832.61311/9–2046
Memorandum by Mr. Richard F. O’Toole of the Division of Brazilian Affairs
Wheat and Flour for Brazil
U. S. Deliveries and Commitments, 1946
(Source IR—Durand Smith)
| Long Tons of Wheat or Wheat Equivalent | |
| January–June 1946 | 121,900 |
| July–August 1946 (Authorized) | 20,000 |
| September–October 1946 (Authorized) | 52,000 |
| Total | 193,900 |
No commitment for later periods has yet been made.
Argentine Deliveries and Commitments—1946
(Source IR—Durand Smith)
| Long Tons of Wheat or Wheat Equivalent | |
| January-March 1946 | 7,700 |
| April “ | 2,330 |
| May “ | 11,700 |
| June “ | 49,300 |
| Total | 71,030 |
July–August figures incomplete and no information on future commitments.
Stock Position and Requirements of Brazil, on Minimum Requirements Basis.
Brazil has no stocks of wheat or flour beyond current arrivals which are far below minimum requirements. Prior to the commencement of the current wheat shortage Brazil imported about 90 percent of her requirements from Argentina, and a relatively small amount of flour from the United States for consumption in her northern cities.
Brazilian imports on flour and wheat for the first six months of 1946, compared with figures for the same period of 1945, point up, in striking form, the drastic reduction in her current supply:—
| Imports of Wheat and Wheat Equivalent in Long Tons | Monthly Average | |
| 1945, January–June | 690,534 | 115,090 |
| 1946, “ “ | 192,930 | 32,153 |
| 1946 Reduction in Monthly Average, 72.06 percent. |
Rio’s telegram 1233 of 7/9/36[46]48 states that Brazilian imports of flour and wheat for the first half of 1946 are off 60 percent from the same period of 1945.
Brazil’s wheat production for the crop harvested in December 1945 and January 1946 was estimated at 90,000 metric tons (80,358 long tons) compared with an average of 123,000 metric tons for the years 1938–1943.
Up to October 1945, when Argentina cut off wheat shipments to Brazil, the latter’s monthly imports of Argentine wheat were 100,000 tons.
- Not printed.↩