Dl2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 7,1981.
PMMB study makes critical recommendations
HARRISBURG A critical
study of the Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board submitted to
Common Cause recommends
sweeping changes in tbs board to
make it more receptive to con
sumer interests in the Com
monwealth.
The study, prepared by Amy
Leader, recommends:
-Accountability to consumers be
increased by designating attorneys
to represent consumers at all
hearings and changing the
membership of the board to
equally represent milk industry
and consumer interests.
--Eliminate the board’s
responsibility for setting prices.
-Continue the board’s auditing
and health maintenance functions,
but place them under the Penn
sylvania Department of
Agriculture.
In recommending these changes,
the study points out that the
makeup of the board is quite dif
ferent from similar groups in other
states.
The Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board has two industry
members and one consumer
member, with two needed for a
quorum.
In Virginia, the group has two
dairy and three consumer mem
bers, with three constituting a
quorum.
North Carolina’s State Milk
Commission has equal mem
bership for consumer and industry
members.
In Marne’s commission of five
members, there are the Com
missioner of Agriculture and four
members who have no connection
or dealings with any organization
or person whose activities are
subject to the jurisdiction ol the
commisssion.
The study also asks some very
controversial questions about the
need and the activities of the
PMMB. Among them:
Is a milk marketing agency
needed today, or is it merely an
economic anacharamsm left over
from the Depression?
Has fifty years of operation
failed to stabilize the milk in
dustry?
Should not the market be
determining consumer milk
prices, rather than three in
dividuals, two of whom are active
or former members of the dairy
industry?
Is the $875,000 allocation from
the General Fund expended by the
board in a manner which upholds
the interests of the industry and
the consuming public?
The study contends that
eliminating the board’s pnce
fixing powers would also help weed
out small predominantly inef
ficient dairy farms which would be
unable to effectively compete.
And milk prices would probably
decrease, according to the study.
The study cites the recent anti
trade marketing testimony given
by Lehigh Valley Farms at
CL What do you mean when you advertise that
Hoffman Formulas are “Balanced Blends?”
A. First, that the percentage of legumes versus grasses
is practical. When we began our Formula program in
1963, we reviewed forage seeding suggestions of the
northeastern agricultural colleges. Our basic grass/
legume percentages represent a practical consensus
of Eastern professional thinking.
Second, the vaneties are matched matunty wise.
One ingredient should not be old and woody before
the others are ready to cut Customers want quality hay
And, third, we use modern blending equipment to
make sure the blend of different seeds is uniform and
the inoculating material is well distnbuted.
A. No. But a considerable proportion of the seed we
use in Formulas is certified. Our punly and germina
tion standards are up to or above certified standards.
The Hoffman tag on our branded products carries just
as much weight in the minds of most customers as
does a certification tag
hearings in Philadelphia in Sep
tember.
The study asks and answers
another critical question.
Does consumer representation
at hearings affect the outcome of
the board’s pnce orders?
Most definitely is the study’s
answer.
DELMAR, Md. The fourth
Annual Delmarva Safety Seminar
will be held on Febryary 24 at the
Delmarva Convention Hall in
Delmar, Md.
There will be three workshops
this year, each of which will be led
by safety experts and
professionals. Topics covered will
include noise abatement, safety
motivation, welding safety, fleet
safety, fire prevention and sup
pression, and electrical safety.
Attendees are encouraged to
participate in the discussion.
Cutting looses is a major
challenge for business and in
dustrial leaders.
Many companies are seeing
disproportionate increases in
losses related to worker com-
What's So
Special About
Hoffman Formuli
We asked Elmer Applegate
Manager, Field Seed Procurement
CL Is there really much difference between Hoffman
Formulas and ready-made mixtures being offered by
competitors?
A. There’s no way a competitor can exactly duplicate
a Hoffman Formula. Over half of the alfalfa seed used
in our Formulas is of varieties for which Hoffman has
exclusive distribution rights in the East The same is
true for a high percentage of the clover A competitor
could copy our exact percentage of alfalfa, red clover
and timothy, but he definitely cannot offer the same
vaneta) makeup. Therefore, we think we can outper
form the competitive product in our customer’s fields
Q. Are Hoffman Formulas certified?
Delmarva to hold safety seminar
HOFFMAN SEEDS, INC.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF FUNK'S G-HYBRIDS
The Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
areas are the only two places in
Pennsylvania where consumers
are adequately represented at
hearings. Philadelphia bus the
lowest milk prices in the state and
Pittsburgh has the second lowest.
Actually, according to the study,
the opposite should be true.
Philadelphia should have the
pensation, product liability,
vehicle accidents, and fires, says
University of Delaware extension
safety specialist Ron Jester.
To help Delmarva industries and
businesses curb these losses,the
seminar will look at such control
measures as developing a better
understanding of hazards in the
workplace, and training and
motivating employees.
Last year’s national accident
statistics indicate that over 13,000
died in work-related accidents, and
2,200,000 sustained disabling in
juries. These amounted lo costs in
excess of $23 billion.
This seminar will offer a
practical, front-line approach to
safety that will help combat such
Q. It seems unusual that you sell 13 different For
mulas, when some other companies only have three
or four ready-made mixtures. What’s the reason?
A First. maybe the other company sells only over
a limited area We cover from Virginia through Maine
Second . maybe the other company doesn’t want
to bother with blends having limited sales potential. We
aim to serve al 1 Hoffman customers with all of their
needs.
Third. it’s simpler to make up three or four blends
that will do a pretty fair job over a wide set of circum
stances. However, we want to handle each specific situ
ation with the best combination we can develop to do
that particular job. We think it takes 13 Formulas to
do that
Q. Your suggested seeding rates seem a Dttle higher
than those recommended by experiment stations.
Why?
A Our aim is to have the customer grow the best crop
he can The cost of seed is a minor part of the farmer’s
investment in his new seeding. Spread over several
years, the per acre cost of a few extra pounds of seed is
negligible. And under adverse conditions question
able seedbed unfavorable weather, etc., a heavy
seeding can definitely come through better than a light
seeding So, it doesn’t make sense to risk seeding too
little. Surveys indicate many farmers figure it's good
insurance to seed a little heavier than experiment sta
tion suggestions So do we.
Q. Some people think ready-mixed formulations offer
seed companies an easy way Jo market sub-standard
seeds. Is this true?
A. No way is it true here. I don’t know what competitors
do. But I know exactly what Hoffman does. We use
nothing but top quality seeds. We blend for top per
formance. We take no chances of tarnishing our 80-
year record for quality. It’s always been that way here
at Landisville It will stay that way as long as I’m around.
LANDISVILLE. PENNSYLVANIA 17538
highest pnces in the state.
The study .also criticizes the
costly and time-consuming
hearing process.
Citing specific instances in
hearings by the board, the study
describes them as following formal
procedure, but with a formality
bordering on comedy.
losses. There will also be an exhibit
hall.
The seminar is sponsored by the
Delaware Extension Service, in
conjunction with the Delmarva
Safety Association, Maryland
Extension Service, Delaware State
Fire School, Delmarva Poultry
Industry, and several other
organizations and companies
along the Shore.
The $lO registration fee covers
the luncheon, coffee breaks, and an
education packet.
For additional information or for
registration material, call Ron
Jester at 302/f ‘£-5250 or write to
him at: Unm.'sity of Delaware
Substation, R 2, Box 48,
Georgetown, De. 19947.