10—UncJtUr Farming, Saturday. Sept. 14, 1974
Farm Commentary
JULY MEAT IMPORTS OFF
44 PERCENT
U,S. imports of meat subject to the
Meat Import Law totaled 59.4 million
Ibsjjuring July, USDA disclosed last
week. That’s down 44 pet. from a year
earlier - and the lowest monthly
import total since Nov. 1969.
This total brings imports for Jan. -
July to 615.2 million lbs., down 12 pet.
from a year earlier. That’s right in line
with USDA’s current estimate of 1.2
billion lbs, for the year. The 1973 total
was 1.355 billion lbs. Imports subject
to the Meat Import Law are primarily
fresh, frozen, and chilled beef, but
also include veal, mutton and goat
meat
farm population now
STABILIZING
The U.S. farm population, which
had declined 4.8 pet. a year during
the 1960’s declined only 8-10 of 1 pet.
a year from 1970 to 1973, according
to a USDA report issued last week.
Moreover, the Economic Research
Service report, “Farm Population
Estimates for 1973,” ERS-561,
showed that while the over-all farm
population declined - from 9.7 million
in 1970 to 9.5 million in 1973 - it
actually showed increases in the
West and North Central Regions
during that period
Sharpest decreases were in the
South and Middle Atlantic States.
Populations totals were off 10.3 pet.
for the period in the South Atlantic
States, off 8 pet. in the West South
Central States, off 5.8 in the East
South Central States, off 6.4 pet. in
the Middle Atlantic States. On the
other hand, population totals were up
14.3 pet. in the Pacific States, up 3.5
pet. in the West North Central States.
Single copies of ERS - 561 available
on request, of course. (USDA 2495-
74).
MEAT CONSUMPTION SEEN UP
6 PERCENT
Per capita consumption of meats
seen up this year, according to
USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Over-all meat consumption, down
in the past two years, is expected to
be up 6 pet. from last year, totaling
around 186 lbs. (carcass weight),
compared to 175.7 lbs. last year. Beef
consumption seen at around 115 lbs.,
up from 109.6 lbs. last year, a 5 pet.
increase. Veal consumption seen at
1.9 lbs., up 6 pet. from the 1.8 lb. total
of last year. Pork consumption seen
at 65.9 lbs., up 7 pet. from last year’s
total of 61.6 lbs. Lamb and mutton
consumption seen at 2.3 lbs., down 15
pet. from last year’s 2.7 lbs. (National
Food Situation).
AG PRICES: A PRIMER
ON PARITY
One of the most frequently asked
questions in agriculture concerns the
parity index. Last week, USDA’s
Statistical reporting Service issued a
publication that provides the an
swers).
Agricultural Prices, August Sup
plement 1 not only explains what the
Parity Index is, but goes on to
illustrate the 440 separate price
series that go toward it and explain
the relative importance of each.
Finally, it lists both Parity Ratios
and the Index of Prices Paid by
Farmers - by months - 1968-74.
Single copies of Ag. Prices, Aug 1974
Supplement 1, available on request,
of course.
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MILK OUTPUT—THE LOWEST
SINCE 1948?
Drought has reduced this year’s
feed grain and soybean crop prosects
and will likely mean high feed prices
for dairy farmers in coming months.
This may limit grain feeding and
reduce milk production during the
upcoming barn feeding season. For all
of 1974, milk production may total
about V/2 percent below 1973’s
115.6 billion pounds.
Milk output rose above year-earlier
levels in July for the first time since
September 1972. Output per cow was
showing more normal gains from last
year’s depressed levels, increasing
almost 2Vz percent in July. Generally
favorable pasture and forage con
ditions in several important dairy
areas contributed to the increase.
Also, the decline in milk cow numbers
has slackened since the beginning of
the year, narrowing to a 2 percent
drop at midyear. Declining slaughter
cow prices have probably
discouraged herd culling on dairy
farms.
Farm prices of milk have held about
steady during the summer months,
after showing sharp seasonal
declines in the second quarter.
Farmers averaged $7.62 per 100
pounds for milk in August, about 6
percent higher than last August. Milk
prices will likely be increased
seasonally this fall and winter,
paralleling expected strength in the
products market. Gains in cash
receipts from dairying slowed in July
compared with increases earlier in
the year. For all of 1974, gross dairy
income should be close to $9%
billion, up from $B.l billion in 1973.
Wholesale butter and cheese prices
strengthened in late July and August,
after holding close to CCC’s support
purchase prices since last April and
May. Nonfat dry milk prices continue
at support purchase levels. Dairy
product prices likely will be showing
further seasonal gains later this year.
Retail dairy prices dropped in June
and July, the first month-to-month
declines in almost 2 years. Retail
dairy prices may rise seasonally later
on this year, although the gains are
not likely to match those occurring
last fall and winter.
More milk has moved into
manufacturing uses this year
because of lower fluid milk sales. In
July, butter output increased 16
percent and nonfat dry milk
production was up over a third. Gains
in cheese production have slowed
substantially as more milk has gone
into butter and nonfat dry milk
production.
Fluid milk sales in January-June
dropped about 5 percent from year
earlier levels, although declines had
slowed to around a 4 percent rate by
midyear. Whole milk sales dropped
around BVt percent in the first 6
months this year, while gains in low
fat and skim milk sales slowed ap
preciably.
Editors Quote Book
Anglo - Saxon civilization
has taught the individual to
protect his own rigths . Amer
ican civilization will teach
him to respect the rights of
others.
—William Jennings Bryan
AFTER RESCUE
Lesion lor September 15,1974
Background Scripture:
Exodus 3; 14; 19.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 46
Less than a month ago I
rented a little Fiat and
retraced some of the steps of
the people of Israel on their
exodus from Egypt to the
Promised Land. All alone in
the midst of this bleak, yet
dramatically beautiful
landscape, I tried to envision
the tribes of Israel following
Moses on the slender thread
of God’s promise. Viewing
this vast, inhospitable ex
panse, I could understand
why many of the people of
Israel began to wonder
whether they had not
escaped “from the frying
pan into the fire!”
First, God Saves!
Yet, whenever hope
seemed to bum low in their
hearts, God would speak
through Moses to remind
them that he is a God who
rescues his people according
to his promise. Oppressed in
Egypt, the people of Israel
were rescued by this God
who was not indifferent to
their plight. “I have seen the
affliction of my people who
are in Egypt, and have heard
their cry because of their
taskmasters ...” (Exodus
3:7).
Still, it was not enough for
him to see their affliction, he
also did something about it:
.. I have come down to
deliver them out of the hand
of the Egyptians ..(3:8),
God did not send the
Israelites a sympathy card
or note of regret: he rescued
them! Later, when in the
midst of the wilderness of
Sinai, they were losing hope
once again, God reminded
them: “You have seen what
I did to the Egyptians, and
how I bore you on eagles’
wings ... (19:4). On the
basis of what he had already
done for them, they were to
continue trusting him and his
promises. Thus was
established the conviction
that the God of Israel was a
God who rescued and saved
his people.
God’s “Now Therefore ...”
We tend to think of grace
as exclusively a New
Testament idea about God.
Yet here in the early days of
the Old Testament we find a
clear-cut example of grace:
first, God saves his people,
then he asks for something in
response. In other worlds,
God could have made his act
of rescue conditional on the
behavior of the people of
Israel: if they lived up to
certain standards (the Ten
Commandments), then he
would reward them with his
act of rescue. They would
have to earn their rescue by
their own accomplishments.
Instead, however, God
gives them their rescue with
no strings attached: he saves
them before he asks
anything of them. It is only
after they have been saved
from the Egyptians that God
brings to them Hie Ten
Commandments. Instead of
recruiting them because
they have proven themselves
to be “good”, they are asked
now to be “good” because
they have been saved.
So it is with the concept of
grace in the New Testament.
Iv
J NOW IS
| the time . ..
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394^*51
To Operate
Harvesters Safely
Safe operation of farm
equipment should always be
foremost in our minds, but in
this busy harvest season we
act like we don’t have time to
be safe. Too many farm
accidents occur during the
harvest season. It’s not that
the involved individuals
don’t know the safe and
proper way to carry out the
particular harvest chore, but
they feel that they cannot
afford the time. How
ridiculous that we try to save
a few minutes and end up
paying a lifetime for it.
Safety is no accident.
To Save Fuel
A good number of com
bines will be operating in our
county these next couple of
weeks harvesting corn.
There is no way you can slow
a combine engine down and
reduce fuel consumption
because it is necessary that a
combine engine run at a
constant speed at all times to
do an efficient job of
threshing. However, there
are things you can do with
the engine to make sure that
it will perform to its op
timum capability and bum
less fuel while doing so.
Some of the things you can
do are:
-Tune up the engine to the
manufacturers
specifications.
-Clean and adjust the
carburetor.
-Service the air cleaner
regularly.
-Keep combine well
lubricated.
-Do not “hog” in the crop -
a steady flow of material will
increase efficiency.
-Keep tires properly in
flated.
To Keep Farm Records
Up to Date
As inflation and high
production costs begin to
catch-up with us, it’s temp
ting to stop services that are
not directly related to
production. We have heard it
said many times, “I just
can’t afford to be on DHIA
and the farm business
records system.”
The value of farm
production records such as
Farm
Calendar
Saturday, September 14
7:00 p.m. - Buck Tractor
Pulls at the Buck
Sunday, September 15
Penn Ag Industries Annual
Convention through the
17th at Seven Springs,
Champion, Pa.
Tuesday, September 17
Field Day at Rock Springs
Agricultural Center on
Ht. 45 outside of State
College beginning at 9:30
a.m. for people interested
in field crops.
Paul puts it simply: “
while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us” (Romans
5:8). It is by his goodness,
not ours, that we are
rescued.
Yet, after the rescue, then
God comes with his “Now
therefore ...”
DHIA records has been
shown many times. Herds on
test produce over 2,000 more
pounds of milk per cow a
year than herds not on test.
Without these records
weeding out the loosers and
properly managing the*profit
makers Is a difficult task.
The same is true with farm
business records. How do
you know what you can
“afford” without a good set
of farm records? So in these
days when efficiency is the
name of the game, your farm
records may be your best
investment.
To Up-date
Farm Wiring
Farm and Home wiring
systems that have not been
updated within the past 10
years may need remodeling.
Electrical loads have more
than doubled on most farms
and in most homes during
this period. Neglecting this
task can increase chances of
having some serious elec
trical problems. First is the
fire hazard caused by
inadequate wiring and
secondly, inadequate wiring
can be more expensive than
a rewiring job in the long
run. Studies show that 10
percent of the electricity one
buys can be lost in the wiring
system. While that may not
be so bad in terms of cost,
the effect this has on elec
trical appliances can be a
real drain on the pocketbook.
Research shows that a 10
percent drop in voltage has
the following effect on your
appliances: 10 percent less
heat from heating devices, 30
percent less light from light
bulbs, 19 percent less
starting torque from a
motor, 11 percent more
current needed for motor
windings and* 23 percent
more heat produced in motor
windings.
Motor windings operating
18 degrees (F) warmer than
normal will last only half as
long.
How can you tell if your
wiring is outdated? Watch
for dimming lights, sluggish
motors that overheat, slow
heating devices, blown fuses,
or electrical shocks from
small appliances.
Ephrata Young Farmers
Officer and Committee
Chairman meeting at the
Ephrata Jr. High School
at 8:00 p.m.
Solanco Community Fair
through the 20th.
Wednesday, September 18
Elizabethtown Marketplace
Fair through the 21th.
Thursday, September 19
Third Annual Pa. Maryland
Guernsey Sale at the
Guernsey Bam beginning
at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, September 20
Second Invitational Hog
Show and Sale sponsored
by the Chester White
Association in the Feeder
Pig Pavilion, Lancaster
Stockyards. Show
beginning at 5:00 pm
and sale at 7:30 p.m.