Farming, Saturday, December 16,197® ‘Farm problems have changed; solutions must too’ COLLEGE STATION, Tex. - The farm problem has changed, therefore the solutions to the problem also must change. This was the basic passage of the Task Force in charge of drawing over-all conclusions from the National Farm Summit, Dr. Ronald D. Knutson, Professor of Agricultural Policy and Extension Ser vice Economist at Texas ASM University, said here Dec. 6. Knutson, chairman of the Summit Review Committee, HERE'S WHAT FARMERS ARE SAYING ... ABOUT ORTHO UNIPEL FERTILIZER P. L. ROHRER & BRO., INC. ) - ■ - - said new dimensions of the problem include a tighter world supply-demand situation," unprecedented inflation, questions of far mily farm survival and nutrition issues. “In the past, the main problem confronting agriculture was that of low prices, while today it is in flation. Rapid inflation has put the farmer in an in creasingly high risk position. Fanners, particularly young farmers, are increasingly in a win-or-lose-all risk position.” The tighter world supply demand situation also in creases risk of production shortfalls, and this makes production control programs less attractive, Knutson said. “The key to agricultural policy thus becomes one of developing programs whicb while lessening risk of production shortfalls-donot take away the price, profit, and production incentives provided by the market system.” ~ The ability of the family farm to survive and compete can no longer be taken for granted, ( Knutson em phasized. I * “The farm income problem is today centered on middle tier farmers with sales ranging between 120,000 and $100,000: While these farms are as efficient as their larger scale coun terparts, their asset costs per dollar of investment in the farm operation is twice as high. In the process, the proportion of U.S. agricultural production on farms that are not classified SMOKETOWN, PA. PH: 717-299-2571 T M's Ortno, Chevron and design, Unipel, Reg U S Pat Off as family farms has in creased to 30 percent.” Nutrition policy is also a new issue, Knutson said. “It is one which sparked great controversy. Mounting evidence of the relation between diet, chemicals, food additives and health makes producers and firms that serve agriculture very nervous. Currently the biggest impact is on the uncertainty created- by government decisions and information. “In the longer run, however, major impacts Chevron Ortho FERTILIZERS upon particular sectors such as livestock and dairy could result Mechanisms for input into policy decisions must be developed 'with represent agriculture not as a biased advocate but as realistically attempting to solve problems in a cost and benefit contest,” the A & M economist said. The Task Force analyzed solutions in terms of alternatives. Alternatives considered fell-into the categories of transferring costs to (Turn to Page 21) m approximately : and have been io Unipels for two 1 r. Our salesman, jneman from P.L. recommended a - Unipel 20-10-10 jounds per acre 'wn plus 150 lbs. of ■34-10 as a corn really like the of Unipels and the ks beautiful in my know that each N, P, K meaning a int feeding. Also, ive any burning of Unipels. You can the service from &Bro., Inc.
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