Acute shortages of food reported by Polish official

In a report at a parliamentary session that could produce a dramatic government shake-up, Agriculture Minister Leon Klonica, describing drastic shortfalls in Poland's harvest, said it was "unreal" to expect an alleviation of acute food shortages in the near future. He said this year's grain harvest was 3.2 million tons short of the economic plan; the potato harvest, 18 million tons short; sugar beets, 6.6 million tons short; and fodder resources, 19 percent smaller than last year. He confirmed that beginning today (Nov. 21), prices paid to farmers for meat, milk, and other commodities would be increased to stimulate production. He said in the next five years the government intended to raise investments in agriculture to one-third of all investment, compared with the present 22 percent.