Take
KEWANEE, 11. - With a busy
harvest season coining up. this is a
good tune to review safety
precautions for transporting farm
equipment Often farmers become
pressed for time and try to move
equipment without taking proper
precautions. They believe they’ll
save time, but this is when ac
cidents most often occur.
Ron Birr, Kewanee Machinery
Division Manager of Engineering
Administration, and Howard
Hadler, Kewanee Division
Engineer, suggest that awareness
is a vital factor in preventing
equipment transport accidents.
“Be especially aware of
UNIVERSITY PARK - The
first corn crop report ot the season
reveals a surprisingly low prospect
for the 1981 harvest this fall. The
harvest forecast ot 7.12 billion
bushels is about 7 percent above
last year’s drought reduced havest
but much below earlier ex
pectations, reports H. Louis
Moore, Penn State ag economist.
It was estimated that a crop ot
about 7.7 billion bushels was
needed to relieve the tight supply
situation which has existed for the
last year. The current estimate
was based on conditions that
existed on the nation’s farms on
July 1.
Many ot the major corn states
expect their yields per acre to be
below a year ago. Substantial
drops are expected in Ohio and
Indiana where planting was
delayed by extremely wet weater
during the planting period. Ohio
expects an average yield of 85
bushels per acre compared to 113 a
year ago and 115 in 1979. Indiana
expects an average yield -of 82
bushels per acre compared in 96 in
1980 and 112 in 1979.
The National average yield is
expected to be about- 96 bushels
compared to only 91 last year as a
result of the drought. The record
harvest was 109.7 bushels per acre
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215-921-3913
time to transport equipment safely
equipment width and height when
transporting,” says Birr. “Towing
a tall auger or grain elevator is
dangerous unless the equipment is
lowered and locked into transport
position. The taller the equipment,
the more unstable it is likely to be.
“It is also important to watch for
overhead obstructions such as
wires, low overpasses or bridges
and tree branches,” he adds.
“The most common obstacles to
towmg wide machinery are gates,
narrow driveways and bridges,”
says Birr. “Wide winged im
plements such as disks, cultivators
or mulchers can be unstable and a
hazard if transported in the open
Lou
Moore looks at
1981 grain harvest
in 1979.
The nation’s farmers expect to
harvest about 74 million acres, up
about 1.5 percent from 1980.
Pennsylvania’s acreage for gram
harvest, up about 50,000 acres or 4
percent, is projected to reach a
record 123.7 million bushels, up
more than 27 percent from a year
ago. Pennsylvania farmers expect
corn yields to be about 93 bushels
per acre.
However, weather conditions
may cause substantial revisions in
monthly crop reports during the
remainder ot the growing season.
While there is a concern about
whether there will be adequate
supplies of corn and soybeans in
1981, wheat will be abundant. The
nation’s farmers expect to harvest
80.7 million acres of wheat in 1981,
up 14 percent from last year.
Excellent growing conditions in
most wheat growing areas will
result in the biggest wheat crop the
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position. Folded, they give the
farmer a narrower, more compact
piece of equipment to tow.”
“Never use makeshift
arrangements to tow or transport
equipment,” warns Hadler.
"Always follow the 'manufac
turer’s instructions for transport
and be sure equipment is under
control at all times.
“In any move, on or off the road,
loads should be carried as low as
possible for stability Before
taking off with a tow, make sure
that the hitch pui ib becure and
can’t accidentally work out of the
hitch,” Hadler states.
the
nation has ever harvested. The
1981 harvest is forecast at 2.81
billion bushels, up 19 percent from
last year and up 32 percent from
the 1979 crop. All but 7 of the 41
wheat growing states expanded
wheat acreage for the 1981 harvest.
Pennsylvania farmers planted
270.000 acres to wheat last fall, up
20.000 from the previous year. The
harvest, now underway, is ex
pected to reach 10.3 million
bushels, up 1 million bushels or 11
percent from 1980.
If corn crop conditions do not
improve from the July estimate,
sizable amounts of wheat are likely
to be utilized as livestock feed
during the coming year. The U.S.
is anxious to increase wheat ex
ports m the months ahead but the
increase will not come easily.
Other major wheat producing
nations are harvesting bumper
crops, too/
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When moving machinery on
public roads or highways, Birr
reminds fanners to note all posted
clearance heights and widths.
“Knowing ahead of time that your
16’ disk won’t make it across a IS’
wide bridge can save a lot of time
and trouble," remarks Birr.
“Remember to use safety
warnings that alert other
motorists,” he adds. “This in
cludes displaying a slow moving
vehicle (SMV) sign on the back
and using flashing lights to warn of
slow movement.”
“Keep your eyes open for holes
and bumps in the road that could
throw you or tip the machine,”
adds Hadler. “It is very important
to use the seat belts in a tractor
with HOPS (Roll Over Protective
Structure).” In case of an ac
cident, the operator will remain
safe inside the protected cab.
“Be award of how much space
mers’ debts are rising faster than
assets.
Livestock producers are
foremost among those with
potential credit problems. Cattle
feeders and hog and broiler
producers are particularly
vulnerable when production ex
penses are rising rapidly.
The specialized, production
intensive, low-liquidity nature of.
their assets limits their financial
options and their ability to cut
costs by adjusting production
when times are tough. Their
outlook depends greatly on the
uncertainties of International
markets and weather in deter
mining feed costs.
Crop producers and cattle
ranchers may be better able to
finance difficult years because
their operations are more land
intensive. With rising real estate
values, lenders are more willing to
refinance burdensome debts.
However, this may not be true
for fanners already carrying large
debt loads—especially beginning
fanners. They may find it difficult
to repay loans while interest rates
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incaster Farming, Saturday, August t, 19f1—019
Financial picture
(Continued from Page D 18)
State
(Include area code)
you are taking up on the roadway.
Don’t interfere with other
motorists and watch for ob
structions on the side of the road
when traveling close to the edge,”
Hadler warns.
Hadler also warns against
allowing anyone to hitch a ride on a
piece of towed equipment, even for
a short distance. “There are no
provisions for riders on equipment
that is being towed. But a rider
could be severely injured or killed
if he falls or is jolted off the
machinery.”
“The key to preventing ac
cidents is taking the time to be
careful and being award of
possible problems, says Birr. “By
following manufacturers in
structions, paying attention to
details and avoiding ‘short cuts’,
we can protect ourselves and our
equipment from injury,” sum
marizes Birr.
remain relatively high and current
returns low.
Many small farmers are in a
similar situation. Debt will
probably increase fastest for small
poultry, tobacco, and cotton farms.
The concentration of these farms
in the southeast may make that
regional particularly vulnerable to
income fluctuations.
However, new and small far
mers with dependable outside
income sources might find the next
few years a good time to get
started or expand before ac
celerating returns attract ad
ditional competition and further
spur land values.
As a group, the largest farms
typically carry the highest debts m
relation to assets, and some may
face short-term cash flow
problems. Nevertheless, they’ll
again be the big winners in the next
decade.
Economists foresee substantial
further concentration of wealth on
established farms with large real
estate holdings. Small farms may
account for only about 10 percent
of total farm sector equity by 1990,
half their current share.
LF I