—Lancaster Farming. Saturda 50 European Beef Shortage Paralled To U.S. Situation (Editor’s Note: This article appeared in the lastest issue of the USDA’s “Foreign Agriculture" bulletin. It is reprinted here to point up the fact that U.S. consumers are not the only ones paying higher prices for beef. The article also points out that in the U.K, as in the U.S., there are several valid reasons for higher retail beef prices. The article was written by K. Suzanne Early of the livestock and meat products division in the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.) Probably one of the most talked about developments in food markets this year has been a sharp rise in beef prices - an occurrence that has touched virtually every part of the world Among countries experiencing sharpest increases are those in Western Europe - particularly the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, beef prices have risen substantially since the first of 1972, partly in response to a lowering of import barriers in the European Com munity (EC-6) last year, which attracted large numbers of British and Irish cattle and greater British beef exports to the higher priced EC market. This, in turn, caused a U K. beef shortage and a definite surge in prices there ’ British fat cattle as of January 1973 were selling for 55 percent more than a year earlier, and wholesale beef prices had risen 44 percent At the same time, prices in the EC-6 also climbed sharply, with fat cattle prices about 38 percent above January 1972 levels and wholesale prices up 28 percent In the United States, by comparison, the increase has been more moderate Prices for the most representative fat cattle in January 1973 were up 11 percent over January 1972, while wholesale prices gained only 9 percent (Although it is not possible to directly compare European cattle and beef prices with those in the United States VIRGINIA YEARLING & CALF FEEDER SALE Harrisonburg, Virginia Tuesday, April 17,1973 1 OOPM (ESI) SHENANDOAH VALLEY LIVESTOCK SALES, INC. 1200 STEERS 300 HEIFERS CROSSBRED ANGUS HEREFORD 1 Steers weighing 350-900 lbs 2 Heifers weighing 350-7001 lbs 3 All cattle dehorned or polled 4 All cattle officially graded] and sold in uniform lots of] choice, good, medium, and] common I VIRGINIA HOLSTEIN & HOLSTEIN CROSS FEEDER SALE Harrisonburg, Virginia I ' Monday, April 23,1973 I 7.00 PM. (E.S.T.) I ROCKINGHAM I Livestock Sales, Inc. I 700 STEERS I 1 Steers weighing 300-12001 lbs I 2 Dehorned and horned cattle! sell separate * I 1 Officially graded and soldi in uniform lots by Dairy! Beef Grades | iril 14. 1973 because of differences in the mix of cattle slaughtered, feeding practices, and, fabrication into retail cuts, one can still compare relative price gains.) Consumers in the United, Kingdom, who have long enjoyed the cheapest food prices in ■Europe, have been so outraged by the beef price increases that the Government appointed a special inquiry team to examine the causes The team, which released its findings in early January, concluded that U.K. price increases were due to a combination of reduced supplies of home-killed beef, declining imports from Ireland, and the increasing pull of the continental market. Beef and veal production in the United Kingdom was off by about 5 percent in 1971 to 2.04 billion pounds, as U.K. farmers held back breeding cattle throughout 1972 with the aim of increasing their herds. Heifer slaughter through September 1972 was off about 8-10 percent, and the slaughter of cows and bulls, 15 percent In 1971, about 15 percent of U.K cattle slaughter was filled by imports from Ireland which totaled 600,000 head. In 1972, QUALITY DAIRY CATTLE FOR SALE BLACK end WHITE HOLSTEIN FARMS 2220 Dairy Road Lancaster, Penna. JOp REGISTERED a GRADE HOLSTEINS 100 HEAD on hand at ail times HEAD CANADIAN —WISCONSIN—MINNESOTA All cattle hand picked for type, conformation and perfect udder development, most of them with good production and B F records NOTE - Will deliver from 4 head to a carload subject to your approval to your farm at anytime Pennsylvania’s Largest Sales Pavilion Dairy Cattle Auction Sale 3rd Friday Night Every Month CHARLES C. MYERS. Owner. Phone 717-569-2106 Park Myers, Sales Mgr. Private Sales Daily ABSOLUTE AUCTION COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MOBILE FEED MILL, FARM & POULTRY EQUIPMENT FOR: Oerstine’s Big ‘H’ Service, Inc. 712 Main Street, Harleysville, Pa. TIES., APRIL 17, 1073 10 A.M. Real Estate at 1 P.M. Commercial Real Estate - 2 502 Acres w-340 ft. fronting Rt 63 A Good Location BUILDINGS - 28 x 140 1-Story Frame Building w-100 Amp. Service, 50 x 230 1-Story Frame Building w-cement floor, well insulated, 200 Amp Elec Service, 10 yrs old, Drilled Well & Septic Tank TERMS - 15 percent down day of sale; settlement July 2, 1973 TRUCKS - 1961 DODGE TRUCK, 4-Wheel Drive w -1400 gal Clay Tank w-hydro-vac pump; DAFFIN Mobile Hammer Mill w-Detroit diesel engine on a 1954 Ford Truck TRACTORS - Mod 1050 BOLENS w-front end loader & rotary mower, Farmall Super ‘C (as is); old CASE BULLDOZER w-8’ blade (as is). FARM MACHINERY, FEED MILL & POULTRY EQUIPMENT - 15 K.W Generator; 32’ bale elevator, 50’ 4” auger, 32’ auger w-7 h p engine; 15 - 24” fans, 2-5 h p fans, Molasses Tank & Pump (1 yr. old)w-2hp motor, 18 ton gram bins, feed mixer, 175 16 AIR COMPRESSOR. KUHL Egg Washer, 10 crates per hr, 180’ flat deck poultry cages w-gathenng belt, auto feeders, cap 14,000 head, used 10 yrs , many other items TERMS—CASH REQUEST BROCHURE LUNCH SANFORD A. ALDtRFtR, Inc. REAL ESTATE BROKERS AND AUCTIONEERS Harleysville, Pa. - 256-8891 imports from this source dropped 21 percent to 475,000 head. High EC cattle prices and the freer access to that market in 1972 lured the Irish cattle away. Had these animals been fattened in the United Kingdom they would have provided about 65 million to 70 million pounds more beef for domestic consumption. Attractive EC prices exacted a further toll on the U.K. market by encouraging larger exports of live cattle. In 1972, 86,000 head of U K. cattle were exported to the EC, compared with only 18,000 a year earlier. Slaughter of these animals in the United Kingdom, by contrast, would have provided an extra 40 million to 45 million pounds of beef. In short, if U.K. cattle trade had been at the previous year’s levels, domestic production would have been almost unchanged from 1971. Larger U.K. exports of beef and veal were also a cause for lower domestic availabilities. In 1972, U.K. net imports of beef were 20 million pounds less than in 1971. As a result of these various factors, total availabilities for consumption were down 4 per cent (or about 100 million pounds) from 1971 levels. In the EC, live cattle and beef prices have traditionally ex ceeded those of the United Kingdom because of different systems of farm support. British livestock producers are guaranteed a minimum price, and curbs on imports are minimal. The EC, on the other hand,\ has maintained restrictive import policies, which have kept beef prices high and left the consumer to pay the cost of farm support at the marketplace. Production of beef in the EC is CONSIGNMENT SALE SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1973 9;30 A.M. on North Maple Avenue, Leola, Vz mile North of Route 23, watch for sale sign. Variety of Tractors, Fa'rm Machinery, Horse Drawn Implements, Lumber, New Hardware and Tools, etc. We have buyers for hay and straw. Frank & Paul Snyder SALE BY Robert E. Martin, Aucts. DAVID H. GOOD Next sale Friday, May 4th, 1973 Not iresponsible for accidents. PUBLIC SALE OF VALUABLE FARM MACHINERY, ANTIQUES & PERSONAL PROPERTY Saturday, April 28, 1973 at 10 A.M. Sharp. Located at R.D. 5, York, Pa. in Manchester Twp. on Crone Rd. Extd. Turn on Crone Rd. near Manchester Twp. Bldg. The un dersigned will offer at public sale the farm machinery, an tiques and personal property of the late Levere F. Smith. 1956 John Deere 50 tractor with PS, 3 pt. hook-up, cultivators loader and 2 bottom 14” plow, Oliver 13 hoe disc drill; Massey Harris No 6 7 ft. mower; Int. 14 ft. 28 disc., cultipacker, Caldwell 8 ft. chopper, 2 Int. 3 section spring harrows. New Idea manure spreader. New Idea one row corn picker, New v Idea 4 hoe side delivery rake and tedder, 2-row Oliver corn planter, John Deere 30 ft. elevator, rubber tire wagon, John Deere 14T hay baler, drag'elevator, John Deere corn planter, field sprayer, 1962 % ton Chevrolet pickup truck 8 cy. with heater; walking furrow out plow, 2-horse wagon, 2 furrow plows, shovel plow, weeder, Sears cylinder corn sheller, hand plow, metal fence posts, elec, fence posts, Int. plate mill, 1 H.P. elec, motor, Sm. portable compressor with l k h.p. motor, like new; fence charger, log chains, chicken nests, crates, feeders, elec, brooder, single row cultivator, wooden gate, wheelbarrow, feed barrels, drums with spigets, 2 platform scales, 2 hole com sheller, several block & tackles, rope, dung hook, 20 ft. straight ladder, 30 ft. ext ladder, ext. cords, bag truck, some used lumber, grain bags, also cotton grain bags, grindstone, Window sash, feed,chest, harness chest, berry crates and boxes, chest, barbwire and other wire, belt cement mixer and cement wheelbarrow, harness, some hay and straw and lots and lots sm. items off the wagons. 18 head of Holsteins and Angus feeder cattle-weights 150 to 700 Ibs.-all steers; 2 Holstein bulls approx. 900 lbs. Cattle will be graded and sold according to size and weight. ANTIQUES and PERSONAL PROPERTY Dry sink with top, rope bed, dough tray, copper kettle, 6 cane seat chairs, woodbox, 2 iron kettles, 3 iron pots, 2 iron tea kettles, flat irons, lanterns, hanging scales, wash boiler, lots of crocks in various sizes, couch, old automobile parts, 3 wooden tubs, Vz bu measure, several straw forks, 2 wooden rakes, 12 iron hog troughs, 2 scalding troughs, broad axe, post hole axe, grain cradle, cow bell, several sows, yokes, line shaft, basket, wagon jack, straw cutter, hay knife, 2 hog gallows, pump trough, libraryjable, jugs, measures, 2 granite coffee pots, 3 sausage staffers, 2_perfection butcher furnaces, 2 computing scales, lard press,' lg. elec, meat grinder, sm. grinders, sm. butcher tools, cupboard, 3 sm. table radios, Maytag wringer washer, secretary desk, bed and dresser, Frlgidaire refrigerator, sm. dresser, chest of drawers, pump, work table, meat benches, kerosene stove, tubs, buckets, baskets, jars, garden tools, old almanacs, meat hooks, single and double trees, spreaders, axes, 2 scoop shovels, dishes, grain flail, and many, many other articles too numerous to mention. Not responsible for accidents on day of sale. Refreshment Rights Reserved Note: There lots to be sold, come early, we will be running 2 sales Terms: cash Mrs. Margaret C. Smith Jacob A. Gilbert, Auctioneer Charles Bachman, Auctioneer Frey, Leber, Kline, Gilbert. Stermes. Clerks. primarily a byproduct of the dairy industry, and more than 70 percent of the adult cattle slaughtered for beef are females. On April 1, 1972, the EC Council increased the target price on milk by 8 percent. This had the effect of lowering cow culling rales and increasing heifer retentions. As a result, slaughter dropped about 7 percent, and 1972 beef and veal production was estimated 5 percent below 1971 levels. The EC’s beef shortage pushed already high prices up‘ even more until at last consumers exerted so much pressure that (Continued on Page 51) FARM MACHINERY LIVESTOCK
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers