14—Lancaster Farmini
jjoutbck
REDMEATREPORT... Heavy
demand and high prices seem to
be encouraging larger red meat
production this year than last.
The red beef boom continues:
1973 output will be moderately
ahead of last year’s record. Pork
production will probably equal
1972 as second half gains offset
first half cuts. xxx
BEEF DETAILS.. .Spring fed
cattle marketings will probably
be up...but only slightly...from
April-June 1972. Latest inventory
(January 1) showed 9 percent
more cattle in feedlots in the
weight groups that typically
supply over half of spring
slaughter. But some of these
cattle won’t make it to market.
Severe storms in the Southwest
and Midwest during early winter
boosted death losses and slowed
weight gains xxx
FEEDER CATTLE
PLACEMENTS UP...The in
ventory January 1 showed more
animals suitable for first half
feeding and, with demand for fed
beef staying strong, producers
will porbably up January-June
placements on feed from the
same 1972 period. That’ll mean
largersecondhalf -
marketings...and some possible
price slippage later in the year.
MARGIN ALERT...With
feeder cattle prices soaring
during 1972, feedlot operators
have been selling fed cattle at a
lower price per pound than the
animals cost as feeders several
months before. These “negative
margins” are expected to con
tinue in 1973... and could spell
trouble when the fed cattle
market weakens. xxx
TURNING TO PORK...The
latest hog production cycle seems
to have bottomed out, but it’ll be
a while...at least midyear...
before slaughter starts to pick up.
First half marketings will trail a
year ago, reflecting the smaller
number of market hogs on farms.
Second half marketings depend
Saturday. April 21. 1973
on the size of the December-May
pig crop...and farmers have
indicated they’ll boost farrowings
during this period by 7 percent
over the same months a year
earlier. xxx
, PRICE PATTERNS...Look for
a return to normalcy this year
rather than the contraseasonal
runups in hog prices we’ve had
during the past two autumns. On
balance it looks as if 1973 price
patterns will duplicate the 1970
situation when barrows and gilts
averaged $2B per 100 pounds in
February...weakened in the
spring...recovered to $27 in the
summer...then dropped sharply
in the fall. One difference: This
year’s general price decline
probably won’t be as sharp as
1970’5. xxx
..SECOND HALF OUTLOOK...-
Pork producers will probably
continue in the second half of 1973
the expansion in farrowings now
underway. While hog prices will
soften during the
year...especially the fall...corn
prices should also go down some
and feeding ratios should stay
favorable. Given larger
farrowings this fall, 1974 port
supplies would be Up from this
year.
LAYER LOW...The laying
flock at 1973’s start was down 7
percent from a year earlier. As
we move through the year flock
size will stabilize..".then begin
growing as producers hold layers
longer and force molt more birds.
High egg prices, too, will en
courage farmers to cull fewer
birds than they did in the winter
and spring of 1972. xxx
EGG OUTPUT AND
PRICES...Egg output this year
will probably be under 1972... the
small flock size will offset higher
productivity. But fewer eggs will
mean firmer prices. For the year
they’ll probably be well above
the low 1972 levels. xxx
BROILER BOOM
OVER?...Strong prices during
the winter apparently weren’t
quite enough to encourage broiler
producers to expand output in,
face of sharply higher feed
ingredient prices and uncertainty
about future feed costs. Chick
placements during the winter
droppedunder a year earlier...the
first such falloff since late 1971...
and what happens during spring
and summer depends largely on
th'e feed situation xxx
BROILER PRICES in 1973 will
be buoyed by continued gains in
consumer disposable incomes,
higher employment levels, and
good prices for other high-protein
foods. Spring and summer prices
are likely to remain well above
1972 levels...fall, though, should
see some weakening as the birds
face stronger competition from
larger pork supplies that will be
reaching markets.
Dirty Light Bulbs
If your house lights are dim, it
may mean dirty light bulbs.
Extension home management
specialists at The Pennsylvania
State University suggest dusting
light bulbs regularly with a soft
cloth or vacuum brush. If
necessary, they should be washed
with a damp sudsy cloth and
thoroughly dried. When cleaning
with a damp cloth, prevent shock
by taking the bulbs out of their
sockets. -
Who
Speaks up
for the
EASTERN
MILK
PRODUCERS
Dairy
Farmer?
The pursuit of truth is a full-time job at Eastern. It’s vital for both the
consumer and the legislator to know the truth about what we’re most
concerned with . . . milk.
Recent example: The U. S. Department of Agriculture announced
that the cost of foodj3er_person had risen s64in 1972. And that .$59
of that amount went to the farmer. Eastern put the issue into true per- „
spective. We replied with facts and figures. Farmers did not receive
that money.
Dairy farm income has decreased about 2% per year over the past
three years. Last year dairymen paid increases for feed, gasoline and
machinery far in excess of $64 for any of these items. For an average
dairy herd, feed costs rose about $2,000 in 1972. Moreover, only $.16
of every disposable income dollar today in the U, S, goes for food,,
including milk ... the lowest in this country’s history. (Compare this
with the 50% the Russians pay.)
The need for a “Cost of Production Council”, as a counterpart to
the present “Cost of Living Council”, becomes increasingly apparent,
if any form of equality is to exist between producers of food and other
segments of our economy.
Eastern members have been paid more money with higher milk
checks than have members of any other major cooperative in the
Northeast, but we must strive to obtain price improvement to offset
rising production costs.
The dairy farmer is offered the opportunity “to make his voice
heard through Join the 9,000 dairymen now working toward
market stability at a profit. You need us. We need you. See your local
Eastern representative.
P. L ROHRER & BRO., INS.
Smokttavfn, Fb.
V EASTERN
~ MILK PRODUCERS
COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, INC.
Kinne Road. Syracuse, New York 13514
197-3539