—Lancaster Farming. Saturday, April 3, 1976 18 [Continued from Pate 1] factors into management decisions and see if it changes the Answers toe thirtg sure -the pricewiil sli P from the present levels, Even mo re important for us today is where does Maryland j ust how fardepends upon the two areas I mentioned earlier- cooperative Milk Producers fit into the picture. Will we be sales and production. able to meet the challenges of bargaining for prices rather Some think the sales will not be affected as much this time than getting it through the federal order? Are we large when compared to 1974 because of a generally better enough to make our voice heard in congress and to others economy in the country. Production will depend upon how who would try to run our business?. What will happen to the we, as farmers, react to the higher prices. From what I see in cooperative without facilities to balance their class I and H the country concerning cow and heifer prices, equipment supplies? What will happen to cooperatives and not enough pnifhaw, and >Tpansmn plans, I think the production will members to be a significant factor in either a larger federal come. The February utilization indicates that these factors order-say middle Atlantic, New York, and New England -or are in motion now. As if these were not enough to cause the a market with no Federal Order at all? prices to drop, one of the large coops in the market has been These and many other questions will be concerning your actually encouraging each of their members to produce more Board in the future as we deal with the task of guiding MCMP milk during this year -an action which I think is irresponsible in both its short and long range future, in view of the other circumstances. Since our meeting here last year, some exciting things have developed in the area of membership. There has been a slow but steady growth in membership from fanners who are not members of any cooperative. This is a healthy trend for them, for us, and for the market and one I hope and expect will continue. Even though the membership has increased, it seems to be distributing itseit ditterently so that, according to the Bylaws, an adjustment may have to be made in the directors apportionment this Fall at the district meetings. An adjustment in hauling rates is necessary if we are to keep our own divisions in the black and provide means by which other haulers in the market might continue to provide When I first started thinking about my report, my first thought was this year it was going to be easy - good prices for milk; all divisions of the Cooperative operating in the black; membership up; Pennmarva going great with two new members; no real problems from Washington; we got our 80 percent parity; promise of countervailing duties. I had a good feeling about the dairy business. Kind of like the feeling you get on a Summer day after a nice shower, the com is starting to tassel, alfalfa coming back out after the last cutting, and your favorite cow just had a heifer calf. Then I bad to pick up the last issue of HOARD’S satisfactory service to us. After careful consideration by DAIRYMAN and read tbe article entitled “Its a new ball management and the hauling committee, the Board ap game for dairymen”. I’m sure that Dr. Knutson was not proved adjustments. The adjustments will affect different trying to be an alarmist when he wrote the article but he sure members in different areas and of different sizes in slightly , presents some things we should be thinking about. The ar- different ways. Many factors went into the final action - such tide should be required reading for every dairyman in the as location, size, fixed costs, fuel and labor costs and so forth, country and I advise you to look it'up and read it. All divisions of MCMP operated in the black. What Ron Knutson is saying is that, in spite of the present . A substantial year-end profit to return to members and a good times, we have our work cut out for us. He mentions the ““ gaiq m member equity over last year which, in new politics of agriculture - all the people within and outside cidentally, amounts to over $3,000 per average member and of the government who are now interested in and making even more when you consider actual vahie rather than book Belle which went banckrupt during the year. Various consumer groups are also getting into the act. He I’m not making excuses for it when I say that it is a part of tells us the importance of working with the Congress and with doing business. When you have over $56,000,000 in sales in a other agriculture groups. lam particularly concerned about year, you can expect some bad debts. We do watch these what he says about a “free” world market in farm products accounts very carefully and if we see a problem developing, j and “who will control U.S. agriculture”. we take action to prevent this sort of thing from happening. J The one item that really hit me was - “in my opinion, it is Most of you are familiar with the Federal Order 4 ad entirely possible that you may have to do without Federal vertising program that has been in effect for several years Orders, even as early as the 1980’s”. “My advice”, said now. You have seen the ads, we have talked about the Knutson, “prepare to operate without them.” Now plug these program at our meptingg and recently, you have been fy-" • TO DISCUSS • \ h*o REFRESHMENTS MARTIN DISTRIBUTORS BY—^ R 1 LEBANON, PA 17042 PHONE (717) 8664906, 8664555 Milk prices, future pondered yd WE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO SAVE DOLLARS BY MAKING YOUR OWN FEED. DENNIS & PALMER MCWILLIAMS FARM YORK COUNTY SEVEN VALLEYS, PA 2 MILES WEST OF LOGANVILLE ON RT. 214 TAKE EXIT 3 OFF RT. 83. EVERYONE WELCOME FRIDAY, APRIL 9TH 9*.m.m 3 pj». on receiving'the publication - “Agency Actions” - which ex plains the program further. We are also aware that in markets which have a good program - such as we have - the sales seem to be higher. The amount used for advertising is still a nickle - the same as when the program was put into effect in 1972. Most of the cooperatives in our area seem to think we should go to seven cents for advertising. Your board voted to ask the secretary of agriculture to change the order to permit the seven cents. The board would like to hear your comments. LOGANVILLE /*g|sS7 * tDAy OHLY : AGWAY INC. YORK - WEST STORE (717) 792-2674 YORK EXIT 3 RT. 214 MARYLAND
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers