Agway tops $2 billion, has $9 million overrun SYRACUSE, N.Y.-Ag way sales went over the $2 billion mark in 1978-79, for the first time in the 15-year history of the farmer cooperative, ' General Manager R.N. Goddard told some 5,000 persons attending the cooperative’s annual meeting, Oct. 25-26 in Syracuse, N.Y. Volume for Agway in ternal operations amounted to $1.4 billion. Consolidated sales, including the cooperative’s two largest subsidiaries, Texas City Refining Co. and Curtice- Burns Inc., raised the figure to about $2.05 billion. Goddard pointed out that sales volume was more than $240 million ahead of last year, but about half of the dollar increase was due to inflation. “Agway’s real growth came in a substantial gain in unit volume—about 10 percent for the year,” he said, referring to the tons, gallons, pounds, and hun dredweights of Agway feed, seed, fertilizer, petroleum, and other supplies. The Syracuse-based farm supply and food marketing WE ARE NOW RENTING K^A. JOHN DEERE COMBINES JLfuSri for soybeans this fall CALL FOR DETAILS used tractor USED TRACTOR Übtll IKACTOR SCOCA John Deere 1520 Diesel, a . A John Deete 1020 w/47 Loader (Completely Overhauled '5^850 Oliver 1800 Diesel IHC Super C, fast hitch w/2 bottom plow USED SPREADERS JD 40 w/hydraulic end gate Nl 150 bushel PTO USED HARVESTER SPECIALS NH 880 2-row narrow row head NH 717 w/l-row head NH 717 Fox 1000 RPM PTO w/2-row corn hd & Pk up attach MF 620 w/2 row and pickup USED BALER SPECIALS JD 24T w/#2 Thrower New Holland 67 John Deere 14T John Deere 14T w/ejector USED HAYBINES NH 1495 Self-Propelled 12’ w/partial cab, real sharp NH 469 New Holland 479, as is Hesston 320 9' Geh1770,7 ft Evergreen Tractor Co. Inc. 30 EVERGREEN RD,, LEBANON, PA 17042, PHONE (717) 272-4641 cooperative, owned by member-stockholders, ser ves agriculture in 12 nor theastern states. It was a year of mixed accomplishment and results for Agway Inc., from record sales to the effects of in flation. George Steele, chairman of the board of directors, outlined the story. Calling the continuing rate cf inflation “the most serious economic problem facing us today,” Steele explained that in spite of a record sales year, inflation increased Agway’s total money costs about $9 million over budgeted expectation. ” “One of the curses of in flation is the tendency to turn to government as the source of our well-being,” Steele said, noting that one of the results of greater government involvement in business is “a deluge of paper in the form of regulations and reports. ” “In Agway alone, we must file about 20,000 govern mental reports a year at a direct cost of about a million dollars. If we included the time spent by various USED TRACTORS Ronald N. Goddard Agway General Manager departments, field people, and outside legal and financial consultants, the figure would be near |3 million,” he said. Steele, a dairyman from Pocopson, noted that Agway membership had grown from 85,000 farmers when the cooperative was formed 15 years ago to the present 123,000 members. He said since Agway membership is designed for active farmers and users, Co-op 15x7 Fert Grain Drill w/grass seed attach $750.00 John Deere 15x7 FBB Drill 550.00 $4,850.00 1,675.00 USED PLANTER SPECIALS Tag 11650 John Deere 1250- 6 Row Plateless 1229 Ford 4 Row Tag 11934 JD 494 $1,050.00 650.00 USED TILLAGE SPECIALS MF 62012’ Disc Harrow Ford 4x18" auto reset plow Ford 4-16” Plow JD KBA 32x18 Wheel Carrier Disc $3,650.00 2.195.00 1.175.00 1.495.00 2.450.00 USED COMBINE SPECIALS Cockshutt 427 w/Power Steering & 10’ Platform $1,450.00 JD 55 Corn Soybean Special 12’ head 9,700.00 JD 55 Diesel w/cab, 12' platform 7,500.00 JD 45 w/cab & 10’ Platfgjjjg 6,750.00 MISCELLANEOUS John Deere #lBl-row Corn Picker New Set 18 4x30 Snap on Duals w/New Goodyear 6 Ply Tires (2) used Gravity Box w/lOJxie^-rtr, (with discharge auge^S#^^ JD 32142' Elevator Used NH #8 Crop carrier Grove Gear w/tires 8 ply $1,550.00 775.00 750.00 450.00 $14,750.00 ~ 2,550.00 2.150.00 1.850.00 1.975.00 local committees are screening current mem bership lists, “not to deny any farmer who wishes to join and use the cooperative,” but to “reserve membership for bonafide fanners and to assure that Agway is owned and controlled by those it was created to serve.” Noting that rising production costs on the farm have more than offset agricultural gains of the past decade in the Northeast, Goddard said priority is being given to an Away program aimed at reducing the cost of getting farm supplies from their points of origin to the farm. He told members and guests that a new program aimed at cutting at least 10 percent from Agway’s $230 million cost of distributing farm supplies is being put into effect. It is expected that in novative systems being implemented could generate distribution cost savings of more than 17 percent an nually by 1968, according to Goddard. The Agway chief executive USED GRAIN DRILLS He predicted the products of the Northeast—milk, meat, eggs, apples, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables would share in the growing market. “There may be some dislocations from time to time with an individual product, such as reduced damand or depressed prices but the outlook cm the whole is favorable,” Goddard said, “provided farm production costs can be kept in line.” This will be the key to farm profitability in the coming decade, he com mented. “The physical distribution program I reported on is a move by Agway to help members cope with upward pressure on prices that can be ex pected to continue well into the Ws,” Goddard said. Speaking of the economy in general, Goddard said that how well the nation handles its energy problem and resists other in flationary pressures will determine whether the ’M’s will mark a return to economic stability or whether they are as troubled as the past decade. Granting the energy crisis is a major contributor to this country’s economic dif ficulties, Goddard stressed that the root cause of in flation is excessive gover nment spending, which has “raised the national debt to astronomical heights, and eroded the value of the dollar.” “Government is the biggest growth industry in this country,” he said, “resulting in increased regulations, with greater government involvement in $2,350.00 775.00 1,275.00 $2,950.00 2,200.00 950.00 875.00 $950.00 1,050.00 ea 1,400.00 1.175.00 1150.00 375.00 Lancaster farming, Saturday, November 3,1979 officer emphasized that the program involved physical distribution costs only and did not apply to raw material or manufacturing costs. Goddard said he expects to see demand increase for American farm products in the ’M’s, both at home and abroad. In Strawberry Farms for spreading the straw between rows. FEATURES: Gas 5 HP, 7 HP, 4-stroke, ! Electric 3 HP-Battery i Steel j 6’to 8' | 16” diameter pneumatic j 1-bale/mmute I 31” width —5O" length I 4601 b I One-year on all parts, except j blades . 1 Motor Frame Emptying Wheels Capacity Dimensions Weight Guarantee •••?•••••••»•* PAUL HORNING LET US SHOW YOU WHAT THE BEDDING CHOPPER CAN DO RDI, Stevens, PA 17578 PH: (215) 267-7208 business, industry, and agriculture, and the need for increased taxes to pay for this continued growth.” “No one questions the need of government to provide essential services. The question is where ‘essential’ leaves off and fiscal irresponsibility takes over. Until legislators and ad ministrators show real restraint in spending the public’s tax money, we will continue to face the threat of runaway inflation,” he said. Goddard reported the efficiency of design and construction of an energy utilization laboratory buUt by Agway at its Farm Research Center near Fabius, N.Y., has been demonstrated during the past two years. The building required only one-third of the heating energy needed for an adjacent, well insulated, conventional building, he said. A new high priority research project involves design, construction, and test evaluation of a low in vestment, low energy-use home, practical for rural residents. Standard building materials, including con ventional insulation, were used in the bouse, built near the research farm, adapting the “Monolithic insulation concept” used in the energy lab, which Goddard com pared to a giant thermos bottle. A multi-fuel heating system, which can use coal, wood, or oil, was installed and provision has been made for passive solar energy. Because of concern about the influence of energy on agriculture, Goddard said that the Agway research and development department is continuing work on several energy-saving and altemate energy-use projects. Among these are a sophisticated windmill project, solar heating and cooling units, and monolithic insulating systems. BALE EDDING-CHOPPER ★ Simple to run ★ Highly Efficient ★ Easily Handled Use For: Chopping Sitter for cattle, wheter kept tied up or in free stalling. • In hen houses to pro vide litter to replace conventional bedding Available; ★ Motorized Sweeper ★ Motorized Silas* Waso ★ Motorized Feed Wai« 15 Other Wie Predicts
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