A36—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 26,1980
There’s
CAMP HILL - “It’s not a
free enterprise world, it’s a
political world,” maintains
National Farmers Union
President Tony Dechant.
‘‘l’d like to live in the
supply and demand world
they talk about
“If the fit farmers are the
ones who survive then how
comes it that we’ve lost one
million farmers and 10
parity percentage points m
the 1970 s?” he continues.
Dechant is not noted for
his love of USDA’s current
parity levels. And Monday,
despite the constant dm in
farm circles about the
Montgomery Co.
4-H elects officers
NORRISTOWN - The
Montgomery County 4-H
Cabinet, an advisory board
for the county 4-H and youth
program, recently an
nounced their officers for
1980, according to Nancy
Kadwill, County Agent.
Re-elected chairman was
Tom Campbell, an active
community leader in the
Norristown area.
Fred Haentze of
Harleysville was elected
vice-chairman. Fred, who is
a 4-H sheep club leader, will
also be chairman- of the
Building Committee.
Serving as recording
secretary will be Rachael
Roblee of Ambler,
organizational leader with
the Upper Dublin 4-H
Community Club.
Corresponding Secretary
will be Chns Jones, Scb
wenksville, of the Perk-Penn
Horse Club.
Mary Ann Ribick of
Phoemxville, active as a
leader in the Hoofprints 4-H
* FULL LINE PARTS DEPARTMENT ★ WE SELL, SERVICE AND INSTALL I
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lots going on that’s worse than embargo
embargo of gram to Russia,
Dechant was concerned
about other problems.
“piere’s lots of things
going on that are worse than
the gram embargo,” he says
tapping the table for em
phasis at each word.
Dechant has served as
president of the 78 year old
National Farmers Union for
the past 14 years. He says
mtends to step down at the
NFU convention m March
The gram embargo just
emphasizes the political, not
economic, nature of the
world market, he says
Club, will take on the
responsibilities of
Treasurer.
Two new members
welcomed to the Cabinet
included Dave Ketner of
Schwenksville and Robert
Shisler of Harleysville.
Stan Coolbaugh of Lan
sdale will continue to be
Facilities Director.
Teen Council represen
tative will be Jamie
Graybeal of Telford.
Additional members of the
Cabinet include George
Shenkle and Harry Stewart
of Collegeville, Luke and
Anna Brandt of Harleysville,
James Graybeal and Gloria
Ruth of Telford and Paul
Werkheiser ox Norristown.
The 4-H Cabinet works
with the Montgomery
County Cooperative Ex
tension Service staff to
advise the overall youth
program plus maintains and
manages the 4-H Center
located in Lansdale.
The 4-H Clubs are open to
all youth ages &-19.
“ » »
1
Farmers Union President Tony Dechant says
Tony Dechant is far from pleased with the prices
American farmers receive for their products. The
President of National Farmers Union said he plans
to step down from office in March.
Russia, China, even Japan
have government control of
the farm economy.
“I won’t question the right
or judgement of the
President on the grain
embargo. That is a
prerogative of his office, and
I’m not pnvy to the sen
sitivity of the military
problem, ’ ’ Dechant says.
What bothers him is the
farmers are being called
upon again to bear the
burden of forcing policy.
He ticks off the con
tributions American far
mers have made to our
foreign policy, not the least
of which is the building of
exports to balance our trade
deficit.
“Will there be a cutback m
Pepsi-Cola exports?” he
asks.
He points out the govern
ment’s “quick and sudden”
halting of gram exports. The
administration baled out the
gram traders first, he says.
“Prices will fall because of
this action,” he predicts.
He says farmers should be
quick to ask Congress to
enact the 1002 provision of
the Farm Act if exports are
limited and have the loan
rate increased to 90 percent.
“We want this on file for
use during a national
emergency at any time,”
Dechant says.
He points out the hardship
the embargo would work on
farmers as they prepare for
another season.
In com or spring wheat the
land is prepared in many
cases. Those farmers who
have not already put fer
tilizer down are committed
to fertilizer purchases.
Dechant labels
devistatmg” the
Agriculture Department’s
predictions for corn.
Originally USDA
predicted a 1979 corn crop of
6.8 billion bushels
That was increased to 7 2
billion bushels, which
Dechant says he feels is not
unreasonable since nobody
knows what’s in the fields
until harvest, anyway
He shuffles some papers
as he builds to his point.
At the completion of
harvest they increased their
production estimate to 7 5
billion bushels
“And in the last few weeks
they have jumped it to 7.8
billion bushels,” he ex
claims
“Not only did they miss
the original prediction by
one billion bushels but they
have increased the figures
by 300,000,000 bushels since
the beginning of this year,”
he says.
Dechant says he feels the
gram embargo will hurt the
Russians.
But he added the Russians
probably will be able to
make other, more expensive
arrangements, especially to
obtain gram m the future.
He says if Canada and
Australia hold back on their
sales the damage to Russia
will be worse.
Dechant says he wonders
why, when four nations
export almost all of the gram
shipped in the world, they
can not reach some sort of
price agreement.
“Three of them speak
English,” he says, referring
to the Umted States, Canada
and Australia. The fourth is
Argentina.
Of course, Dechant is
ready with an answer
It's the cheap food policy
in this country that is hurting
£jll of the gram producers in
exporting countries around
the world, he says.
“Farm power, just m my
time, has eroded. We’ve
gone from 20 percent of the
nation’s population to four
percent,” he says.
Cheap livestock always
follows cheap gram, he
points out. He says the U.S
loan rate is the floor price for
world grain.
NFU has long fought for 90
percent of parity. Although it
finally was written into law
it has yet to be used.
"I was always taught to
start high and bargain
down,” he says. “But far
mers have to start low and
try to work up.”
He denies Farmers Union
is a radical farm
organization He points oufl
NFU works with Grange ana*
Farm Bureau m many areas
of common interest.
“But we want floors on
prices, and pricing
provisions on the in
ternational level,” he says.
All NFU asks is a farm
business predicated on
production expenses plus a
fair profit, he says.
“I don’t know if the old
labels apply any more. We
are consistent with our
policy. Check the record and
see who has fought for high
prices for the longest,” he
challenges.
Farmers are going to
suffer a 20 percent drop in
farm income in 1980, noted.
“We can live without the
Russian exports. What is
hurting farmers most is the
drop in income because of
•increasing costs.
“Interest, fuel, and aft
imputs are skyrocketin'
and the farmer’s income is
going the other way. That’s
the real story in farming
today,” Dechant maintains.
-CH
m