DlG—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 11,1981
Grange has mixed feelings over
WASHINGTON, D.C - The
Administration's proposals for
1981 farm legislation, as an
nounced by Secretary ol
Agriculture John Block here last
week, were met with mixed
feelings by Ed Andersen, Master of
the National Grange.
Andersen said he felt the
proposals provide a good start but
do not seem to have a their
primary objective improving farm
income.
Andersen said the proposals
could be vastly improved by a few
changes in the dairy and fanner
Farm Bureau supports
1981 farm bill ideas
PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS -
Farm Bureau said this week ad
ministration proposals for a 1981
farm bill, as presented by
Agriculture Secretary John Block,
are “on the right track.’’
Robert B, Delano, president of
the American Farm Bureau
Federation, said Block’s testimony
before the House Agriculture
Committee this week spelled out a
proposed farm program that, with
minor exceptions, is consistent
with Farm Bureau recom
mendations.
“Congressional approval of the
administration’s proposed farm
program,” Delano said, “Will be a
step toward Farm Bureau’s
longtime goal of getting
agriculture back on a market
onented basis and moves m the
direction of getting government
out of the farming business.”
The farm leader also expressed
appreciation to Block for “setting
mm—mm—m—mmamm i
HEWEY WELDING
Box 2312, Rd 4, Lebanon, PA 17042
ALUMINUM GRAIN BODIES S LIVESTOCK BODIES
t
These ultra-light bodies are designed for strength
through engineering, not strength with bulk. For
example a 16’ grain body with tailgate and 48” sides
weighs on I
length
or any side height up to 60”
★ Double swinging hay
hauling tailgate
★ Barn door type tail
gate
★ Slide out cattle
chutes
held reserve programs and
retaining the target pnce concept.
He said the Grange supports the
Administration’s four basic
legislative goals of reducing the
role of government in agriculture,
increasing farm productivity,
expanding agricultural exports
and cutting federal spending, but
these objectives do not necessarily
mean improved farm income.
“We would like to see the
Secretary of Agriculture make
improving farm income his
number one priority,” said An
dersen.
the record straight” on President
Regan’s positon on the gram
embargo against the Soviet Union.
In his testimony, Block said that
published reports that President
Reagan intended to retain the
embargo were “misleading,” The
secretary said he hope the em
bargo would be lifted soon, an
action that Farm Bureau has long
advocated.
Points of disagreement between
Block’s testimony and Farm
Bureau’s policy involve peanuts
and dairy loan rates.
On peanuts, the administration
would eliminate acreage allot
ments while Farm Bureau sup
ports extension of the present
program with modifications.
On the dairy issue, the ad
ministration would set the
minimum at 70 percent of parity
while Farm Bureau says the
minimum should be 75 percent of
parity.
717-867-5222
Also available
★ Diamond Flooring
★ Puli out panel
tailgates
★ Any size grain chute
vwSk.
WT\
you any
Of particular concern to tne
Grange are the proposed changes
in the dairy program. Andersen
said Grange dairy farmers were
willing to forego the April 1 dairy
price support increase but a
support level set at 70 percent of
parity isn’t realistic.
He said many dairy fanners,
especially those m the Northeast
with high transportation and feed
costs, are barely scraping by when
the level is close to 75 percent. The
proposed 70 percent price support
level will force many dairy far
mers out of business, said An
dersen.
Grange policy supports con
tinuation of dairy price support at
80 percent of parity. However, the
Grange would support an ad
justable parity dairy price support
program as a percent of parity to
the amount of anticipated annual
rate of net government purchases
by the CCC.
Under this concept, dairy price
supports would move up or down
between 75 and 90 percent of
parity, depending on the future
estimates of government pur
chases
Andersen said dairy farmers will
be pleased by the Administration’s
proposal to increase the sell-back
It takes money to save money on energy.
We found that our bank agreed. We won’t suffer
through another long, costly winter like the last one.
Thanks to our bank, Farmers First. We drew up our
plans and estimates for energy-saving home improve
ments and took them to the people at Farmers First.
They reviewed things with us, helped us decide how
much to borrow, then lent us the money to make it all
happen. We figure by next winter the work will be done.
We’ll get a tax deduction for the interest we pay. And
we should save enough on fuel each month to help
pay back a good part of the loan. If it makes sense for
you to take out a home improvement loan, do what we
did. Get some expert advice...
.. .you don’t have to
be a Farmers First
customer to ask
about a home
improvement loan.
The People Bank
nRSTtMKK
Farm Bill proposals
price for dairy products held in the
CCC to 110 percent. This will en
courage dairy product
manufacturers to store more of
their own future needs rather than
having the dairy products stored at
public expense by the CCC.
The Administration’s proposals
also call for eliminating authority
for the target price program. The
Grange feels this concept should be
continued for two important
reasons
Andersen explained that target
prices will be needed to determine
disaster payments in areas where
federal crop insurance will not be
available in 1982 and that they may
be needed in the future years to
protect farm income
EGGS
J .
1 • <
Member F 0 I C
The Grange is also concerned
about the procedures to be used in
operating the farmer-held gram
reserve.
‘While we agree with the Ad
ministration’s idea of placing a cap
on the amount of gram in the
reserve, we believe Congress
should write stronger guidelines on
the reserve entry loan rate, the
release and call prices,” said
Andersen.
Andersen also observed that the
Normal Crop Acreage (NCA)
requirement should remain in any
new farm legislation in an effort to
protect fragile farmland and to
make any future production
control programs more effective.
f ).
J/
'-idr
■ 'r
t=r
BUUHDUSK
LENDER