Mushroom industry reacts to fixed quota bydoncunnion Staff Correspondent NOTTINGHAM Penn sylvania mushroom growers finally may get long-sought ✓ /a- /W| -•7 m JjM/w W BARN PAINTING Cali Us Now For Free Estimates PHARESS. HURST ' RD 1, Box 420 , Narvon, Pa 17555 215-445-6186 PRUNING) - GRAIN BINS & ACCESSORIES A.S.C.S. Approved Dealers and Grain Bins Aeration Fans & Heaters Transport Augers Available - PTO or Motor All Types of Gen. Purpose Augers Capacities from 1350 Bu. to 301,940 Bu. -15’ to 90’ Diam. Many Other Options For Complete Grain Handling, Drying, And Storage! See Your Nearest Dealer For Complete Information... BETTS EQUIPMENT COLUMBIA EQUIP. CO. GRUMELU FARM SERVICE MAIDENCREEK FARM New Hope, PA Bloomsburg, PA RO«2,Box36.Quarryville,PA SUPPLY 215-598-7501 717-784-7456 717-786-7318 Blandon PA 215-9283851 BIG VALLEY SALES DILTS FARM EQUP. & SERVICE INC. RT #2, Marion Center, PA PO Box 548, Reedsville, PA 412-286-9606 717-667-3944 FARMERS EQUIPMENT CANYON IMPLEMENTS,INC. EXCHANGE, INC. RDI, Rt 6 Mansfield, PA 717-724-2731 CLAPPER FARM EQUIP. RDI, Alexandria. PA 8144694015 relief from cheap canned imports. The U.S. International Trade Commission has unanimously recommended that President Carter im pose absolute (fixed) quotas which would cut the import share of the U.S. canned mushroom market from 56 percent to 40 percent or less. President Carter has 60 days from August 14, when he officially received the recommendation, to accept one of two ITC proposals to restrict imports, come up with a solution of his own, or ignore the whole thing. Martin S. Gaston, executive secretary of the East Petersburg, PA 717-569-8756 GUS FARM EQUIP. RT 616 Box 85, Seven Valleys, PA 717-4281967 American Mushroom In stitute, which represents the mushroom industry nationwide, says he feels optimistic about positive Presidential action since the ITC recommendation was passed unanimously. Two previous recom mendations by the ITC to control imports were turned down by the White House. In fact, one of President Carter’s first acts when he took office was to refuse relief through import con trols. Canned mushroom im ports hit a record high of 112 million pounds in the fiscal year 1979-80, which ended June 30. This was 30 percent more than the previous year. That total actually ex ceeded total sales of U.S. canned mushrooms by 23 million pounds. As a result of the flood of imports, prices paid to U.S. growers for fiscal 1979-80 dropped 1.3 cents a pound from the previous year, according to the USDA Crop Reporting Board. Things were worse for Pennsylvania growers, with prices dropping nearly five cents a pound. Pennsylvania is the' nation’s leading grower of mushrooms, accounting for 45 percent of the total. No ROBERT G. HAMPTON INC. Route 49. PO Box 109, Shiloh. NJ 609-451-9520 LG. SALES Sitverdale, PA 215-257-5136 LEISER’S INC. 3608 Nazareth Pike Bethlehem, PA 215491-3070 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 30,1980—C19 other state comes close. But a few years ago Penn sylvania accounted for 65 percent of the total. Mushroom prices have been weak m Pennsylvania and other states through the new crop year which began July 1. Little increase lias been shown m the hot months, when production usually drops off. Mack Reece, Nottingham grower, who sells to both the fresh and canned market, told us he has been losing money ever since the first of the calendar year. “The fresh market just can’t absorb the mushroms our beleaguered canners no REED BROTHERS EQUIP. Petticoat Bridge Rd„ Columbus, NJ 609-2983441 ROORKSFARM SUPPLYING. RD3, Hwy. No. 77, Elmer. NJ 609-3583100 WENGER’S, INC. S. Race St., Myerstown, PA 717-866-2138 longer buy because of lack of a market,” he said. “That forces more mushrooms onto the fresh market and weakens the price struc ture.” Bill Lane 1 , vice president in charge of sales for Butler Mushroom Farms, the state’s larger grower, agrees that prices are bad. “The prices being offered by our canners because of the flood of imports are disastrously low,” he said. “Domestic production has out-paced the sale of domestic mushrooms.” Even though Butler stresses sales to the fresh market it depends on processors to buy surpluses and product that doesn’t meet the firm’s grade standards for fresh sale. Lane points out that the over-supply situation in Pennsylvania might have been worse during the last two fiscal years if a prolonged strike at Butlers hadn’t sharply cut production there. Butler lost about 20 million pounds. Lewe B. Martin, of the Washington law firm of Pope, Ballard & Loos, which represents the U.S. mushroom industry, reports three members of the ITC proposed a three-year im port quota plan which would start at 86 million pounds for 1980-81, increase to 94 million pounds in 1981-82 and hit 103 million pounds for 1982-83. A fourth member of the ITC came up with a “minority” proposal calling for a five-year plan which would start at 78 million pounds and reach 102 million by 1984-85. Both proposals were based on an average of 78 million pounds of imports over the past six years. No one we talked with in the mushroom industry felt the ITC proposals went far enough to provide needed protection, but the general feeling was that “they are better than nothing” or “at least they are a start.” Some pessimism was expressed about the chances of approval by President Carter of the ITC recom mendations. Conversely, it was noted that the deadline for Presidential action, October 14, comes shortly before an election in which President Carter will be out for every possible vote. A Cstovemonl 458-8011 ».*. tax 24, u«c*ilan4. p«. IMW
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