—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 17,1970 12 Because of Accelerating Farm Costs From Many Directions: Food Prices Must Rise, York Says John C. York, general man- attention and suggest you ager of Eastern Milk Producers examine the following factois ° .. . ... which will force food prices up- Cooperative Association, Inc., recently released the following ‘‘open letter to the concerned 1. Agriculture s role in impiov . ~ ing environmental quality will uWlc • require restrictions m tlie pro file 1970's will be a decade of cessing of food that will require rising farm production costs, phenomenal investments. and consequently, substantially plans tha( „. 0 discussed lusher food prices it the farmer ]d forec a departure of one is to continue and the world is , f f . pNIStSniJ f , rm p opu . to be fed. I bring this to yom , Jt|on Iho nrxl U 1 years, to say nothing of the effect of urbanization and road develop ment systems. HOW MUCH MONEY Are you Losing By Not Feeding For Faster Gains? Gehman’s 35% or Gehman’s 60% Beef Cattle Supplements PROMOTE MAXIMUM GAINS. Available with or without Stilbosol Booking Open Until Dec. 1 GEHMAN FEED MILL, INC. Denver, Pa Ph: 267-5585 ( itiethylstilbestiol) EJ.inco PioducU Co. 2 Fringe benefits required b\ Knii workers will represent .1 substantial impact on farm labor costs. What effect will this have on all of us? Let us examine our , present situation. It is becoming more and more stylish for farm workers to de- l. Last year consumers spent mand fringe benefits in addition 16Vz per cent of their after tax to cash payments. Such fringe income for food. This was the benefits include free housing, lowest in history, and quite un meals, garden plots, meat, elec- derstandably the lowest in the tricity, milk and other items ot world. For example, Canada benefit. Minimum wage laws, spent approximately 20 per cent; unionization and broadened Japan 37 per cent; Spain 43 per Social Security programs will cent: Soviet Union 50 per cent add to farm labor cost 3, Demands set forth by Indus- buy, for example, 20 per cent trial labor unions will be trans- more milk than it did in the mitted in higher cost of items late 50’s, used in the production of farm „ . . nvnrtf.PK 3 - Last y ear farnl lncome P el pl al ■ farm averaged a record high, The current United Auto but still was only $5,401. Workers strike against General 4 The cumulative effect of Motors, if settled through higher r j sin g farm costs will result in wages, will be reflected in high- e ifi ier the discontinuance of our er costs. fanners and our capacity to pro- Ironically, the public, includ- duce food, or an increase in food ing farmers, are subsidizing the prices commensurate with rising present strike through the Food costs of production. Stamp plan. It is reported that The federal government just striking U.A.W. members are recently rejected the application receiving Food Stamps which of an escalator price formula allow the striker to buy sub- for establishing farm milk stantially more food than the prices. This formula would cause purchase price of the stamps. farm prices to change with Thus, the cheap food that changing economic conditions, these consumers are buying including cost of production through the Food Stamp plan items. will be used as a subsidy to pro- Efficiencies in the production long a strike for higher wages, of food cannot be depended upon OXFORD PICKLE COMPANY South Deerfield, Moss. Invites our 1970 Cucumber Growers and all other interested parties to attend a meeting at the Fire Hall in Intercourse, Pa. Thurs., Oct. 22- 7:30 P.M. To discuss results of the past season' For more information contact HARVEY G. GOOD PLANT FOOD STORE Intercourse. Pa. Phone 717-768-8451 t "Cucumbers are a proven cash crop" which in turn will affect farm costs. 4, Distribution costs such as labor, new product develop ment. convenience packages, ad vertising and transportation are being passed back to farmers as a production cost item, thus lowering the net return to farm ers. 5. Deliberate neglect of rural America will soon come to the surface requiring much delayed improvement in lighting, plumb ing, education, and housing in our rural areas, all of which will mo\e farm costs up. up and up 2. One hour of work today will as the solution to the problem. $105,3 billion that they actually Agriculture has made giant did spend, steps in this direction. In 1930, , ~ ~ . one U.S. farmer provided food ans wer to the problem is for 10 people; in 1960, 26 " ot <> n A e of destroying agricul people; and in 1969, 45 people, F e ' Agriculture is a $55 bil- The 1970’s however will see llon customer in the American severe limitations on further ad- 6 con