VoL2I No.ll
Aftfcaifh Hie cattle maiWtoote promising for the future, several variables are stHHuridng on the horizon.
Cattle market future looks promising
By MELISSA PIPER
LANCASTER - Although
ie cattle outlook for the
icentennial year still
emains a “confusing
ituation”, an overall view
hows improvement in the
idnstry but without a
izeable increase in profit,
ccording to Lon Moore,
Area tobacco averages 58 cents per pound
LANCASTER - As of
rhursday afternoon, about
me-tentb of Lancaster
bounty’s tobacco crop had
)een purchased for an
iverage price of 58 cents per
»und. “Some went for a
ittle less and some for a
ittle more,” said a
spokesman for the A.K.
Harm Tobacco Co., here.
Lancaster Auction sees volume increase
By MELISSA PIPER
LANCASTER - At a time
»hen many livestock anc-
ions are experiencing low
neasurable receipts and
wen less profit the large
tockyard complex situated
tear the city here has seen a
teady growth since 1972.
William McCoy, president
f the Lancaster Stockyards,
ecently announced that
Penn State extension"
economist.
Moore delivered his
forecast at the annual Cattle
Feeders Day held at the
Farm and Home Center here
on Tuesday.
Early 1976 reports have
shown that cattle on feed are
up 28 percent in 23 leading
who went on to describe this
year’s crop as not being as
uniform as last year’s but
comparable to last year’s in
quantity.
Tobacco buying is going on
strong, hot several com
panies are stQl inactive,
leaving less than a half dozen
bidders In a market which
perennially keeps growers
since 1974, Us market had
realised a 23.2 percent in
crease in saleable receipts,
One of the few such coni'
plexes in the east, the
market according to McCoy
has seen “a good rate of
growth.”
la the past year the per
centages of livestock flowing
through the stockyards has
been on the increase except
Serving The Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas
states including Penn
sylvania, according to the
economist, with the total
cattle slaughter to be up
about 10 percent.
“Feeder cattle prices
should be a little higher
about spring,” Moore noted,
“when pastures turn green,
producers are going to he
and buyers haggling. As far
as growers are concerned,
there’s also a lot of guessing.
Hus year’s crop is turning
out to be “mixed” - meaning
that there is a lot of good
tobacco in the area, but also
some which is damaged or
not first rate in other quality
criteria. Most of the County’s
crop is used in the
for sheep which declined by
w nment ; n th* mar
r ,
veuMaiecapoaerenpa#
P erccn t with total cattle
numbers up 19.4 percent,
Slaughter hogs were up 4
percent with the largest and
most outstanding increase
being in the feeder pig
division. An increase of 325
percent in feeder pigs has
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Jan. 31,1976
competing for steers to
fatten out while now only
packets are bidding for the
animals.”
Moore told the producers
that 1975 had been a
“disaster” for the cow-calf
operations but the feeders
had in general made money
manufacture of cigars and
chewing tobacco.
Tobacco buyers have been
out scouting around for over
two weeks, but it wasn’t until
about a week ago that the
first few purchases were
made - and that only a few.
Early reports indicate that
the highest price paid so far
was 63 cents a pound. The
been the overwhelming
fig ure in growth.
McCoy noted that the
sharp increase had been
helped by the increased sales
of feeder pigs which now
takes place every other week
instead of once a month,
Weekly feeder cattle sales
have also sparked growth for
the concern.
The complex, located on
because of the low number of
cattle on market
“Feed prices came down
and a lot of feeders made
money,” he explained,
“which wasn’t exactly shat
we had predicted.”
However with the price
margins squeezed more this
year, producers may not
highest quality tobacco such
as this is likdy to go into
cigarettes - a very small
portion of the market in this
area, according to the A. K.
Mann Company.
Most of the tobacco pur
chased so far has been of
better quality, so it remains
to be seen what sort of prices
will be paid for the leaves
the corner of Marshall
Avenue and the litits Pike,
i* * beehive of activity
almost every day. Unlike
many auctions which
operate Mice or twice a week,
the complex is being used as
much as possible. “We have
heat trying to create an
active atmosphere every
day,” McCoy explained.
“Increasing our sales and
S3DO Per Year
i
In This Issue
Markets 3-6 I
Commentary 10 I
E-Town Youth 15 I
Farmer’s Union 16 I
Classifieds 25 I
Homestead Notes 42 I
Country Corner 42 I
1910 Soybeans SO I
Maryland Family 54 I
YorkDHIA 61 I
Sale Reports 71 I
experience the profits
realized in 1975.
Commenting on hedging,
Moore cautioned the
producers as there was not
tnnrh “optimism” indicated
for this year. “Hedging
potentials are too dose to
[ConSned oa Pap} 13]
which are stQl hanging in
tobacco sheds. According to
Arnold Lneck, Lancaster
County assistant extension
agent, the market is very
unpredictable.
So far the average price
paid (58 cento) is identical to
[Confined m P*e 13]
adding more auctions has
stimulated interest”
The stockyard president
explained that many far
mers liked the idea of direct
sales through bonded
commission firms, as are
offered at the complex
rather then selling in by
other means,
_ “Fanners seemed con
[Cgnfcmf m fa* 131