M—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 15,1980 AAW presents Washington-on-tKe-line HERSHEY American Agri-Women looked at foreign trade policies Tuesday during a Washington-on-the-lme tel ephone linkup with agriculture attache’s from three foreign embassies. Special guest “speakers” were Eric Demg for the embassy of the Netherlands and Mario Balava representing Brazil, both linked up through their Washington embassy of fices, and Robert Swift, speaking from Chicago for the Australian government. Washington editor of THE PACKER, and THE DROVERS, Larry Water man, served as moderator. Three convention delegates representatives, Dons Royal, Julie Hmter and Audrey Sickmger, served as panelists questioning the attaches on a vanety of agriculture trade concerns. One percent of agriculture exports from the Netherlands comes to the United States, mostly in dairy and horticulture products, including the famous Holland floral bulbs. In turn, the Dutch buy some $2 million worth of American farm products, mostly grains, meats and soybeans. Since land, much of it reclaimed from the invading sea, is an ongoing problem in Holland, AAW represen Larry Waterfield and AAW panelists, from left, Audrey Sickinger, Julie Hinter and Doris Royal, quizzed a trio of foreign ag attaches via telephone linkups during a Tuesday segment of the convention. tatives questioned the Dutch solutions to another domestic farm worry, land use. According to Demg, their 10 million acres of farmland come under strict zoning laws at national, provincial and local levels. Dutch farmers operate under regulations telling them which areas can be farmed and under some conditions, even how the land can be used, although cropping choices are theirs. “Everybody complains about it,” commented Demg matter-of-factly. However, since the country is so small, and agriculture so vital to the Netherlands domestic economy, the population has had to accept such restrictions. Brazilian agriculture attache Mario Belava noted that almost half of his country’s exports are farm products, mostly coffee, cocoa, sugar and soybeans, with a large percentage sold to the U.S Convention delegates, questioning future increases of Brazilian exports of soybeans of the U.S., were assured that shipments of the oil crop are not likely to be boosted much in the next five years. Instead, Belava foresaw a Brazilian cropping program shift in the future toward more needed crops. Part of that shift could be ft , ;i' geared toward Brazil's highly successful domestic gram alcohol production. In 1975, the government of the large South American country plunged into a program of partially replacing gasoline m all vehicle use. After reaching their goal this year of 20 percent alcohol to 80 percent gasoline in motor fuels, plans for the next five years are directed to total con version to alcohol-burning engines. According to Australian ag representative Robert Swift, agriculture products ex ported from his country are vital to the well-being of the rural segment’s economy About 90 percent of Australia’s wool production, 35 percent of beef and veal products and 70 percent of sugar is sold worldwide. But Australia's largest trade item with the Umted States is beef, sometimes cited by American farmers as part of the reason for low domestic beef grower returns. Dairy products, mostly in the form of cheese and casern, are also sent to American markets m fairly large quantities. Swift criticized the counter-cyclical proposed beef unport quotas that would allow foreign meat quantities to rise when domestic production is low in :4j - y> • * #1 I g** 1 the U.S., and drop when meat supplies were high “That formula wrongly assumes that other countries will manage their meat production accordingly,” argued Swift “It’s a policy that may drive our producers out of business waiting for the low cycle to come.” He added that since beef imports amount to only seven percent of total U S., domestic use, the quantity is not large enough to greatly affect American beef producers’ prices. However, the three and one-half percent of beef consumption Med by Australian imports represents a full fourth of total production from that company, making it a much needed market to Aussie cattlemen. In response to an Agri- Women question on the value and possibility of forming a world gram cartel, Swift replied that he would not be m favor of an OPEC-like pricing agreement on gram sales, but would, like to see some cooperative method of leveling pendulum price swings. Instead, Swift proposed more international understanding and agreements on gram sales, with consuming countries as well as producer interests represented in gram The Wic bedding chopper chops straw, hay or corn fodder and spreads it uniformly under your cows, all in a single operation When you use chopped bedding, you save on straw and your cows stay much cleaner. On top of that, cleaning up is a breeze . The only bedding chopper supplied with a mechanism permitting 3 different cutting lengths Available with either a shp or 7hp gas operated Honda motor, a 24 volt electric (battery operated) motor, or a 230 volt electric motor. SAVES: ★ TIME ★ MONEY * LABOR • Simple to run • Highly Efficient • Easily Handled BEDDING CHOPPER WITH 3 POINT HOOKUP, WIC MOTORIZED SILAGE WAGON WITH HYDROSTATIC SPEED CONTROL ★ Regular Feed Discharge or 40” High Feed Discharge ★ Electric or Gas Operated PAUL HORNING RD 1, STEVENS, PA 17578 215-267-7208 cooperative pnc mg decisions Mo'derator Larry Waterman, summing up the phone linkage segment, noted that specialty crops show great promise m the United States exporting picture. Two billion dollars worth of fruits, vegetables and tree nuts has been sold to STOLTZFUS MEAT MARKET RETAIL MEAT MARKET OUR OWN CORN FED BEEF •FRESH CUT BEEF & PORK •FRESH EGGS RIGHT FROM THE FARM ★ OUR OWN COUNTRY CURED HAMS, BACON AND SWEET BOLOGNA Orders Taken For Beef Sides, Wrapped And Ready For Vour Freezer Attention Farmers: We Do Custom Beef Slaughtering PH: 768-7166 Directions: 1 block east of Intercourse on Rt 772 Reg. Hours; Thurs. 9-5; Fri. 9-8; Sat. 8-5 RUN BY P.T.O. DISTRIBUTORS JOHN R. NYSTRAND, JR. RD 1, SUGAR RUN. PA 717-746-1951 countries like Japan, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. ( While American fruit growers are eager to sell larger shipments to Japanese consumers, who pay as much as a dollar for a grapefruit, the island’s country’s farmers have a strong lobby to keep tariffs high on incoming farm goods. .-'1
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