D2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18,1982 The Milk Check TOM JUBCHAK County Agent Two Minute Warning Word has gone out from Market Administrators to milk handlers to start deducting 50 cents a hundred from each producer’s milk check each month beginning in December. So, the 45 day comment period on procedures for making the deduction that turned into a protest rally for postponement didn’t work. Even the bills introduced to Congress in a lame duck session scheduled full of gasoline taxes; last minute budget appropriations; the MX missile; and a ten percent income tax cut had less chance than a snow ball. The message seemed clear that the Administration was prepared - even bound - to carry out the in structions of the Congress and would do so until they were changed. The trouble was that there was not time enough left for this Congress to change anything and bills introduced now will die with this session. It seemed like the two minute warning in sports signalling the end of the game but all the coaches and players were frantically running around bumping into each other instead of cooperating on a plan to win the game. In fact, the Secretary of Agriculture said clearly that until the industry agreed on a plan to cut the costs of the price support program and correct the sup ply/demand imbalance, he had no choice but to follow the mandate given to him by Congress in the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1982. A Better Way Once again, it was fashionable to be anti and everyone including newspapers and politicians got into tfie act. Nothing was accomplished in getting the industry together on a workable solution. If we could do this it would be a real opportunity to hold the administration and Congress to its word and give you the program you present. However, at this point every group and organization is still pushing the same plans they hatched last spring that produced the disaster on August 19 that we have today. By now, everyone should agree that there has to be a better way but that means one better way we can agree on and not ten better ways that divide us. Alternative Now that there is a 50 cent deduction, pdrhaps we could do better by getting the ad ministration to set it aside in a special dairy fund while we work on a better use for it than the Commodity Credit Corporation general fund. It’s supposed to produce $325 million in six months. By then we start on another 50 cent deduction in April that would double the take. That’s all part of the present law. However, if we could convince Congress that it would be better (and cheaper) to use all this money as refunds to farmers who reduce production, they might buy it. The second 50 cents will be used this way so why not both assessments rather than losing half to the CCCV You might even consider raising the assessments to sweeten the pot further to encourage reductions but that’s up to you. At least let’s try to hang on to what you’re paying now to find better use for it. barley producers to receive WASHINGTON, D.C. - Eligible wheat farmers soon will receive an estimated $475 million in deficiency payments on their 1982 crop, while barley fanners will get about $6O million, according to Everett Rank, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. Rank said deficiency payments are required under the 1982 wheat and barley programs because average market pnces received by farmers during the first five months (June through October) of the marketing year were below established target price levels of $4.05 per bushel for wheat and $2.60 for barley. No deficiency payments are INSULATION R. MAX URETHANE (4xB or to your spec) ★ ★ ji... . %■ ‘>>/P RD2, Box 267, East Earl, PA 17519 Call us for low prices - (717)354-7561 deficiency payments required for oats as the five-month weighted average market pnce of $1.50 per bushel is the same as the $1.50 target price, Rank said. The deficiency payment rate is based on the difference between the established target price'and the higher of the national weighted average market price for June through October or the loan rate. National weighted average market pnces were $3.34 per bushel for wheat and $2.20 per bushel for barley. Thus, eligible producers will be paid 50 cents per bushel for their 1982-Cfop wheat based on the $3.55 loan rate and 40 cents per bushel for this year’s barley based on the national weighted average market pnce. Deficiency payments will be Distributor For FIBERGLASS ROLLS BLOWN IN SALES WHEELING CHANELDRAIN ROOFING & SIDING Colors In Stock: • Red • Avocado Green • Plain Galvanized • Light Green • White • Gold • Brown Distributor For ALUMAX ALUMINUM ROOFING & SIDING made to wheat and barley farmers who participated - in the 1982 acreage reduction programs. Rank said the payment checks will be issued through local ARCS of fices. as soon as possible after Dec. 3 for wheat and after Dec. 10 for barley. The total base acreage for the 1982 wheat program was 90.7 million acres of which 43.8 million acres participated in the program. The total acres planted for harvest on these complying farms was 33.0 million. ' For the 1982 barley program, the total base acreage was 10.5 million acres with 4.8 million acres par ticipating in the. program. The acres planted for harvest on the complying farms was 3.5 million. COMPLETE POLE & OTHER BUILDINGS TRUSSES
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