AlD—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 27,1982 -
Once again, it looks as if the farmer is going
to be left footing the bill for another
bureaucratic regulation.
This time, though, the only farmers who will
be paying through the nose will be Penn
sylvania hog producers.
That is, unless something is done to stop
proposed rules for identifying swine from
winding its way through the Harrisburg
lawmaking process and into our lives.
Just last week at the Keystone Pork
Congress, chief veterinarian for the state's
Bureau of Animal Industry, Max Van Buskirk
outlined what these proposed regs would
mean. After he finished his explanation, most
of the assembled hog producers were still
confused about what this new identification
rule would mean to them.
Just like the farmers, we feel there is a need
to mark hogs so that they can be traced from
farm to rail. We've got too many problems with
diseases and mismanagement not to think this
would be a great idea for the swine industry.
What we don’t like is where the cost of this
type of I.D. program will come from.
Packers and auction barns have already
voiced their opposition to the state if the cost
of this identification requirement would fall on
them. They don’t want the hassles of catching
hogs and tatooing them as they run through
the sales barn or are unloaded at the plant.
Instead, they’re saying “Let the farmers do
the marking." And if the farmer doesn't do it,
what then? In answer, the auction barns and
packing plants can refuse to take the hogs.
That sounds like a pure case of
discrimination to us.
Right now, without the means of iden
tification, the cost of any hog that’s con
demned at the packing plant by 8.A.1. in
spectors falls on the packer. In turn, the
packer adjusts the price of pork to help make
up the loss.
Once they’ve been burned by a load of hogs
carrying problem porkers, the packers are
justifiably hesitant to go back to a particular
auction or farm to pick up another load of
‘lemons.’ So they quit buying from
questionable sources.
But the point still remains that these volume
buyers can better afford the cost of a program
that will ultimately benefit them by identifying
and weeding out hogs that are harboring
tuberculosis or other condemnable diseases.
The farmers, who are and have been running
close to break-even for so long, just can’t
handle another cost.
The only way an identification program
would pay at the farm is if packers and auction
barns reimburse the producers with a
premium price. Hogs that come into the plant
or auction barn with tatoo in place would
obviously save managers time and money
since they wouldn't have to handle the
NOW IS THE TIME
*To Use Quality Seed lhe y wIU « l ow - Tlus can ** do “ e
Many people are making plans Wllh lhe bul sUII effective
tor the 1982 growing season. In I>*U” method (wrapping seeds in
these plans, we should be rolled up moist rags ) 01 by placing
preparing to use the very best seeds in a dish on wet paper towels,
quality seeds possible. Leftover cover plastic , and keep in a
seeds may be satisfactory it waim place toi at least 10 days, ft
properly stored. It they are cer- lhese se eds do not grow inider
titled or top quality seed to start either ot these tests, don t rely on
with, it would be a good idea to run * or OUI eiop.
a germination lest to be certain Certified seed may cose a little
So vmdiiing
By Sheila Miller, Editor
Picking up the pork I.D. tab
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
Off the
operation. So tne savings should be passed on
to the farmer.
No one’s arguing that' the idea of iden
tification and trace back is not aTgood one.
With contagious diseases floating around
Pennsylvania’s perimeters, a system of
knowing where problems such as
pseudorabies and tuberculosis are coming
from would be invaluable. Once in place, the
I.D. program would provide a compass for
veterinarians to follow if diseases like cholera
or African swine fever ever cropped up within
the borders of the Keystone state.
But there are too many loose ends that need
to be tied before this system would prove
worthy of the extra expense it would mean to
farmers in terms of time.
The way the proposed regulations are
written, they rely on the auction barns to keep
accurate records of registered farm numbers
for each lot of hogs purchased and sold. But
what about those hogs that are sold private
treaty? Who has to keep records on those
sales?
Let's not forget that a hog’s ear can hold
only so many tatoos, too. Depending on how
many times a hog is sold from the time it’s
born until it meets its maker at the packing
plant, it’s ear markings would be about as
ledgible to the veterinarian as a braille page is
to a sighted person.
Of course there’s always the alternative of
the slap tatoo placed on the hog’s back. But on
colored hogs, the only time these marks can be
seen is after the hog is skinned. What happens
if a tatoo was missed along the way to market?
Accurate records or good memories seem to
be the basis for this program’s success. Ex
cept in the case of licensed auctions, packers,
and buyers, the entire program hinges on the
honor system. The state can revoke com
mercial licenses, but so far there's been no
permit requirement devised by our state's
legislators for producing hogs. AU it takes now
is a farmer who loves to live dangerously
most times on the brink of economic disaster.
Give hog producers a monetary incentive to
mark their hogs and they’ll do it. And this
marking idea shouldn’t stop at the packing
plant.
We agree with many producers that if
Pennsylvania farmers have to go to all this
trouble to prove they're raising a quality
product, this recognition should be evident
when consumers select a pack of pork chops
from the meat cooler in a store. Don’t just mix
in the Pennsylvania pork with out-of-state
imports where the quality control measures
don't exist.
Pennsylvania pork producers shouldn’t
have to foot the bill for an I.D. program that
will be used as a profit-making tool by packers,
and as a disease-tracing tool by veterinarians.
This is one tab that the farmer can’t afford to
pay.
Board
more in the beginning, but usually
is worth the difference.
To Be Aware of Alkaline Water f or
Pesticides
It your water is alkaline, esp
cially it the pH is » or greater, you
may have trouble getting good
results from the pesticide spray
material you are using on
cropland. Water supplies in many
(Turn to Page A 44)
ONLY GOD KNOWS
February 28,1982
Background Scripture:
Mark 13:24-37;
Luke 21:25-32.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 119:113-125.
The latter portion .of Mark 13 is
one of the hardest portions of the
gospels for us to understand. Jesus
warns of both dark days ahead and
“the Son of man coming in clouds
with great power and glory”
(13:26). The vision is concluded
with this picture: “And then he will
send out the angels, and gather his
elect from the four winds, from the
ends of the earth to the ends of
heaven” (13:27).
What is really confusing to us is
the statement that; “this
generation will not pass away
before all these things take place”
(13:30). How shall we understand
this? We know that "these things”
have not taken place yet, let alone
within “this generation”
(referring, of course, to those who
heard him).
Only The Father
Chi the basis of those words many
Christians have claimed to know
precisely when the promises were
to be fulfilled. To date, all of these
predictions have proven to be in
error, although almost every day
we read of another group or
prophet warning us of the eminent
demise of the world.
OUR READERS WRITE,
AND OTHER OPINIONS
Regarding your editorial "Jet- most of the wheat crop was in the
lag woes for wheat growers” in the ground by October 1981?” Don’t
Feb. 20 issue of Lancaster Far- you know a large percentage of the
mlng that was critical of Secretary wheat crop is spring wheat?
John Block, you made some Don’t you know the only way to
misleading statements about the reduce a surplus is to cut
wheat crop and sales.
Vou asked "Doesn’t he know
HAV HAWS
Cjsele.
"According to what you charge for a ham sand
wich, I’ve got a hog that’s worth $3060.”
We can spend hours and hours
speculating and arguing over the
words or we can concentrate on the
words we do understand: “But of
that day or that hour no one knows,
not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but only the Father”
(13:32). If Mark 13 can teach us
anything it is the truth of that
statement. Only God knows when
and how those promises will be
fulfilled. It is therefore fruitless for
us to continue to dispute and
speculate on this subject.
The purpose of Christ’s warning
about the "Son of man coming in
clouds with great power and
glory’ ’ is, not to make the church a
debating society, but to keep the
followers of Christ viligant to the
judgment of God in Christ. The key
to this whole passage is found in
this admonition: “Take heed,
watch; for you do not know when
the time will come” (13:33). In
other words, we are to live our
lives as if the day of judgment and
the return of Christ were likely to
be this afternoon. Then we will be
motivated to do what he has
commanded.
Lest You Be Found Asleep
The proper activity of the
followers of Christ will not be
passive waiting upon some
mountamtop, but active
discipleship and witness after the
example which Christ set before
us. We are to be vigilant “lest he
come suddenly .and find you
asleep” <13:36). To be found
“asleep,” is not to be physically
asleep, but spiritually. If we are
spiritually awake and alert, we
will be found By him in the midst of
the work of his kingdom. We will be
ministering to the needs of others;
we will be witnessing, not to the
bad news of Armageddon, but the
Good News of God’s redeeming
love in Christ Jesus.
Faulty diagnosis?
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