Expensive Food Here to Stay (Continued Front Page 36) products. The high prices psid for farm commodities in a free market in one season are likely to be lower in the next as production builds up. Any given month can provide a dramatic but misleading shift in food prices which will moderate over the span of a year. It is unrealistic to multiply a one-month change in food prices by 12 to suggest an anticipated annual rate of change. For instance, the farm price of iceberg lettuce dropped from $5.00 a carton on January 12, 1973 to $2.50 a carton on PUBLIC AUCTION 250 FEEDER PIGS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1973 AT 1:30 P.M. Location: Between Womelsdorf and Myentown along Route 422, at Stouchsburg take Scharff Road South 1 mile, third farm on left, y h mile North of Sheridan Furnaces; Marion Twp. Berks County, Penns. 30-70 POUND CHOICE FEEDER PIGS HAMPSHIRE - YORK • DUROC CROSS All pigs are vaccinated for Erysipelas castrated young, wormed, tails crocked, sprayed for mange and lice. All pigs were raised on this farm. No outside pigs will be sold on this sale. Sale time 1:30 p.m. Terms by WALTER M. HORST Newmanstown R.D.I 589-2282 John E. and Paul E. Martin • Auctioneers ANNUAL FALL SPECIAL FEEDER AND REPLACEMENT CATTLE SALE MONDAY, NOV. 12,1973 7:00 P.M. 400 Head Hereford, Angus and Charolais yearling steers and heifers 400 Head Hereford, Angus and Charolais steers and heifer calves 200 Head Holstein and Crossbred steers and heifers. If you are planning orr buying feeder cattle this is the sale to attend. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THOMAS EAGLE 703-459-4402 OR HARRY GOCHENOUR 703-459-4778 WOODSTOCK LIVESTOCK MARKET, INC. U.S. Route 11 WoodstocK, Va. THE NEW OWNERSHIP OF LANCASTER STOCKYARDS INC. WILL CONTINUE THE POLICY OF A STOCKER AND FEEDER AUCTION SALE EVERT FRIDAY DURING NOVEMBER NEXT SALE NOVEMBER 16, 1973 New Starting Time 12:00 Noon All Grades, Breeds, Weights Load Lots —Small Lots Lancaster Stockyards, Inc. LANCASTER, PA. PH.717-394-2611 MEMBER DEALERS WALTER M. DUNLAP & SONS JOHNSON CATTLE CO. T - G. KREIDER J. M. HOOBER & SON MERTON W. McCOY EDW. L. BROWN LOUIS LYONS & SON WM. W. McCOY s - L - HRTLBRON & SONS January 18—a 50 percent drop in Just one week. In 1072 the farm price of eggs dropped from 41 cents a dozen on September 19 to 31.5 cents on October 11—a 23 percent drop in Just one month. Farm prices often change Just as sharply from one year to the next. Broiler prices advanced 7 percent in 1909-then retreated 11 percent in 1970. Average farm com prices increased 16 percent in 1970—then fell 19 percent in 1971. Unlike farm products, the prices for industrial commodities usually stay up once they go up. Between 1052 and 1072 wholesale prices for industrial commodities increased in 16 of the 20 years for a total of 40 percent. In the same period, farm prices declined or remained unchanged in 10 of the last 20 years. The overall in crease was only 12 percent. Changes in farm prices show up in the supermarket, but not so suddenly, nor always in the same direction. Farm prices dropped 4.8 percent in 1067 although food prices uncreased one percent and in 1971, while farm prices were up 1.8 percent, retail food prices increased 3 percent. Sixty percent of the food bill goes to pay for the cost of marketing. These costs include freezing, canning, baking, and other processing. The marketing bill also includes trucking, rail freight, and other transportation. There is a substantial cost of displaying and selling of food in the supermarket. The food marketing bill has been increasing at an average rate of about 5 percent per year over the past 10 years. Labor costs are the largest single item in the marketing bill and now make up over half of the total. Wages for all marketing have been rising. So, a decline in farm prices will not necessarily mean that retail food prices will also decline. Farmers only now recovering Farmers have been making a tremendous contribution to America’s well-being for modest rewards. While farm prices have advanced 12 percent in the last 20 years, farm expenses were rising steadily. Farm machinery prices are nearly double what they were 20 years ago. Wages farmers pay are almost two and a half times as high as 20 years ago The level of all prices farmers pay has gone up 50 percent in the past two decades. The average income of farm people still lags behind the average income of non-farm people. During the 1950’s farm income was only half that of non farm workers. Farm income improved during the 1960’s to where farm income was 67 percent of non-farm workers. The average disposable income of farm people is still 17 percent behind the average income of non-farm people. Farmers have a tremendous investment in land, buildings, livestock, and equipment. Output per man-hour on farms is in creasing nearly twice as fast as in industry. But the farmer is not sharing fully in the benefits of his own productivity. In the most recent 10-year period farmers have averaged only a 3.9 percent return on the equity of their capital investment in farming. In 1972, earnings on stockholders’ equity of all manufacturing in dustries was 11.3 percent. Lancaster Farming. Saturday, November 10,1973 Farmers are less able to pass along their costs than other major economic groups. Far mers are not protected by franchises, patents, licenses, or by seniority. They do not enjoy industry-wide contracts, nor escalator clauses, nor the economic ability to force higher prices and hold them. They deal largely in perishable products that must be sold when ready. The present period that we are in is acting much like the Korean War inflationary period 20 years ago. Between 1950 and 1962, farm prices climbed 20 percent and retail food prices climbed 13.2 percent. Between 1970 and 1972, farm prices climbed 14.6 percent and retail food prices advanced 7.5 percent. The Korean War inflation cooled off in 1953 and it was 20 years before farm prices regained their 1952 level. Those who till the land, of course, do not work alone in the seemingly impossible task of feeding 200 million Americans plus countless thousands abroad. They have the support of others in a complex food system that SPtEIM. FULL FEEDER SALE FRIDAY EVENING AT 7;W All-Charolais Show & Sale* November 23 VINTAGE SALES STABLES INC Box 100, Paradise, Pa. Lancaster County The Heart of Pennsylvania Steer Feeding Country Anyone Wishing to Consign Cattle Telephone Area Code 717-442-4181 KENNETH E. HERSHEY, MANAGER COMPLETE DISPERSAL Registered and Grade Holsteins Saturday, Nov. 17, 1973 - 12;30 P.M. Location; Just West of Intercourse, South of Rte, #340 on Gordohville Road, 10 miles East of Lam caster, Pa. 35 Cows and Fresh Heifers, 10 Yearlings and Heifer calves. Including cows that have milked to 100 lbs. a day, nicely ud dered with plenty of dairy type. Records up to 18,000 lbs. milk. Tested for Interstate Shipment. Pregnancy Checked. Included in Sale: t)trs. of Osborndale Ivanhoe, Jess Pabst Leader, Paclamar Astronaut, Hilltop Apollo Ivanhoe, Tidy Gent, Performer, Glenafton R.A. Charmer, Skokie Noel, Kennedy and Others. Be sure to see them. Also selling load of springing or close cows from one herd out of Montour County owned by Gideon Fisher. SPECIAL MENTION!! Included in this dispersal 8 Registered cows recently fresh, dark in color, Ivanhoe and Reflection bloodlines, records averaging 16.315 M, 602 Fat. Selected from a good herd in Lebanon County. Bamford Diesel with 2 H.P. compressor; 20 milk cans; S.S. carrying pads; strainers; milk cooler; Happy Cooking gas water heater 30 gal.; Rockwell V 2” drill press; New Idea No. 8 spreader, etc. Auctioneers and Pedigrees Carl Oilier 464-2233 J. Everett Kreider 284-4517 assembles, transports, processes, packages, and mer chandises the foods that fill our market baskets. They are also aided by agricultural suppliers, technologists and scientists. All these dedicated people come in for a share of thanks in this season of harvest. Special Feeder Sale Abingdon, VA Monday. Novembers 782 Head Calvet Sold Steers Good and Choice: 300 - 400 pounds 52.50 - 57.50; 405 - 500 51.00 - 58.00 ; 505 - 600 48.00 - 53.00. Medium: 300 - 400 pounds 49.50 - 57.00; 405 - 500 46.00 - 54.25 ; 505 - 600 44.00 - 45.00. Heifers Good and Choice; 300 - 400 pounds 42.00 - 45.50; 405 - 500 42.00 - 45.50; 505 - 600 42.00 - 45.00. Medium; 300 - 400 pounds 40.00 - 45.50; 405 - 500 38.00 - 43.00. Gardening Tip? What a man needs in garden ing is a cast-iron back with a hinge in it. 45 HEAD Terms by JACOB S. ESH Gordonville Road Lunch 37
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