06—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 12,1982
Farm Business
I
Avco New Idea
looks to future
COLDWATER, Oh. - “Avco
New Idea Farm Equipment is
building for the future and will be
in business for years to come,”
according to Cecil Stralow, vice
president and general manager.
Stralow’s look to the future was
contained in a letter to Avco New
Idea dealers in which he traces
recent actions by the company to
prepare for the future
The dealer letter was written m
response to a recent interview of
Avco Chairman Robert Bauman
by the Wall Street Journal, which
may have given the impression
that the farm equipment
manufacturer was for sale.
Bauman’s statements implied
only that Avco New Idea, or any of
its other divisions, might be
considered for sale if the offer
were sufficiently attractive, ac
cording to Stralow. Under such
conditions, possibly everything m‘
today’s marketplace is for sale,
Sralow explained.
“This certainly did not and does
not imply that Avco New Idea is in
the process of being sold,” Stralow
said.
The company has a plan for
Farmtronix adds
hopper unit
SHERIDAN, Wy - Farmtromx
has added the Nebraska Hopper to
its complete line of components for
electronic, automatic feeding
systems.
With a one-tone capacity, the
Nebraska Hopper is a basic, but
flexible, part of the feed system.
The hopper is constructed of heavy
gauge galvanized steel, as is the
tight fitting weather cover. The
unit is supported by sturdy
structural steel legs and braces.
It is engineered to be used with
Farmtromx’ feeders and can be
fitted with up to four feed stations
In addition, the Nebrasks Hopper
can be fitted with a divider par
tition for two compartments,
allowing use of Farmtromx’ dual
The Nebraska Hopper of the Farmtronix feeding system
features a one-ton capacity and up to four feeding stations.
> .s, ~
News
future growth, Stralow said, in
cluding efforts at improving ef
ficiency. He cited a productivity
improvement plan, a computer
aided work measurement system
designed to update factory work
standards
As evidence of building toward
the future, Stralow cited a number
of accomplishments during the
past 12 months. These include the
introduction of four major new
products, the naming of new top
management members, the
opening of a new regional office
and distribution facility, the
centralizing of credit and
distribution functions and the
launching of new product
development in many areas
Despite the current economic
problems, which have particularly
affected the agricultural sector,
some dealers and some
manufacturers are surviving quite
nicely, Stralow said.
“They have confidence in
themselves and in the future of
agriculture,” he said
“Avco New Idea shares that
confidence.”
feed Wisconsin Feeder. This
feature gives the dairyman control
over mixed graih and supplement
rations on an individual cow basis.
Nebraska Hopper is compatible
with any Farmtronix automatic
feeding system, including the
firm’s well known Dairy-Tromc
and newly introduced Micro-
Tromc. It is easily adaptable to
existing Northco and Horn of
Plenty magnetic feeders.
Farmtromx feeding systems for
the dairy industry feature the
benefits of reduced labor, tracking
of individual cow feed costs
compared to production, and in
creased feed conversion ef
ficiency
Phosphorus use
still uncertain
DALLAS, Tex. Although much
progress recently has been made
ui the understanding of phosphorus
nutrition and metabolism in dairy
cattle, a University of Georgia
researcher reports that con
siderable uncertainty still exists in
many import aspects of its
nutrition
Summarizing recent develop
ments in mineral nutrition of cattle
at the 30th Annual Pfizer Research
Conference, W J Miller, of the
University of Georgia, cited one
1981 study that found increasing
the cow’s phosphorus from .4
percent to 5 percent reduced milk
production. Another study con
flicted It showed that milk
production was greater for cows
fed 54 percent than for those fed
.31 percent phosphorus
“Considerable uncertainty still
exists on the maximum safe levels
of phosphorus that can be fed to
dairy cows and on the deleterious
effects of an excess,” Miller
pointed out.
“Much more research is needed
on phosphorus nutrition and
metabolism of cattle ”
In University of Georgia
research, he reported a chloride
deficiency was produced and
described in calves Death oc
curred when plasma chloride
levels fell to one-third of normal
values
“Selenium has become
recognized as very important in
the reproduction and health of
dairy cattle in many areas,” said
the Georgia researcher.
“British researchers demon
strated substantial differences in
the metabolism of selenite and
selenate forms of selenium by
dairy cows.”
In University of Georgia
research, he continued,
mechanisms of selenium
metabolism and secretion into
milk were investigated. As
secreted, selenium in milk is
largely protein bound. Selenite
selenium must be reduced in other
tissues before it can be bound in
the mammary gland.
The Pfizer Research Conference
is held annually in conjunction
with the national meeting of the
American Feed Manufacturer’s
Association. It features leading
university authorities who review
and report on the prior year’s work
in animal and poultry nutrition.
Fertilizer use shows drop
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS,
WVa Domestic fertilizer use
for the year ending June 30, 1982
will be down 10 to 12 percent from
the record levels of 1981
Edwin M Wheeler, president,
The Fertilizer Institute, speaking
to a gathering of industry leaders
attending the association’s annual
Marketing Conference this week,
predicted the year’s consumption
tally would barely surpass 47
million tons, a sharp drop from the
53 3 million ton record set in fer
tilizer year 1981
"Lower farm income and
commodity prices, plus high in
terest rates, caused fertilizer use
in the U.S. to drop for the first time
in four years - and not since 1975
has the drop been this significant,”
Wheeler said
The association executive added
that nitrogen usage weathered the
storm with but a 4- to 5-percent
drop, but phosphate and potash
consumption fell substantially.
Adding to the disappointing
year, Wheeler said that exports
suffered even more, with finished
materials declining by more than
Eugene D. Hartman, right, of Biglerviiie, poultry specialist
for Agway, attended a poultry farm sales school held recently
at the cooperative's Syracuse, N.Y headquarters. Also
shown in photo is Joseph J. Exley, who has been named
manager of the newly reorganized poultry department, which
will handle Agway's poultry product and egg marketing
segments of business. Hartman works throughout southern
Pennsylvania and western Maryland aidjng poultry farm
operators in the planning of their feeding and management
programs.
HESSTON, Kan - Hesston
Corporation is restructuring its
farm equipment sales organization
m an effort to gam more efficiency
and better contact with its dealer
organization.
Instead of four branch sales
areas, distribution m the United
States and Canada will be from
three sales regions, according to
Jim Fnesen, North American
Sales Manager, including western,
northern and southeastern regions.
Twelve branch sales managers
will be located in eight locations,
including Fresno, Calif.; Denver,
Colo.; Hesston; Dallas, Tex.;
Calgary, Alberta; Minneapolis,
Minn.; Syracuse, N. Y.; and
Memphis, Tenn.
Parts warehouses are located in
Fresno; Denver; Minneapolis,
Hesston; Dallas, Memphis;
Syracuse, Calgary; and Toronto,
Ontario
of 10-12 percent
20 percent and phosphate rock
sales dipping some 23 percent
"There is some good news,”
Wheeler said Both at home and
abroad, retailer/wholesaler stocks
are depleted In this same vein,
except for potash producers, in
ventories are beginning to decline
more nearly in line with what an
admittedly depressed market will
absorb
“Farm prices are at bottom and
if the U S dollar comes down, it
should encourage U.S. farm and
fertilizer exports,” he said
It is too early to make a forecast
for fertilizer year 1983 (which
begins July 1,1982), Wheeler said,
because of the many variables
ALLENTOWN - Agngest
liquifies and deodorizes all types of
livestock and poultry wastes,
according to Polybac Corporation,
1251 S Cedar Crest Blvd., Allen
town
Through its controlled
Agway holds poultry school
Hesston realigns
sales group
Waste deodorizer
' v
Fifteen additional territory sales
managers are being added to work
in the southeast and eastern
portions of the country, primarily
to develop tractor marketing ef
forts in those areas. The additions
raise the total of territory
to more than 100.
Also located at Hesston
headquarters will be regional
personnel responsible for ad
ministration, sales order functions
and parts management. 1
"Centralizing these functions at
our home office permits us to
streamline work flow within each
region and simplify com
munications
"At the same tune, we are
moving our sales management
personnel closer to dealers and
customers,” Fnesensaid.
which may impact the market- A
place during the next 12 months
He said that factors which could
"change the picture dramatically
and suddenly” include the
possibility of a new Congress in
January 1983 making alterations to
the farm bill; a major change in
weather and yields here or abroad,
a market shift in energy supply 01
cost; and a quick change in
economic conditions.
The industry leader cautioned
that continued tight management
of money, production, and per
sonnel will be required of industry,
“particularly if 1983 would turn out
to be a bummer.
microbiological and enzymatic
activity, Agngest differs from
conventional odor-masking
chemicals and works directly on 9
the source of the odor by changing
the molecular structure of the
odor-causing compounds