—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 4,1978 134 Farm WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Council of Fanner Cooperatives, an association of farm cooperatives with offices in the nation’s capital, reports the following news from Washington, D.C. CO-OP INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT PASSED Congress has passed and sent to the President a tax reduction bill which in cludes a provision extending the investment tax credit to fanner cooperatives The provision will allow co-ops to take the full 10 per cent credit for capital im provements, or pass through part of all of the credit to members, if the cooperative is unable to use it. Effective date of the credit is November 1, 1978. National Council of Farmer Cooperatives president Kenneth D. Naden estimates that tax savings from the credit should average $5O million per year for fanners and their cooperatives. He said it is one of the most beneficial and positive pieces of legislation passed for family farmers in recent years. NATURAL GAS DEREGULATION APPROVED Hard-fought attempts to deregulate natural gas ended m victory on October 15, when the House passed the Natural Gas Act (H.R. 5289) The measure would allow gas prices to rise by about 10 per cent annually until deregulation is reached in 1985 Until then, price controls would be extended from the interstate to the intrastate market Two important provisions for agriculture would: provide a priority for agricultural uses of gas during periods of supply shortage, and exempt agricultural uses from in cremental pricing. Charles D. Hartman, NCFC energy vice president, said the Planning to Dig 780 EAST MAIN ST., NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 717-354-4246 FREE ESTIMATES co-op council reviews Capitol situations priority provision should help insure gas supply for nitrogen production during heavy Winter-use periods. LOCK & DAM 26 AUTHORIZED A compromise worked out by Senate Finance Chair man Russell Long (D-La) has led to congressional authorization for a new Lock & Dam 26 on the Mississippi River The badly detenoratmg Alton, Illinois facility has impeded ship ping of farm products on the Mississippi for many years Included in the legislation is a fuel tax levy for barge operations on all mland waterways The tax, starting at 4 cents per gallon in 1980, will increase to 10 cents per gallon by 1985. Money collected from the tax will be placed in trust to help finance future waterways improvement projects Construction of the new $421 million lock and dam can begin as soon as an en vironmental impact statement is approved by the federal courts. TRADE EXPANSION ACT CLEARSCONGRESS New credit incentives for foreign buyers of U.S. farm products were included in The Trade Expansion Act (5.3444) passed near the end of the 95th Congress. The bill in cludes new “intermediate” credits for U S. trading partners, with repayment up to 10 years. In addition, it extends CCC credit for the first time to the Peoples Republic of China The legislation also includes diplomatic initiatives It directs the USDA to open between six and 25 agricultural trade promotion offices in major markets abroad. And it would raise the diplomatic status of U.S. agricultural attaches in not less than 10 major foreign markets to the rank of Counselor. This would permit the attaches to compete on more equal terms with trade representatives of other countries. PRESIDENT SIGNS PESTICIDE AMENDMENTS A two-year debate on revising federal pesticide laws ended September 30 with the President’s signing of amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act. The amendments authorize up to $7O million to fund federal pesticide regulation through Sep tember 30, 1979. They also 1) clarify groundrules for compensation on research data needed to register pesticide labels; 2) give the states primary enforcement responsibility for pesticides; 3) provide for conditional registration of pesticides) and 4) permit more flexibility in using pesticides on pests and crops not noted on the registered label. Hopefully, the amendments will result in more efficient registration of pesticides essential to agricultural production. TRADE NEGOTIATIONS FACE NEW ROADBLOCKS Several last-minute ac tions in the 95th Congress created new hurdles for the multilateral trade talks underway in Geneva. An amendment to exempt textiles from the talks passed Congress, and now faces a Presidential veto Attempts to extend a countervailing duty waiver failed, further endangering the talks. However, some progress was made on grain talks, even though critical issues on size and cost sharing of world wheat reserves are still to be resolved. And the dairy industry continues skeptical about the shape of the export subsidy/countervailmg duty code under discussion m Geneva. Net result could be a delay of efforts to have a grade agreement framework in place by the Administration’s December 15 target date Farmers and their cooperatives are keeping negotiators in formed of their views in hope of achieving an agreement that will help U S agriculture, and avoid serious threats to our major markets abroad NCFC’s 50th ANNIVERSARY MEETING ATLASVEGAS The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives will hold its 50th anniversary meeting at the Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, January 9- 11, 1979 Cooperative HMfR M. SHMINtR T/A Good’s Feed Mill R.D 1, NEW PROVIDENCE, PA PHONE (717) 786-2500 pennMdfee* NOW HANDLING * ~ PENNFIELD FEEDS - MOPRO- v /' LIQUID PROTEIN AND A COM- PLETE LINE OF ANIMAL HEALTH M-M-MOO-ORVELOUS Feeds PRODUCTS AND SUPPLIES ' , iwwvtujus reeas that help your herd produce M-M -FULL SERVICE DEALER MOO-ORE CUSTOM WELDING GATES MADE TO ORDER * HOG SET-UPS • BARNYARD FENCING • BULLPENS Gates Made Of Pipe or • ALL-WELDED CONSTRUCTION • FOOL-PROOF LATCH PORTABLE WELDING “SHOP ON WHEELS" • Repairs on farm equipment at the farm or in shop • Electric and acetylene, • MIG welding in shop. • Subcontract work. • Fabricating. CLAIR E. BEILER RD#l, PARADISE, PA. 17562 Shop: 2 mi. west of Gap on Smryna Rd Shop Phone: (717) 442-8126 Residence: 593-2444 directors and executives from around the country will review legislative policies of the NCFC, and hear presentations on issues affecting the economy, in ternational trade, antitrust, energy, transportation, and political action President Jimmy Carter has been invited to headline the meeting Other speakers will include leaders from Congress, the executive branch, the business com munity , and the media The meeting will also preview a new NCFC film on family farmers and their cooperatives which will be shown to the general public in movie theaters and on TV next year NCFC MOVING OFFICES IN DECEMBER Offices of the National Council of Farmer Wgp i lifl^l a®Slira r "t ? ******■& i« ‘ ; *aPßfia«s f < ““ , mSsmmnmi^ a&llSi-* s ?****«• -J I SS» '-- >*s* SspfcfSfcSSffi «*