42 —lancaster Farming. Saturday, March 24, 1973 Crunch is on in Freight Record grain exports to Russia are taxing the already strained capacities of the Nation’s railroads. The entire Soviet purchase amounts to 19 million metric tons—a fourth of all farm exports projected for fiscal ’73. It consists of 10.9 million metric tons of wheat. 7.0 million of corn, and 1.1 million of soybeans. The grains are committed for delivery before June 30, 1973. A high proportion of all soybean and grain exports move to port by rail. And food grains (primarily wheat), feed grains, and soybeans account for roughly three-fourths the volume of all farm products hauled by trains. Demand for freight space to carry grain and soybeans—seen a fifth higher than in recent years—falls on a greatly reduced • freight car supply. • From 1962 to 1970 the number of covered hopper cars and general purpose boxcars suitable for hauling grain plunged from For high efficiency at low cost feed your cows Checkerboard Dairy You can take advantage of present high milk prices by getting your cows to produce at their bred-in ability-at a low cost. Checkerboard Dairy is the milking ration for the dairyman who wants a highly efficient, yet a low-cost ration for his herd. Checkerboard Dairy has a balance of vitamins, minerals and protein cows need for top per formance. And it's a complete milking ration, high in molasses for added palatability and pelleted for easy handling and feeding. Put your herd on Checkerboard Dairy. See us today—and let Checkerboard Dairy help your cows produce all the milk that’s bred into them—and let you take advantage of today's good milk prices. John J. Hess, 11, Inc. Ph: 442-4632 Paradise West W«ew fanners Wenger , $ fai M 9 |nc . West Willow Rheems Ira B. Landis Ph: 665-3248 Box 276, Manheim EDS 646,000 lo 503,000. The retirement of many old and small boxcars was offset only partially by the addition of mo'dern, high capacity hopper cars. Con senquently, instant capacity of the fleet dropped from 30.8 million to 28.1 million metric tons. Skepticism Back in mid-1972 when USDA announced the huge grain sale, skeptics questioned whether railroads could muster sufficient freight car capacity to meet delivery schedules. It’s still too early to prove them wrong. Locating empty rail cars to move grains proved quite dif ficult several years during the sixties, even when export volumes were well below those anticipated this year. Too, annual economic activity in fiscal ’73 is expected to top last year’s level, adding to competition for freight car capacity. The rail lines most affected by the surge in grain and soybean lames High & Sons Ph; 354-0301 Gordonville John B. Kurtz Ph: 354-9251 R. D. 3, Ephrata t iViiVt'i Vt’.ViV/t'iVi'iViV* exports are those serving Gulf ports. The Soviets purchased primarily Hard Red Winter wheat. Rail lines from production regions lead most directly to Texas ports. Over the past 2 years, nearly 90 percent of all Hard Red Winter wheat ship ments moved through Gulf ports. Gulf ports also provide the starting point for most U.S. feed grain and wheat exports to the Mediterranean area—gateway to Russia’s Black Sea ports. Thus, if the Russians make heavy use of their Black Sea facilities, U.S. Gulf ports—and the trains that serve them—will receive the brunt of increased export levels. Icebound Ports During fiscal ’72, roughly a third of all Russia-bound feed grains moved through Great Lakes and Canadian (St. Lawrence) ports. These ports, however, usually close from late December to mid-April due to freezing. Though North Atlantic ports may substitute during this period, a shift to these facilities lengthens rail shipments, tying up cars for longer periods. During July-September 1972, only about 1.5 million metric tons of corn —of the total 19 million-ton purchase—left U.S. ports. Lack of shipping arrangements bet ween the U.S. and USSR was largely to blame. Though an agreement was reached in mid- October, it brought no sudden pickup in exports. The upshot was to push a larger-than-anticipated export load into the final quarter of ’72 and first half of ’73—creating a bigger crunch on rail and Gulf Rely on Agrico for practical fertilizer programs Let Agrico tailor a fertility pro gram for you this year. We can start right with your soil test report . . . then we’ll make a practical, down-to-earth fertilizer program A century of service to grow on Cali Now Your Local AGRICO Dealer OR STOP AT . . . LANCASTER AGRICO CHURGHTOWN AGRICO SERVICE CENTER SERVICE CENTER 1661 Rohrerstown Road Route 23 QUARRYVILLE AGRICO SERVICE CENTER **»•»•*'•»♦*>* *»*>»'#>*>* » ft >*r* J Car Capacities port capacities. Wheat shipments traffic. Experts contend, are now being expedited so that that holding capacity of nc U.S. ports will clear by the end of country elevators, as \ May when export subsidy interior terminal ant commitments on wheat sales are elevators, is sufficient to due to expire. projected grain ex] Congested Elevators provided rail facility Huge shipments now moving to adequate to assure i ports may at times clog train pickup and delivery, elevators and bottle-neck rail (Continued on Page W. L. 305 Alfalfa one of the best yielding alfalfa for th section, Also full line of clovers. ALL CLOVERS AND ALFALFAS MIXED AND INOCULATED FREE. VORIS SEED CORN REIST SEEDS SINCE 1925 REIST SEED CO. MT, JOY, PENNA. PHONE 717-653-4121 WE DELIVER that truly is tailored to your soil and to the crops that you plan to grow this year. You’ll get a mixture of the ni trogen, phosphate and potash that you can broadcast on your fields any time before you plow. We’ll even work with you to manage a way to get the fertilizer down early so you’ll have more time for plant ing. Count on Agrico fertilizers this year for the fertilizers that can help you boost yields and profits. North Church Street Agricod Chemical Company One of the Williams Companies
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