Food we Must Have But Farmers Need Help!

The War Economy and Controls: Agriculture

By 1939 Canadian agriculture was recovering from the worst of the Great Depression. There was some additional production on hand, particularly wheat, to meet the requirements of war. The federal government in Ottawa immediately set up an Agricultural Supplies Board to meet the food needs of Canada as well as overseas orders. In March 1943, the government created the more powerful Agricultural Food Board to bring together all production in a single programme. Canada received a seat on the Allied Combined Food Board in 1943, in recognition of its gigantic contribution to this vital part of the war.

As the Germans overran continental Europe, Britain looked across the Atlantic for food. Despite heavy losses inflicted among food-carrying ships by German U-boats, nearly 1.5 billion kilograms of bacon, more than 325 million kilograms of cheddar cheese and similarly large quantities of other meats and butter were sent to Britain during the war. Whole eggs were converted to egg powder and milk was condensed, making it easier to ship. Processing plants in Canada dehydrated cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes. It was hardly gourmet food, but it helped Britons to keep going in a hard war in which they were on the front line.

Canadian farmers made these prodigious wartime efforts in spite of a steady shortage of labour. Young people left farms for the armed forces or better-paying jobs in industry. However, temporary help from students, home defence soldiers and prisoners of war, along with a group of harvesters who moved from one region to another, eased the shortages. So too did the putting off of compulsory military service for farmers' sons and farm labourers ( see Conscription ).

Related Newspaper Articles

English Articles

• Finance at Large
  The Globe and Mail, 01/11/1939
   
• Farmers Urged to Prepare For Big Demands of Future
  The Hamilton Spectator, 16/11/1939
   
• Defense Work Draining Labor From Farmers
  The Globe And Mail, 16/08/1940
   
• Harvest Leave For Soldiers
  The Globe And Mail, 16/07/1941
   
• Foresees Cut in Manpower For Farm Work
  The Globe And Mail, 27/07/1942
   
• Farm Labour Drops Steadily, Further Depletion Expected
  The Hamilton Spectator, 25/08/1942
   
• Canadian Farmers: You Have Done Well! Wartime Production is Still Growing
  The Hamilton Spectator, 14/10/1942
   
• Airmen Helping to Gather Crops, More Aid Needed
  The Hamilton Spectator, 09/08/1944
   
• 6 000 Men Will Travel West to Help Harvest Grain Crops
  The Globe And Mail, 10/08/1945
   

French Articles

• Pourquoi M. Godbout a demandé à Ottawa de ne pas faire de recrutement dans les campagnes
  Le Devoir, 12/01/1940
   
• Les militaires aux champs
  Le Devoir, 27/07/1940
   
• L'Angleterre achète cent millions de boisseaux de blé
  Le Devoir, 03/08/1940
   
• L'entraînement des fils de cultivateurs
  Le Devoir, 13/09/1940
   
• Le Canada peut remplir les greniers de la Grande-Bretagne
  Le Devoir, 29/10/1940
   
• L'agriculture, première ligne de défense du Canada
  Le Devoir, 01/05/1941
   
• Effets de la guerre sur notre culture maraîchère
  Le Devoir, 12/06/1941
   
• L'agriculture canadienne subit une crise de main-d'oeuvre
  Le Devoir, 27/01/1942
   
• Va-t-on continuer de dégarnir le front agricole
  Le Devoir, 05/02/1942
   
• Main-d'oeuvre agricole et service militaire
  Le Devoir, 06/02/1942
   
• La pêche manque de bras comme l'agriculture
  Le Devoir, 19/03/1942
   
• Congé spécial aux soldats-agriculteurs
  Le Devoir, 26/03/1942
   
• Service sélectif. Les ouvriers agricoles
  Le Devoir, 02/04/1942
   
• L'exemption du service militaire pour les fils de cultivateurs
  Le Devoir, 18/04/1942
   
• L'influence des vivres sur l'issue de la guerre
  Le Devoir, 30/05/1942
   
• "Le Canada enverra 9,000,000 de boisseaux de blé en Russie"
  Le Devoir, 08/09/1942
   
• Vaste programme agricole à Ottawa
  Le Devoir, 17/09/1942
   
• La main-d'oeuvre agricole et forestière
  Le Devoir, 29/09/1942
   
• Grave problème de la main d'œuvre agricole dans Québec
  Le Devoir, 26/01/1943
   
• Pour parer à la pénurie de main-d'oeuvre agricole
  Le Devoir, 05/07/1944