42—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 6, 1973
Action Called For On
Fertilizer Supplies
Secretary of Agriculture Earl
L. Butz called for cooperation of
several federal agencies and the
fertilizer industry in an effort to
reduce or eliminate growing
shortages of fertilizer in the
United States.
The Secretary noted an in
creased worldwide demand for
fertilizer and indicated a
potential shortage of about 1.7
million tons in the U.S., if current
foreign and domestic demand is
satisfied.
As a first step toward im
proving the fertilizer situation
Secretary Butz asked the Cost of
Living Council to remove
promptly price ceilings that now
apply to fertilizer.
In a letter to the Cost of Living
Council, Secretary Butz said “at
a time we are taking every
possible course of action to en
courage American farmers to
increase' production of food and
fiber we are confronting a
potentially serious domestic
shortage of fertilizer, par
ticularly nitrogen and
phosphate.”
He noted that presently world
prices of fertilizer are far above
ceiling prices imposed on
domestic sales, a situation that
threatens ‘‘to intensify what will
be at best a very tight supply
situation later this year, and in
the spring of 1974.”
The Secretary said
modification of fertilizer price
ceilings will permit U. S. farmers
to bid against foreign users for
available supplies.
The Secretary also asked for
cooperation of the fertilizer in
dustry in assuring availability of
adequate supplies for
agricultural producer needs in
1974.
Mr. Butz further said some
fertilizer shortages are occurring
Tour of Lebanon Sorghum Plots
You are invited to tour the
Lebanon County Grain Sorghum
Variety Plots on Wednesday,
October 10 at 1:30 P.M.
The plots are located along
Route 22 next to the Lebanon
Valley Livestock Auction, one
mile east of Fredericksburg.
Professor James H. Eakin,
due to transportation difficulties.
He asked the Interstate Com
merce Commission to assist in
helping assure that tran
sportation will be available to
ship needed fertilizers.
The Secretary indicated USDA
has conferred with the Agency
for International Development
(AID) and received from that
agency a commitment not to ship
fertilizer from next February to
May, except for unusual
emergency needs. AID purchases
fertilizer in the domestic market
for shipment to needy and
developing countries.
Secretary Butz called on far
mers to avoid waste of fertilizers.
He urged that they make soil
tests and plan effective and ef
ficient use of plant nutrients.
Penn State agronomist, will be
present to discuss the plots.
Several very important
developments in sorghum
production can be observed, and
will be emphasised in the tour of
the plots.
Please feel free to" invite
anyone you wish to attend this
event.
TRY A
CLASSIFIED