—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 15,1977
24
Farmers say agricultural economy is in trouble
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Fanners from all across the
country voiced serious
concern about the health of
the U.S. farm economy in a
survey conducted October
sth over the Agriculture
Council of America “Farm
Line.” By overwhelming
margins, they said their
gross farm income will
sharply decrease from last
year, and they will be forced
to defer major purchases
until income improves.
The information was
gathered by a panel of high
level experts on the farm
economy and represen
tatives of the national news
media. Interest in the toll
free phone-m ran extremely
high, with about 400 farmers
and local businessmen
completing calls during the
five-hoar program and the
phone company reporting a
very substantial back-up of
callers who couldn’t get
through.
The survey results were
personally presented to
Agriculture Secretary Bob
Bergland, who has par
ticipated in earlier Farm
Line programs. Bergland
said “the information would
be of great value to the
Agriculture Department”
because although he has
heard about the problems at
many meetings around the
country .... “this is the first
time we’ve seen the farm
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economic situation studied
in a nationwide survey.”
Each caller who spoke
with one of the 35 panelists m
Washington was asked to
respond to a special
questionnaire designed to
assess opinion on their
economic situation and
gauge reaction to the new
Farm Bill. Eighty-eight per
cent of those polled said their
incomes would drop in 1977,
eight per cent said their
incomes would remain the
same and four per cent said
their earnings would in
crease. When asked how the
current farm price situation
has affected their personal
standard of living: eighty
two per cent said it has
lowered it, 17 per cent said it
has maintained it and one
per cent has improved it.
The Farm Line survey
showed extreme caution
toward future purchasing.
Ninety-six per cent of the
respondents said they would
only purchase those items
necessary and will defer
major purchases until some
later date when income
improves compared to the
four per cent who indicated
they intend to make capital
purchases as planned.
In his analysis of the
survey results, ACA
Chairman Dale Hendricks
remarked “I think
agriculture is in its worst
shape m years, and people
are deeply concerned about
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what to do. Bankers are
worried. Farmers are
worried. The consumer
doesn’t know what to ex
pect.”
“And young farmers
who’ve just started are the
ones who are going to have
the most difficult tune - a lot
of them won’t survive due to
economic pressures,” added
Hendricks, a dairy producer
from Bloomfield, lowa.
The majority of callers
also doubted the ef
fectiveness of the recently
signed Farm Bill. Forty
eight per cent said it will not
be of assistance to farmers.
Thirty-two per cent of the
callers felt the new bill will
be of assistance and 20 per
cent were undecided.
A great number of callers
felt they didn’t know enough
about the new farm
program. “How are con
sumers supposed to un
derstand the Farm Bill, if we
farmers don’t know enough
about it,” offered a caller
from Kansas.
Reaction to the projected
farm strike in the Midwest
was mixed. Forty-five per
cent of those polled thought
the strike would be effective,
42 per cent felt it would not
be effective and 13 per cent
were not sure.
ACA operates the Farm
Line periodically to provide
a vehicle for discussion to let
people at the local level
discuss major agricultural
s> V s
v" v s
Know
issues, with key decision
makers m Washington, D.C.
As a non-political and non
lobbying organization ACA
does not advocate any
particular position or view;
the opinions expressed via
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the Farm Line are strictly
those of the participants.
The Agriculture Council of
America, formed in 1973, is
made up of individual far
mers and ranchers
from
nationwide, farm ai
commodity groups, ai
companies that supply tl
fanner. Its purpose is
improve commumcatioi
between farmers and urbi
consumers.
Fan
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