of the increase. Virtually all important items, were substantially below the holdings The total stocks carried on June 24, 1943, being only three-fifths as of a year earlier. large. Chicago Cold-storage Holdings June 24,1943 compared with Percent June 25,1942 May 27, 1943 June 25, 1942 Pounds 4,893,000 Canadian cold-storage holdings on July 1 totaled 16,584,000 pounds of frozen fresh fish and 918,000 pounds of frozen smoked fish, according to a preliminary report furnished by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. This represented a decline of 35 percent in holdings of frozen fresh fish and 31 percent in frozen smoked fish as compared with the previous year. A reduction of more than 5.2 million pounds in sea herring and 1.9 million pounds in halibut stocks account for the major portion of the decline. CANADIAN HALIBUT FREEZINGS DURING JUNE 61 PERCENT BELOW YEAR AGO Freezings of fishery products by Canadian freezers during June were 31 percent less than the same month the preceding year, according to preliminary data furnished by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. During June, 8,912,000 pounds of fresh fish were frozen as compared with 12,877,000 pounds a year ago. The major items frozen during the month were cod fillets and halibut. Freezings of halibut were 61 percent below those of June 1942. To assure adequate cold-storage space for foods that will spoil unless kept at low temperatures, the War Food Administration announced July 31 a list of foods which can no longer be stored in refrigerated warehouses. No fishery products were included in the list. The WFA also has restricted advance space reservations in an effort to prevent cold storage facilities from lying idle because of future commitments. War Food Administration officials stated that the action represents a joint effort of Government and the industry to do everything possible to see that no foods which have been produced will spoil through improper care. Representatives of the cold storage industry and the various agencies of Government which have any interest in storage space have concurred in the necessity for taking this action. Cold-storage space, normally tight in the period from mid-July through mid-September, is even more short this year because of (1) the increased production and storage of eggs, (2) the storage of a considerable quantity of the early crop of Irish potatoes in order to minimize the loss of this crop, (3) the increase in the slaughter of livestock and the effort to build up reasonable stocks of meat supplies, (4) the forthcoming apple harvest, and (5) the large stocks of butter which the Government is accumulating now to provide for winter war needs. Advance reservations for space, WFA officials pointed out, have helped to create an artificial shortage on top of the tight storage situation resulting from the larger production and into-storage movement of many perishable foods. The action--contained in Food Distribution Order No. 70 and Director Food Distribution Order 70.1, effective August 3--applies to all public cold-storage warehouses, cold-storage houses operated by meat packing plants, and cold-storage houses usually known as apple houses, but not to refrigerated storage space in wholesale and retail stores. The following definitions are used in the orders: The term "refrigerated storage facility" means any artificially cooled storage space of more than 10,000 cubic feet capacity (not operated as a part of an established wholesale or retail food business, hotel, or other establishment where persons are housed or fed, and not including that portion of the refrigerated storage facility occupied by individual lockers having a capacity of less than twenty-five cubic feet.) The term "net piling space" means the space available for the storage of commodities; 1.e., the space inside rooms measured from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, minus the actual space provided for ventilation outside of the piling space and space occupied by coils, aisles, posts, and for proper clearance of ceiling sprinklers. The term "freezer space" means any space in a refrigerated storage facility held at a temperature of 29 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The term "cooler space" means any space in a refrigerated storage facility held at a temperature between 30 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Canned and Cured Fish Trade CALIFORNIA TUNA PACK 49 PERCENT GREATER THAN YEAR AGO The production of canned tuna by California packers during May amounted to 191,497 standard cases, according to a report issued by the California Division of Fish and Game This exceeded the pack of the previous month by 47 percent and was 13 percent greater than the same month a year ago. The total production of all species during the first five months of the current year was 49 percent greater than in the similar period of 1942. Substantial increases were reported in the pack of tuna flakes. Approximately 21 percent of the current pack consisted of flakes compared with 6 percent during the five-month period of 1942. The mackerel pack, however, was one of the smallest in a number of years. During the first five months of 1943, a total of 93,761 standard cases were packed, 13 percent less than in the same period of 1942, 93.761 107,440 Standard cases of tuna represent cases of 48 7-ounce cans, while those of mackerel represent cases 48 1-pound cans. 1942-43 SHRIMP PACK 15 PERCENT UNDER PREVIOUS SEASON The 1942-43 shrimp packing season, beginning July 1, 1942, ended June 30, 1943 with the 39 canneries in the Gulf and South Atlantic Area, which operated under the Seafood Inspection Service of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, packing 581,611 standard cases of wet and dry shrimp, according to the Service's Fishery Market News office in New Orleans. This was a decrease of 15 percent below the 685,526 standard cases packed during the 1941-42 season and 30 percent under the average for the previous five seasons. The season's pack consisted of 575,261 cases, or 99 percent, in tin and the remainder in glass. Of the total pack 560,389 standard cases, or 96 percent, were "wet pack" and 21,222 cases, or 4 percent, "dry pack". An average of 68 pounds of raw shrimp was required per standard case packed. The June pack amounted to 10,355 standard cases, 17 percent below the previous month, and 60 percent below the pack for June last year. Wet and Dry Pack Shrimp in all Sizes in Tin and Glass--Standard Cases* SEASON All figures on basis of new standard case - 48 No. 1 cans with 7 oz. per can in the wet pack and 6 oz. per can in the dry pack. Quotations for canned shrimp in the usual wholesale quantities in plain No. 1 standard tins, f.o.b. point of production, were reported by Gulf Coast packers as follows: *7 oz. net wt. for wet pack and 6 oz. net wt. for dry pack. Note:--Maximum prices were established by OPA in MPR 311, effective February 2, 1943. OFFERS OF CANNED SHRIMP PERMITTED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15 On July 15, in Announcement No. FSC-1509, Canned Shrimp, Supplement No. 1, the Food Distribution Administration stated that offers of Canned Shrimp on Form SCP-1509 (Fishery Market News, June, p. 49) may be submitted at any time prior to September 15, 1943, to the Special Commodities Branch, Food Distribution Administration, Washington 25, D. C. SUN-DRIED SHRIMP PRICES FIXED BY OPA Cents-per-pound maximum prices for sun-dried shrimp were established July 5 by the Office of Price Administration. Sun-dried shrimp, produced only in the State of Louisiana and sold principally to the Oriental trade in this country and Hawaii, are the shrimp that are too small for canning, freezing, or selling fresh. The maximum prices established--35 cents a pound on the platform and 42 cents a pound packaged--represent a roll-back from the inflated level to which prices have risen this year. The industry is not large--1940 saw a total domestic production of 2,069,122 pounds. The new maximum prices are f.o.b. shipper's platform in the first instance and f.0.b. shipping point nearest the packer's warehouse in the second. The action was taken through Maximum Price Regulation No. 419 (Sun-Dried Shrimp) and became effective July 10, 1943. Since retail maximum prices for processed fish are set under OPA's fixed mark-up regulations, the roll-back in processor prices will be passed on to the ultimate consumer. The regulation requires the processor to notify wholesalers and retailers that they must. recalculate their prices on the basis of the new maximum prices. When used in this maximum price regulation the term "Packaged sun-dried shrimp" means platform sun-dried shrimp which have been repacked for sale in containers customary to the trade. "Packer" means a person who repacks platform sun-dried shrimp for sale in containers customary to the trade; he is also known as a "buyer" or "dealer". "Platform sun-dried shrimp" means shrimp which have been cooked in brine, shells and heads removed, and packed for shipment in containers for further packaging by a packer. |