Ag Exports Hit Record High
In 1971-72, U.S. agricultural
exports again advanced to an
alltime high, reaching $8 billion
according to a report in the
August 7 issue of the USDA’S
“Foreign Agriculture’’
magazine. The increase of 4 per
cent, or $2OO million, was all in
commercial sales for dollars.
Shipments of animals and animal
products jumped to more than $1
billion, a record for that export
BARGAIN
NEW IDEA
MOWDITIONER
DEMONSTRATOR
A. L. HERR
& BRO.
Quarryville, Pa.
786-3521
* ■"
■> , •
Generation
Arriving
Saturday
August
WENGER IMPLEMENT, INC.
The Buck
LANDIS BROS. INC.
Lancaster
category; and shipments of
soybeans and products passed $2
billion, a first for any category.
Higher prices were responsible
for nearly all the increase; ex
port value increases for
soybeans, cotton, dairy products,
cattle hides, fruits, nuts,
vegetables, and feedgrains more
than offset reductions in ship
ments of wheat, flaxseed, alfalfa
meal, and animal fats. Volume,
however, about equaled the
record level of the previous year.
Fiscal 1972 had most of its
agricultural trade misfortunes
during its first half. First, the
longshoremen’s strike at east
coast, west coast, and gulf ports
severely hampered exports,
although stepped-up shipments
before and after the strike
somewhat reduced the impact on
the east coast and the gulf, and
the St. Lawrence Seaway
remained open for shifts from
gulf ports. Second, the in
ternational monetary crisis
created uncertainty in the foreign
market, delaying the purchase of
many U.S. products. Third,
foreign production of grains,
ip
9
$
393-3906 Elm
-< 7-
*>> - •
Generation II is the biggefet tractor
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enter Generation 11. Don’t miss it.
284-4141
SHOTZBERGER'S
especially wheat, showed a
substantial increase in 1971 which
damped the demand for U.S.
grains in July-December.
During the second half of the
fiscal year, several im
provements occurred. First, the
period was relatively free of
strikes (except on the west coast,
Jan. 17-Feb. 21). Second, the bulk
of the grain sold to the USSR last
fall moved out. Third, economic
growth picked up in most foreign
countries. Fourth, reports of
reductions in foreign grain
production began to appear,
stimulating U S. sales. Fifth, the
devaluation of the dollar and the
revaluation of some major
foreign currencies increased the
competiveness of many U.S.
farm products. However, flexible
duties on variable-levy items,
plus other European restrictions,
offset much of this competitive
edge. Nonetheless, January-June
exports rose to a record $4.2
billion, from $3.9 billion the year
before—enough to more than
balance off the July-December
slump.
M.S. YEARSLEY & SONS
West Chester 696-2990
665-2141 New Holland
Shipments to developed
countries totaled $5.0 billion, or
about the same as the previous
year; but the composition of the
trade changed considerably. For
example, exports to Japan, the
top market, declined by about 4
per cent because of a sharp
reduction in wheat and
feedgrains. Exports to the
European Community, on the
other hand, rose about 7 per cent
to a record of $1.9 billion. Exports
of items not subject to variable
levies accounted for the increase.
This outweighed a decline in
exports of variable-levy com
modities caused by the sharp
increase in EC wheat production
that reduced import
requirements
Developing countries ac
counted for $2.7 billion of the
year’s total, up from $2.5 billion a
year earlier Shipments to South
Vietnam, India, Brazil, and
Morocco declined, while those to
South Korea, the Philippines,
Iran, Pakistan, Egypt,
Afghanistan, Colombia, and Peru
gained.
Sales to COMECON countries
A.B.C. GROFF, INC.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 12,1972
354-4191
rose over $2BO million, from about
$l7O million in 1970-71. The
largest part of this increase came
from feedgrain sales of $135
million to the USSR. Exports to
other COMECON countries
showed mixed trends, with in
creases for Poland and East
Germany and decreases for
Romania, Bulgaria,
Czechslovakia, and Hungary.
Exports of soybeans and
products jumped 6 percent to a
new record of over $2 billion- the
first commodity group ever to
exceed that figure Both prices
and volume were up from last
year’s record
Soybean exports rose to over
430 million bushels, from 424
million a year earlier. Top
markets again were the EC,
Japan, Spam, Canada (includes
transshipments), Taiwan,
Denmark, and Israel Increased
foreign demand for meal was the
principal reason for the rise. The
expanding livestock industries of
many countries, especially those
in Western Europe, are em
phasizing improved feeding
practices, which require greater
use of high-protem fee The high
price of grains in the EC has also
encouraged feeding of soybean
meal.
US. stocks were smaller in
1971-72 and prices higher,
pushing export value up about 9
per cent. Average unit value was
$3.22 per bushel compared with
$3 00 in 1970-71. For many foreign
buyers, these higher prices were
offset by the reahnement of the
U.S dollar with other currencies
In Japan, the elimination of
import tariffs on soybeans also
helped maintain stable prices to
Japanese buyers
Combined exports of soybean
oil and cottonseed oil were down
slightly from last year’s record
level of 2.1 billion pounds. Still,
the 1971-72 figure of 2.0 billion
pounds was the second highest on
record. Foreign consumption of
vegetable oils continued to gain
in both developed and developing
countries, and strong demand for
U.S soybean oil contributed to
the near-record export total, but
foreign production of copra, palm
and palm kernel oils, peanuts,
and rapeseed rose sharply,
somewhat reducing U S
vegetable oil sales.
Protein meal exports totaled
4.5 million tons, down somewhat
from a year earlier. However,
value was about the same
because of higher prices.
Soybean meal accounted for over
90 percent of the total. U.S. meal
(Continued On PageS)
SUMMER
SPECIAL
Thru Month of August
we are giving
$l.OO off regular price on
all Scoop Shovels
50c off regular price on all
Manure Forks
LANCASTER
LEVEL-FLO
SILAGE SPREADERS
PERMANENT GOOSENECKS
PERMANENT PIPE
BIRD-IN-HAND
FARM SUPPLY
Maple Ave.
Bird in Hand, Pa.
7