Vol. 18 No. 51
I FARM TRENDS I
A summary of market
and commodity news
for the past week
Price rises zipped upwards immediately after the Cost of
Living Council removed ceilings on domestic fertilizer prices.
Prices abroad had been about $25 a ton higher than the
controlled price here in the U.S., and the industry was
therefore selling its wares overseas. A shortage of supplies
at home prompted the CLC to take another look at the
situation.
Higher^prices at home are expected to help relieve acute
domestic shortages and stabilize food prices by increasing
crop production in 1974. At least that’s what the ad
ministration hopes.
The price increases range from 20 to 40 percent and more,
with fertilizer products previously selling in the $6O-to-$BO
--ton range currently priced above $lOO a ton in most cases.
+ Prices of dairy products are up slightly, but they remain a
good buy in terms of protein value.
+ Milk prices went up less than cola drinks for the year
period ended January, 1973.
+ Twenty grams of protein from milk cost 21 cents as of
March 5, versus tuna fish at 23 cents and sirloin steak at
70 cents.
+ The average price of soybean meal, the principal protein
feed for dairy cows, was $372 per ton in mid-August, an
increase of $239 in a year.
+ Milk production for the January-August 1973 period, at
80,981 million pounds, is 2.4 percent less than the same
period last year. Yearly production for 1973 will ap
proximate 117 billion pounds, versus 120,278 pounds
last year.
+ There are fewer cows in 1973 on fewer farms producing
less milk per cow than in 1972.
+ High feed prices and poor quality and quantity of
roughage have lowered milk production. Dairy farmers
have been culling herds for beef sales.
+ Feed prices are expected to remain high, but gams in milk
output per cow may improve with increased feed crops.
+ High prices are pushing up cash receipts in 1973 to about
S7V2 billion. Dairymen’s gross income is rising less than
costs, so net returns may be less than in 1972.
+ Total commercial use of milk in all dairy products this year
will likely rise less than 1972’s 3Vz percent. Per capita
milk consumption may hold about steady, after rising 1
percent last year.
At Local Annual Meet..
Buy Fertilizer Now
Agway Group Told
“Fertilizer supplies are going
to be erratic. Shipments are
going to be even worse. I just
hope we don’t have the price
situation with fertilizer that we
had with feed grains this past
year,” Mark Hess told an annual
meeting of Agway members,
employees and officers on
Monday night at the Farm and
Home Center. Hess is manager of
Agway’s local Garden Spot unit.
Hess strongly urged farmers to
contact their fertilizer suppliers
as soon as possible to arrange
delivery of their fertilizer needs
for next spring. “And if you can
get the fertilizer, buy it and
spread it now. I know you may
run into some leaching problems.
by Dick Wanner
Fertilizer Prizes Up
Bits and Pieces
but I think you’ll still save money
because the price is sure to go up
if you wait till next spring to
place your order.”
Recapping the local unit’s
performance for the past year,
Hess said that fiscal 1972-3 was
the best year ever, with over $7
million dollars in sales for the
Garden Spot. Of the total, ap
proximately $1 million was in
tobacco sales, and the rest was
spread over the four local stores.
Hess commented on some of
the changes that have taken
place in the past year, and
thanked the members for their
patronage. He ended by
reminding the group that money
(Continued on Page 22)
'.ancaster Farming, Saturday, November 10, 1973
Three junior members of the Lancaster
County Holstein Association were honored
Monday night at the association's annual
banquet in Smoketown. Left to right are
Ruby Cinder, who won the FFA calf
?Kwiv.w.v.v*v;w;v«v«%v.v*%v« # «%v.v*v«v.v.v.v*v«v.v« , .%%%%%%%%-«%%%%v , «%wvw.vv r .v
Called by Milk Advisory Council
Responding to the question,
“Will the United States dairy
industry be traded off to
Europe”, Pat Healey of the
National Milk Producers
Association responded, “Yes, if
we let it happen.” Healey was one
of a half-dozen speakers featured
at the first Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Conference which
took place at the Penn Harris
Motor Inn Wednesday. The
meeting, titled ‘Crisis In
Marketing”, was attended by
approximately 250 dairymen
from throughout the state.
First to speak on the in
ternational dairy trade was
Robert Lewis, executive director
of the Wisconsin Farmer’s Union.
“Europeans are gravely upset
with America’s policies, par
ticularly in agriculture,” Lewis
said. He went on to state that they
would not accept the proposals of
the Flanigan report even if we
In This Issue
Markets 2-4
Sale Register 35
Farmers Almanac 6
Classified Ads 41
Editorials 10
Homestead Notes 24
Home on the Range 28
Tobacco Meets 8
Shaver Seminar 12
Livestock Judging
Team Places 4th 33
Garden Spot
Farm-City Exchange 19
Poultry Health Meets 19
PSU Forage Conf. 18
Neema Meet 17
Mark Hatfield Visit 30
250 Dairymen At
Marketing Meet
left our government try to get
away with it. Europeans are
committed to giving farmers a
fair deal he stated.
Lewis believes the Flanigan
report is a market oriented
policy, free of government
Credit for
Agriculture
Seen Tight
“In the next four or five years,
taking out a farm loan isn’t going
to be a question of whether or not
your credit’s any good, it’s going
to be a question of whether or not
anybody has the money to lend,”
Carl Brown told the annual
meeting Wednesday of the
Lancaster Production Credit
Association and the Federal Land
Bank Association of I oleaster.
Brown is general man.,v°r of the
two farm credit r umzations
which operate out a i ancaster
office.
Brown said credit
requirements have gone up
rapidly in the past few years, and
he foresees a day when there may
simply be no money to lend. “In
1971, our average PCA loan was
for $23,000. In 1972 it was $27,000,
and in 1973 the average loan is
$33,000. And most of these loans
are for small operations. We have
only one loan in excess of $1
million,” Brown said.
The local PCA has some $19.4
(O r 1 On Page 23)
presented annually by the association,
Greg Landis and Linda Kauffman. Greg and
Linda are the association’s distinguished
junior members for this year. (See story .on
page 23.)
programs even though it maj
look otherwise. Trade negotiation
goals for agriculture are aimec
at breaking down the price
supported system of othei
countries. We want our grains
and soy beans to be marketec
overseas without government
controls and in return will reducs
import limitations on dairj
products that are sent to us.
Lewis went on to say that ii
order to avoid world price con
trols, we ought to stop protectinf
dairy farmers so that othei
countries will reduce controls foi
our grains and soy beans
Theoretically, he said, out
production capabilities woult
thereby compliment each other
Europe has the capacity t<
produce milk and milk product;
but is not in the position t<
provide grains and soy beans t<
meet its needs, in short, Lewi;
(Continued On Page 22)
Sunday, November n
Bit and Bradoon 4-H Clui
meeting, Webber’s.
Monday, November 12
Fulton Grange meeting, Oakryn
Tuesday, November 13
9:30 a.m. - Chester Count}
Extension Workshop, Men’:
Knit Jacket, Malvern.
6:15 p.m. - Inter-State Mill
Producers Coop annua
Banquet, Marriott Moto
Hotel, Philadelphia.
7 p.m. -- Solanco FFJ
Testimonial Banquet, Solancc
High School Cafeteria
(Continued On Page 23)
$2.00 Per Year
Farm Calendar