20—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Mar. 23, 1974 Produce Growers, Buyers Seen Needing Cooperation The need for closer communications between Pennsylvania produce growers and wholesale buyers was cited at a recent Produce Marketing Seminar called in Harrisburg by Secretary of Agriculture Jim McHale. Growers and buyers said rapport was essential for maximum sales of state grown fruits, vegetables, mushroom and nursery stock. To better understand each other’s needs and problems, plans were made for groups of growers to visit the facilities of buyers and for buyers to make visits to farms. McHale told the group the Department planned to assist growers in developing a grading system for their produce that should lead to unproved sales. The Secretary also described plans to study the feasibility of establishing agricenters that would tie in farm and wholesale operations, thereby reducing middleman price spreads. For example, said McHale, dairy farmers in a given area could help establish a milk processing plant near their farms or livestock farmers might locate a packing plant near them. McHale also announced that the Bureau of Markets will test a Produce In formation Exchange this summer. The exchange will be a clearing house for Pick i ( The z Jr ft One 1 That Suits Solidly crofted of 100°o stainless steel, Mueller ■ # Bulk Milk Coolers ore available in several models, ■V ■ in a size range of 70 through 5,000 gallons Pick a ■ I 111 Mueller—and pick a winner* Its the cooler pre ■ H ferred by dairymen around the world* Best! Wsssss* USED BULK TANKS 1000 gal Moionmer 800 gal Esco 500 gal Mojonmer Used 16 Can Cooler Used 12 Can Cooler 200 gal Mojonmer 300 gal Mojonmer GOOD USED DIESELS Good Buy on Used Diesels >425 gal Esco Used Sputnik Milk Transporter 2-12 can front opening Star Coolers Queen Road Repair Box 67 Intercourse Pa 17534 24 Hour Service Phone 717 768 8408 or Dial 0 Ask for Mobile Unit Titus Burkholder Unit#! P 5 9742 After SPM JohnD Weaver 656-9982 - Kenneth M Groff 733 4776 Titus Burkholder 717-859-1620 OR Answering Service 354 5181 We Stock Hess’ Farm Supplies Check Our Prices on Animal Medications growers seeking buyers and buyers seeking sellers. Glenn Guiser, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association and head produce buyer for Acme Stores, said that year round supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables from both domestic and foreign sources help reduce the demand for Pennsylvania grown produce when it becomes available. Penn sylvania growers must adopt Order 4 Base Milk Up 19-cents in Feb. The February uniform price for base milk increased 19 cents from the previous month. Excess milk showed an increase of 2 cents per hundredweight according to Andrew A. Martin, Ephrata, field representative for Inter-State Milk Producers Cooperative. In comparison to F ebruary levels one year ago base milk was up $2.10, to $9.70. Excess was up $1.50, to $7.00. The weighted average price for the market was increased by $2.00, above February 1973. A total of 349.9 million pounds of producer milk was pooled in February of which 63.22 percent was sold as c '* K * J 1 1 more agressive marketing tactics to compete, he said. He also said the trend in supermarket produce departments was toward more pre-packaged items. At round table discussions, it was observed that: - Speciality crops - such as asparagus, bleached celery, cooled sweet corn - are in demand by super markets. - A better market system and better quality control for fresh potatoes is desirable. Class I, showing a decrease of 1.47 percent of deliveries made in January, and a decrease of 4.2 percent under February a year ago. 7841 Order No. 4 producers provided 12.49 million pounds per day to dealers during February, averaging 1594 pounds per day per farm. Total value of producer milk was set at $32,672,647.94 for the month. TRY A CLASSIFIED AD! PHONE 626-2191 OR 394-3047