xettml&lh/ <Edifa/ / % Editor: The American public, it appears, has been duped by government in believing that milk prices at the retail level would skyrocket if the 1975 Farm Bill were approved. This grossly exaggerated misinformation, distributed by the United States Department of Agriculture with the blessing of non-farm politicians across the land, caused President Ford to veto the bill on May 1, and endanger the production of fresh, wholesome milk and dairy products in this country. Is government folly leading the United States into a food shortage rivaling the energy crisis? Let’s take a real factual look as to what is happening from my vantage point. Secretary of Agriculture Earl L. Butz strongly op posed the 1975 Farm Bill and recommended that it be vetoed by the President. His position appeared to be "{ V- V i* * you appreciate v can't help but appreciate "IN READ feed tank. “ ’ tion materiat like gatvanized sfe6f, a sue-sea) toacKng 1 hatch, and you have a feed tank that serves as a per- > feet exampteof Read SteeTsctofity to meet Ih©nNc%of/ today's famrter 1 y> For years Read has been a part of this country's ever growing, ever-advancing agricultural community'-Afoot we Ye proud of Not only because of the reputation we've , built for offering quality products, but because of the 8,9, X). 12 and 14 foot diameters, theylvrespected place America has reached as "the" world bffers a newty designed, ad- r-J wide food provrder. roof. for much better a Read Bringing yesterday's quality to /easier access Add today's innovations for agri unmcrtehed construe- businessmen %% \ * £ r , r /J-'V ~ \ lirH fc. STOCKING WAREHOUSE MARTIN DISTRIBUTORS, LEBANON. PA (717) 866-4906 based on allegations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the Bill, in part, would raise milk prices by 8 cents per gallon, cheese prices by 10 cents per pound and butter prices by 20 cents per pound by the end of 1975. These allegations are grossly in error and ignore both current and expected marketing conditions. My own analysis indicates that these USDA estimates are at least 100 percent erroneous and perhaps worse. It actuality, the Bill would raise the support prices by about SO cents a hundred pounds (less than 5 cents a gallon) for milk, by about 7Ms cents a pound for butter, and only about 4 3 /t cents a pound for Cheddar cheese by the end of this year. In all probability the impact would be sub stantially less than these levels, perhaps as little as two cents a gallon for milk, 4% cents a pound for butter and 1% cents a pound for M Will. Vbu see, at Read Steel we ' on© in this courtly of ours product advancement more rids always been that way. ■ptow until today's agricuf- America's farmers have welcomed tor efficiency The kind of products Read Steel Products. Inc. (gSg)* i registered trademark of Read Steel Products, Inc. INC. Cheddar cheese. The actual prices, of course, would depend on the rate flation in farm production and living expenses in the months to come and if such increases occurred, it is only fair that farm prices should change accordingly. Again, it should be em phasized that these prices are supports on the wholesale level. They are not market prices on either the whole sale level or to con sumers. How consumer prices are affected will depend on supply and demand conditions and on competition in the marketplace. Prices of milk at some supermarkets currently are substantially below those prevailing last year and even with the Government’s erroneously estimated in creases resulting from the Farm Bill, consumer prices for milk likely would not even reach their previous levels of a year ago. An Associated Press story, which recently appeared in newspapers, stated that “soaring farm prices drove the wholesale price index up 1.5 percent in April...” | MAIL TO: MARTIN DISTRIBUTORS INC I RDI, Lebanon, PA 17042 I Name— I Address I City State Zip Serious Dealer Inquiry Invited The source of this kind of information is irresponsible. Retail food price levels have resulted from an ever widening spread between what farmers receive and what the consumer pays. Exorbitant costs in the food processing and distribution end have been among the real causes in any food price rise this year. Dairy farmers’ income, for instance, has dropped about $l.OO per hundred pounds of milk (46.5 quarts) from just one year ago while costs of producing that milk Jumped 10 percent over the same period. The general public is unaware of this and farmers are being subjected to falsification of fact. Foreign dairy imports which entered this country at a record pace in 1973 and 1974, lowered prices paid to dairy farmers by as much as $1.86 per hundred pounds form March to April last year. Farm production costs continued an inflationary climb while beef and calf prices dropped out of sight. Off-farm jobs became fewer in number. Government called for all out production of food in 1974 '\A and 1975 but declined to reward the producer with proper financial return. Now, in face of recession caused lower demand for milk and dairy products, the American dairyman is being penalized for his efficiency and high productivity. Since the depression years of the '3o’s, small family farms have deteriorated in number to the point where less than 5 percent of our population is producing the food for the remaining 95 percent. These farms, in part, are large and face heavy indebtedness. Both situations have been fostered by low farm income over a long period of time. The curtain has been closed on Act I of the Farm Bill. Hopefully, an TOP ATTRACTION...The Grand Canyon is the Number 1 tourist attraction in the United States. The North Rim with its depth and citadel-like formations seems ever-changing in color To many, this gigantic chasm is “the wonder of the world.’’ HESSTON StakHand - ' - 'V Even in a one-man operation, Hesston makes it possiole to include a moderate size haying program with the HESSTON StakHand® 10 Yes. the Stack Hand 10 will get your hay up and out of the weather at the hourly rate of four to six tons And the stacks have self-stonng, weather-resistant capabilities Couple the StakHand with a choice of StakMovers and you can put up hay one day, they move it later on See us for all the benefits of a StakHand right away We can even show you how the Stak- Hand 10 system lends itself to feeding programs •? » » t J <7 i y~ 1 f I * m Swing it left or right Hydrostatic header drive and center placement of the arched tongue on the header allow infinite positioning of the new center pivot Hydro Swing® 1014 Yes, Hesston’s 1014 can cut on either side of the tractor to let you windrow in either direction up and down the field Or, the swing cylinder lets you position the header directly behind the tractor to clear gates Available in widths of 12’ or 14', the headers give trouble-free operation even in dense crops And 57” con ditioner rolls gently fluff hay into well-formed windrows See us about the new 1014 soon It's an ideal way to open yourfields to your choice of HESSTON StakHand® Automatic Hay Handling Systems ’ Hydro Swing and StakHand are registered trademarks of the Hesston Corporation Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 24,197& HESSTON When the crew is you DEUTX Tractors enlightened public will demand that government, reconsider this Bill before the man that feeds us is m ■ longer on the farm. Abundant supplies of foot could easily become shor tages in the ensuing months and what once was con sidered a right will becomt an expensive luxury. W( need only recall the hig) costs of oil imported frorr afar to realize what coult happen if we depend ot foreign supplies of food tc survive. Remember, a fuel crisis h serious, but a food shortage is deadly. General Managei Eastern Milk Producer: Cooperative Association, Inc. _^^HESSTON STAUFFER DIESEL, Inc. 312 W. Main St. New Holland, Pa. Phone 717-354-4181 11 ER
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