LANCASTER Lancaster
County is still number one in the
state when it comes to agriculture,
being 4he leader in dairy, poultry,
beef cattle, hogs, and field crops.
For the first time in its traceable
history, Lancaster County topped
the 110 bushel per acre barrier for
com production according to 1981
figures. County Extension Agent
Jay Irwin reported Wednesday the
average yield for the golden maize
came in at 112 bushels to the acre
the highest yields recorded in
the entire state.
According to Irwin, part of the
reason for this outstanding corn
production that tops the state
average by 16 bushels per acre was
the excellent growing conditions
experienced last summer. And last
vear more farmers cashed in on
com by planting a total of 136,600
acres, two-thirds of the total field
crdp acreage in the county. Un
fortunately, the cash value of the
crop, $39,497,300, was far less than
the $44,808,000 value of 1980’s
sparser crop. That year, due
mostly to drought, Lancaster
County’s 132,000 acres of com only
yielded an average of 85.9 bushels.
One of the reasons fanners are
planting more corn, despite the
lower cash value, said Irwin, is
because of another record gam m.
the county dairy cow numbers.
In 981, the number of dairy cows
m Lancaster County climbed to a
new high of 101,900 cows up from
the 94,000 level record in 1980. The
additional com acres are used to
help feed these dairy animals,
along with the county’s other
livestock. And despite the record
yields and acres planted, the
county remains a deficit area for
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Lancaster County, still
com buying large quantities of
the grain.
Of course, most of the com that’s
fed to dairy cattle is in the form of
com silage. Here, too, Lancaster
County farmers set a new standard
for farmers around the state. Their
1981 figures for silage production
per acre exceeded the state’s 16.2
tons per acre average by almost
five tons. The new "yardstick” for
top silage production is 20,9 tons to
the acre.
Because of their higher yields,
Lancaster farmers were able to
cut back their acres of corn har
vested for silage to 66,200 from
1980’s 68,700 acres.
With better management and
better quality feed, the county’s
dairy cows pumped out their own
records last year, bringing the
-average production level to 13,200
pounds per cow up 700 pounds
from the previous year and 800
pounds over the state average.
When asked why Lancaster’s
better-than-average dairy farmers
would add more cows to their
herds and push for greater
production in the face of milk
surpluses, Irwin commented, “The
dairy farmer had to increase in
order to keep his head above
water.” He cited figures which
showed certain dairy farmers
earning $22,000 less than two years
ago due to increased interest costs,
cutbacks in pnce support, and
greater expenses.
“The dairy farmer was caught in
a bind,” Irwin said. “To stay in
business, he had to be more, ef
ficient through closer culling, fine
tuned breeding, better feeding
programs, and lighter
management control. And he had
Elverson, Pa. 19520
(215) 286-9118
In dairy, poultry, beef, hogs, corn
to increase production by adding
cows.”
Even though the county’s 1,850
dairy farms (down 25 from 1980)
have suffered economic setbacks,
along with the other members of
the agricultural community, the
dairy industry still represents
almost a $2OO million business,
experiencing its greatest value
increase last year when it jumped
from $163,055,000 (1980) to
$195,017,000.
Comparing Lancaster County to
other counties in Pennsylvania, a
wide margin exists between the top
two dairying counties. Coming in
second, with' 44,000 cows is
Bradford County, whose dollar
values total $75,870,000. Franklin
County comes in third, with 40,300
cows and a dairy industry value of
$7B million. Following in fourth
place is Chester County, with
Berks claiming fifth.
Other agricultural industries
which play major roles both in
Lancaster County and the state are
led by the county’s poultry in
dustry which has kept its number
one ranking in Pennsylvania with a
total value of $167,471,500. This
figure • includes broilers
($52,114,000), layers ($103,895,000),
and others, including started
pullets and turkeys ($11,462,500).
Lancaster farmers raise 37
percent of the state’s broilers,
reported Irwin, and house 48.3
percent of all the laying chickens
in the state.
One area where the county
realized a dramatic decrease in
numbers last year was in the hog
industry. In contrast to 1980’s
figure of 337,000 hogs in the county,
"Our average test weight was around 59 pounds.
Even the guy at the elevator said it was the best
corn they ever bought. The back-up service is real
good - no problems. I’d definitely buy another
AeroDry.”
Number One
Lancaster’s 1,800 hog farmers only
reported 256,000 head last year.
When asked if the pseudorabies
virus might have had an effect on
the hog numbers, Irwin shrugged
off PRV as a factor since it only
affected 70 farms at Us peak. In
stead he blamed lower market
prices as the influencing factor.
Despite the decrease in numbers,
however, Lancaster County tops
the list in hog production. It also
remains on top in beef cattle
production with 256,000 head
(unchanged from 1980), but rdhks
third in sheep, with 7,500 head (up
1,500 head from 1980).
Irwin reported Lancaster far
mers experienced a decrease in
wheat yields last year due to scab,
harvesting 41 bushels per acre
compared to 42.9 bushels per acre
in 1980. Barley, oats, and potatoes
were harvested with greater yields
in 1981 64 bushels per acre for
barley, 69 bushels per acre for
oats, and* 290 hundredweight for
potatoes.
One of the surprising statistics
Irwin reported was the tobacco
figures for 1981. He quoted a total
value of $20,122,400 for last year’s
crop, but quickly qualified that
figure by explaining it reflects the
value of the crop whether it’s sold
or “hanging in the shed.” Faced
with the situation of unsold
tobacco, Irwin said many county
tobacco farmers reduced their
acreage this year. But what has
been planted, “looks like a good
crop,” he said.
Summing up the year, Irwin
noted Lancaster fanners “took a
close look at their balance sheets in
1981 and paid closer attention to
Bob Taylor
Preston, Maryland
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609-694-2872
Milford Mast
Elverson, Pa.
215-286-9118
Lancaster farming, Saturday, August 28.1952—A17
Farming in Lancaster County is
big business, stressed Irwin. Last
year the county surpassed the $7OO
million mark in value of
agricultural products for the first
tune. And, only one year before,
the $6OO million rmlesto ic was
passed.
Irwm concluded by noting some
of the credit for agriculture’s
success in Lancaster County can
be attributed to the support of
allied industries. —SM
Milton, Pa.
717-437-2714
Jim Davidson
Millington, Md.
301-928-3040
their fertilizer and machinery
costs.” He pointed out more far
mers considered the fertilizer
value of their livestock manure as
one cost-cutting measure. Using
the manure and incorporating it
safely into cropland fields, Irwin
warned, is an area of concern that
will need to be studied in the near
future.
Record harvest
UNIVERSITY PARK - In the
first crop estimate of grain
production for the 1982 season, the
USDA indicated that all crops will
be near or break previous records.
The soybean crop at 2.29 billion
bushels will be up 13 percent from
last year and 1 percent above the
previous record set in 1979. The
wheat crop at 2.77 billion bushels is
1 percent short of last year’s
record.
With total feed grain production
at least 1 percent above the
previous record it would appear
that grain prices will continue to
stay low. Low grain prices will
encourage livestock feeding and
result in higher meat supplies in
1983.