AlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 12,1982
Farm groups react to “no” vote
HARRISBURG ~ Wednesday
was full of shocks and surprises for
many farm orgamzatons and dairy
leaders as they learned the final
decision made by farmers in
rejecting for the third tune in
several years a milk marketing
program in Pennsylvania
Just minutes after Secretary of
Agriculture Penrose Hallowed
made the public announcement
that the milk referendum was
defeated, State Grange
spokesperson Linda Blake con
fessed that the news was “gravely
disappointing ”
This was something we worked
very hard for,” she explained,
referring to the time spent by
the state’s oldest farm
organization in helping to develop
and promote the proposed milk
marketing program.
Speaking for Pennsylvania
Dairy farmers say “no”
(Continued from Page Al)
dairy farmers are in fact very “Based on the information they
interested in the dairy marketing had, farmers felt it was not
situation.” financially the tune or that they
In giving reasons why the far
mers rejected the milk marketing
program, Hallowell cited current
economic conditions which are of
grave concern to dairy producers.
“The promotion program would
have been a long-range benefit. It
probably could not have turned
things around in a month or two.
Fanners may be looking at the
short-range problem of the need
for dollars and putting off in hopmg
that something else will happen to
help the long-range situation,” he
explained.
He also listed the proposed
national milk marketing
referendum as being a factor.
"Many farmers expressed concern
about our money m Pennsylvania
supporting dairy products from
other states and other countnes,”
Hallowell remarked.
Hallowell noted more fanners
are opting out of the established
federal milk marketing program
and requesting a refund of their
contributions which he said in
dicates their concern about being
able to pay their farm bills and
stretching their milk checks.
One other negative factor
Hallowell attnbuted to influencing
the dairy farmers’ votes was U.S.
Secretary of Agriculture John
Block’s May 5 announcement of
proposed legislation that “could
conceivably, dramatically change
the position of the U.S. (dairy
price) support program.”
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Farmers’ Association president
Keith Eckel, spokesman Wilson
Smeltz expressed PFA's
‘ profound disappointment” with
the rejection vote He shared
Eckel’s belief that evidently
many dairymen still don’t think
the challenges of declining fluid
sales, increasing competition,
imitation products and imports are
as urgent as our organization’s
leaders believe However these
challenges must still be met and
our organization will continue to
search for ways to improve the
economic position of Penn
sylvania’s danymen ”
However, one farm
organization’s representative
expressed his group’s pleasure
with the voting results James
Graci of the Pennsylvania Far
mers’ Union said he “looks at the
(referendum’s defeat) as a big
had the ability to make that con
tribution at this tune,” Hallowell
observed.
The secretary did not consider
the fact that the proposed milk
marketing program was limited to
generic advertising as a
significant reason for its defeat.
“Farmers were uncertain of the
results of any advertising,” he
said, pointing out that milk con
sumption has dropped despite
federal generic and cooperative
brand advertising. “There was not
a strong belief that the promotion
dollar would buy a dollar and ten
cents back.”
Hallowell pledged his depart
ment’s continuing efforts to work
with the dairy industry to seek
alternatives and solutions to the
problems of increased production
and decreased consumption of
milk products. He announced he
will be calling a meeting of the
state’s dairy leaders within the
next few weeks.
Will there be another attempt at
a milk marketing referendum?
According to Hallowell, no one
within the dairy industry has
requested it. However, he in
dicated that if the request for
another referendum was made, it
would not necessarily mean it too
would be doomed to failure. He
added once the national programs
are “settled down” and farmers
have “more stability,” it may be
appropriate to try again.
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victory for Farmers’ Union
•There were two sides to the
story in this dairy referendum,”
said Graci “Farmers’ Union
presented farmers with the other
side and created conversation ”
Graci noted that the real victory
was won by the individual farmers
who voted “no” on the milk tax
question Reasons why the
referendum was voted down, said
Graci, included the fact that the
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program would have established a
mandatory checkoff of 10 cents per
hundredweight from the farmers’
milkchecks
"Advertising should not be a
production cost to the dairy far
mer,” he stated "It should bo a
cost that's passed on to the con
sumer.”
The PFU spokesman also em
phasized the proposed milk
marketing program in Penn
sylvania would have been a
statewide program trying to solve
a nationwide problem.
PFU, recognized as one of the
major opponents to the proposed
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program, is tn full support of a
national dairy proposal which
advocates a production base dam
program and an equitable support
program (see related story). Here
in Pennsylvania, Graci said, PFM
plans to work toward gettmg rid M
bloc voting on future referendums
And, he added, the organization
will ‘attempt to change the
present law that says money can’t
be checked back to co-ops foi
brand advertising.”
Despite PFU’s aggressive stand
against the referendum, Graci
admitted he was only “cautious!}
(Turn to Page A 26)
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