Pork producers concerned with check-off
By JOANNE SPAHR
LANCASTER, Pa. - In the
midst of growing commodity
promotional campaigns,
members of the Penn
sylvania Pork Producers
Council are concerned for
the way their program is
going.
Two of those members,
John Henkel, Strasburg,
chairman of the state
committee on check-off, and
Abram Fisher, Kinzers,
president of the Lancaster
County Swine producers,
spoke with Lancaster
Farming recently on what’s
happening in their
promotional campaigh-
Since 1968 the Penn
sylvania Pork Producers
have been checking off. Until
last July the amount was five
tcents per market hog and
nwo cents per feeder pig.
Then, in July the amount
was raised to 10 cents per
market hog and five cents
per feeder pig.
This money had originally
been checked off by implied
consent, or automatically
taken off unless the producer
requested otherwise. Slowly,
WALTER G. COALE, INC.
2849-53 Churchville Road
P.0.80x 38
Churchville, MD 21028
Phones; 734-7722
Baltimore Area 879-1434
A.B.C. GROFF, INC.
110 S. Railroad Ave
New Holland
354-4191
C.E
WILEY & SON, INC.
101 S. Lime St.
Quarryville, PA
786-2895
the three Lancaster County
terminal markets dropped
this system and changed to
checking off only if the
producer requested it. The
last market to change to this
system did so last February,
cutting the Pork Producers
budget by one-third.
“We don’t feel as though
we . have total cooperation
from the market segment
when it comes to promoting
our product,” stated Henkel.
“We as producers see
ourselves as involved with
the product from the hog to
the plate, but we don’t think
the market segment views
their role in the same
manner,” he commented.
Continuing his thought he
added, “They have as much
to gain as we do if we have
more demand for our
product."
The problem with the new
system, as seen by Henkel
and Fisher, is that many
banners ship their hogs into
market with a trucker, and
because of this, don’t have
direct contact with the
markets to tell them to check
off, or sometimes they may
L. H. BRUBAKER, INC.
350 Strasburg Pike
Lancaster
397-5179
PAUL SHOVER'S INC.
STANLEY A. KLOPP, INC. ALBERTI. NOSS & SON, INC.
FREE FINANCE ON;
HAY EQUIPMENT TILL JUNE 1,1977;
LOADER & COMBINES TILL JULY 1,1977;
SPREADERS & GRINDER MIXERS TILL AUGUST 1,1977;
FORAGE EQUIPMENT TILL SEPTEMBER 1,1977.
even just forget. As always,
the simpler method is cer
tain to get the best results.
But, Robert Frame, owner
of Vintage Sales Stables, the
last of three Lancaster
markets to drop implied
consent, feels otherwise.
“If they want to check off,
they’ll tell us,” he states,
“and if they forget, sill they
have to do is send us a card
and we’ll check off for
them.”
One of the mam reasons
why Frame dropped the
system is that he feels far
mers don’t want to check off
and they were taking their
business elsewhere to escape
the stipenjd. To verify this
fact, he points out that only
two producers have asked
for the check-off since the
change-over of the system,
and that his business has
increased.
“And, I don’t agree with
this check-off, anyway,”
states Frame. “Why do the
farmers have to pay for
everything?” he questions.
He thinks the major packing
and processing plants should
The Name Says It A 11... See One At...
35 E. Willow St.
Carlisle, PA
717-243-2686
Bernville, PA
215-488-1500
215-488-1510
pay for the promotion - not
-the farmer. .
Henkel and Fisher’s point
of view is that the product
has to be promoted or
business will be lost.
“I personally believe that
if you don’t keep the product
in the limelight, you will lose
the product,” states Fisher,
point blank. He cites the
examples of the dairy
promotion and egg
promotions and the great
, boon they have been to their
industries.
“In the Fall, when we had
a glut, we had real good
demand - we only stayed
down at 35 cents for a few
weeks, and quite a few
people were surprised,” he
notes. “And, we had people
buying when prices were
high, too, so people were
demanding it.” He attributes
this demand to keeping the
product in the consumers’
minds through promotion.
And, he believes that if hog
farmers knew how the
system worked, they would
be willing to check off.
Of the 10 cents that goes
per market hog, two cents
ROY jl BRUBAKER AGRICULTURAL
700 Woodcrest Ave. INDUSTRIAL EQUIP. CO.
Lititz, PA pi 07Q
626 7766 Rising Sun MD
301-658-5568
NORMAN D. CLARK & SON KERMU K. KISTLER, INC.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
RD 2 Oley, PA
215-987-6257
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 16,1977
goes to the National
Livestock and Meat Board, a
national promotion
organization for red meats.
This two cents sent to them is
earmarked for pork
promotion.
Of the remaining eight
cents, two stays with toe
national office, and six
returns to the Com
monwealth for promotional
efforts in toe state.
“What we really think is
good about this program is
that on toe state, county, and
national level, all the
members of boards are pork
(Continued from Pafe 10]
hours before the next
milking time. Pastures with
wild garlic should not be
grazed by milking cows
because of the “onion
flavored” milk that will be
produced. Bams should be
well ventilated before the
milking time when cows are
brought in from lush
pastures. Careful herd
management at this time of
Lynnport, PA
215-298-3270
I. G. AG SALES
Silverdale, PA 18962
215-257-5136
producers, so the hog farmer
has a say in where his money
goes,” states Henkel.
Fisher also feels that the
money earned nationally -
three million - is a small
enough budget so that it has
to be spent wisely so it goes a
long way.
The state organization is
currently working on getting
a new market in Lebanon
County to go by implied
consent, and Henkel and
Fisher note that Leesport
still goes by this method as
do many of the major
packing houses.
Now is the time
the year will prevent the loss
of a tank of milk.
This is the time of the year
when the manure pack
should be put into the topsoil
as a source of fertility and
organic matter. Also, with
the extreme heat tem
peratures that may occur in
the next few months, the pen
or feedlot will be much
cooler without this heating
manure pack. Animals that
are confined during ex
tremely hot weather will
suffer greater on top of
several feet of maure. Good
ventilation is needed with the
use of electric fans in some
barns. The manure crop
should be incorporated into
the topsoil as soon as
possible after it is put on the
fields. Soil injection
spreaders for liquid manure
is strongly suggested. The
folks in the immediate
community will also ap
preciate the prompt mixing
of the manure with the
topsoil.
VIRGINVILLE, Pa. - On
April 20 the Virginville
Grange will hold an open
house at 7:30 p.m. The public s
is invited to hear the
speaker, Brother Charles
Wismer, chairman of the
state Grange legislative
committee. The program
will consist of skits, musical
numbers, and a pageant
entitled, “A Good Granger
and his Community.” A one
act play will also be
presented. It is entitled “Der
Parra Kumpt” or “When the
minister comes.”
April 20 is also the deadline
for the sewing contest en
tries. Judging will take place
10 days later on April 30.
On April 17, softball
practice will be held at Bern
Church.
Most accidents occur
during transfer of
pressurized anhydrous
ammonia from the bulk
supply to smaller tanks, a
process often repeated
several times between
factory and actual farm
application. Even a minor
ammonia equipment defect -
a weak point ui a hose, a
faulty valve, a worn fitting -
and a serious threat to
eyesight becomes possible.
Carelessness, negligence or
human error multiply the
19
TO REMOVE
MANURE PACK
Virginville
Grange