Difficult Year Seen For Maryland Agriculture
Maryland agriculture,
facing a rising international
and domestic demand for
food, a worsening inflation
business recession cycle and
continuing fuel, fertilizer,
herbicide and insecticide
shortages, will likely follow
the same growth and decline
patterns established in 1974.
That is the view of
Secretary of Agriculture
Young D. Hance, who
believes that farms around
the state - there are ap
proximately 18,500 - will
show more of a reduction
than an increase in food
output next year.
Mr. Hance expressed
concern over the plight of the
fanner and the consumer,
who are caught in a price
squeeze not of their making.
He said that Maryland
agriculture, which con
tributes materially to the
state’s and region’s food
supply, has been faced with
mounting production costs,
coupled with the added
handicaps of tight, costly
environmental and safety
restrictions, scarcities of
materials essential to far
ming, and unpredictable
weather factors.
"The decline in food
production, which will
particularly apply to
poultry, dairy products and
livestock, will, be at
tributable to a variety of
B'm
HERSHEY EQUIPMENT Co.,
215 Diller Ave.
factors over which the
farmer exercises no con
trol,” the state agriculture
secretary says. "On the
brighter side,” he adds,
"com, wheat, soybeans and
small grains are likely to
equal 1974’s yields.” His
estimate is based on the
assumption that no un
foreseen roadblocks are
encountered and weather
conditions remain stable.
In recent years, the
poultry industry has led all
other agricultural en
terprises here, ranking just
ahead of the dairy industry
in terms of cash receipts to
farmers. Because of recently
depressed farm prices for
broilers, says Mr. Hance,
Delmarva growers have had
to cut back. As a result,
production is likely to be 10
to 12 percent below the 1974
figure. In turn, consumer
prices are also likely to in
crease as much as 20 percent
in the face of reduced supply.
Turning to egg production,
Mr. Hance sees little
changes in supply, demand
or price.
Looking at the dairy in
dustry, the Maryland
Secretary of Agriculture
believes that the state’s milk
cow population probably will
experience its largest single
yearly decline in its long
history. This will be due to
feed and energy costs for
Putdiman.
HANDLES THE FOLLOWING
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND PARTS
• HART CUPS
• PLASTIC CHICK FOUNTS
• FOX VALVES
• SOLENOID VALVES
• TIME CLOCKS
• THERMOSTATS
• TIMERS
• PRESSURE REGULATORS
• WATER FILTERS
• EGG ROOM COOLERS
• EGG ROOM DOORS
• AUGER PAN FEEDERS
• 8' HANGING WATERERS
• SUSPENSION ACCESSORIES
• WINCHES & PULLEYS
• FOX—O—LENE TUBING
• FANS
• MANURE DRYERS
• TURKEY RANGE FEEDERS
• LAYER &_CHICK CAGES
• ROUND HANGING WATERERS
• MOTORS
• SCREW HOOKS & CHAIN
• NESTS
• HOG HOUSE VENTILATION
• HOG WATER BOWLS
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outpacing the farm for milk.
"Some dairymen,” Mr.
Hance says, “may be forced
to turn to other agricultural
enterprises, as dairying
becomes increasingly un
profitable." The number of
dairy farms, as well as the
number of dairy cows here
have been steadily declining.
So has the number of dairy
cows. Most of the state’s
dairy farms are in Frederick
and Carroll counties.
Milk production in 1974
totaled an estimated 1.48
billion pounds - 4 percent
greater than in 1973.
However, because farmers
succeeded in raising the
productivity of their cows,
they were able to more than
offset the 7,000 animal
decline in dairy herd
population. But the price
ratio between cattle feed and
milk, the worst in 30 years,
has been so far out of line
that dairymen are finding
themselves in serious
financial difficulty.
Production of hogs and
dairy cattle, the Secretary
says, will continue to
decline, even below normal
cyclical changes.
In other sectors of
Maryland farming, the state
agricultural official sees
bright and dark spots on the
horizon. Acreage of most
fruits and vegetables, he
says, are expected to be the
Phone 717-354-4576
same as 1974, except for
tomatoes and sweet corn,
which are likely to be down
as much as 10 percent.
Consumer prices of these
commodities will run higher,
possibly as much as 12 to 15
percent, over 1974 levels,
primarily because of in
creased canning and
marketing costs. But farm
prices will not provide the
farmer with as much a
margin of profit as in the
past because of the soaring
cost of production.
Tobacco production, says
Mr. Hance, himself a Calvert
County tobacco grower, will
be basically unchanged. He
anticipates continued
pressure by development
and labor shortages.
Environmental restric
tions imposed on farmers
will be tightened even fur
ther next year. In fact, more
rigid restrictions on the use
of herbicides, pesticides and
other inorganic chemicals
are coming. Food and feed
processors will be expected
to further minimize air and
water pollution allegedly
resulting from their
operation. Mr. Hance feels
that compliance with such
regulations will only in
crease the pressure on
production costs. This in turn
will have to be reflected in
higher prices to the con
sumer.
Still another upward cost
factor will be new farm
machinery and equipment
• HOG NIPPLE DRINKERS
• HOG HOUSE HEATERS
• CATALYTIC HEATERS
• FARROWING CRATES
• HOG SLATS
• HOG FEEDERS
• EGG WASHERS
• EGG CARTS
• BROODERS
• CAGE FEEDERS y
• CURTAIN MATERIAL
• GAS & WATER HOSE
• STAINLESS & GALV. CABLE
• INCINERATORS
• CABLE PIT CLEANERS
• BULK FEED BINS
• FLEX AUGER FILL SYSTEMS
• EGG COLLECTORS
• CAGE NIPPLE DRINKERS
• MANURE AUGERS
• HANGING FEEDERS
• SWISH WATERERS
• VIBRATORS
• LIGHT DIMMER
• FEED METER SCALE
• EGG GRADERS AND PACKERS
Lancaster Farming, Saturday. Jan. 4,1975
standards set by the Federal
Occupational Health and
Safety Administration. New
tractors, for instance, will be
required to be equipped with
roll-over bars, which will
add to the cost of such
vehicles.
Keeping a close eye on
agriculture and the overall
economy represents a
demanding challenge, says
Mr. Hance. To keepabreastof
the times, he adds, requires
close contacts with farmers,
food processors, sales
organizations, consumers,
as well as many govern
mental agencies.
The Maryland Department
of Agriculture’s respon
sibilities cover a wide range
of functions, including
marketing, animal health,
meat and poultry inspection,
egg and seed inspection,
weights and measures
supervision, and pest and
weed control. It certifies,
registers and licenses
pesticide applicators,
analyzes fertilizers, as well
as many other agricultural
chemicals and materials,
and performs numerous
other tasks beneficial to
farmers, food processors
and consumers.
The state agriculture
official points out that the
demands for a clean en
vironment, reduction in
noise, increased safety
requirements for both men
Inc.
New Holland, Pa.
and machines, and other
restrictions on the
production of food that come
about by decisions on the
state and federal level
produce among other things,
higher costs to the consumer
and the farmer, who is a
consumer as well.
Mr. Hance suggests that
thought must be given to
finding a middle of the road
approach to many en
vironmental demands and
that more consideration be
given to establishing an
atmosphere in which far
mers can continue to
produce the needs of this
country as well as assist in
supplying the food
requirements of much of the
rest of the world. He adds
that “the ingenuity of our
American farmers has
surpassed all others in
achieving a high efficiency
of production. They will
continue to do this, and
more, if the opportunity,
understanding, conditions
and spirit of cooperation in
which to operate.
Grain
Samples
To Be
Filed
Farmers in Pennsylvania
have seeded 360,000 acres to
winter wheat to be harvested
in 1975,-according to the Crop
Reporting Service. This is
the same amount of land as
was seeded a year ago.
Based on conditions
December 1, production of
11,520,000 bushels is ex
pected in 1975, a 9 percent
decrease from 1974
production.
Acreage seeded to rye this
fall, at 85,000, is also the
same as the amount planted
a year ago.
United States winter wheat
acreage seeded in the fall of
1974 for harvest in 1975, at
55.5 million acres, was 6
percent (3.1 million acres)
more than the previous year
and the largest since the 1953
crop when growers seeded
57.1 million acres.
Prosepctive production of
the 1975 winter wheat crop,
based on December 1 con
ditions, is 1.6 billion bushels,
15 percent above the record
1974 crop.
U.S. acreage of rye seeded
is estimated at 3.2 million
acres, 1 percent less than the
previous year and the
smallest acreage since 1929.
Nutrients
The National Research Coun
cil’s Food and Nutntion Board
has concluded that significant
numbers of Americans suffer a
variety of vitamin and mineral
deficiencies The recommend that
all foods made of wheat, com
and rice be enriched with 10 es
sential nutrients
COMPLETE
FARM
PAINTING
SPRAY-ON AND
BRUSH-IN METHODS
For FREE
Estimates Write
DANIEL S. ESN
(C. RALPH MILLER)
BOX 351, RDI,
61