Pl4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 21, 1984
ORLANDO, Fla. - Calling “a
healthy, prosperous agriculture
our best line of defense in the
world,” U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture John Block has vowed
that he will not give up in his
determination to expand U.S.
agricultural exports.
Addressing the 65th Annual
Meeting of the American Farm
Bureau Federation, in the Orange
County Convention Center on
Friday, Jan. 13, Block said major
challenges of three years ago had
been met, as he ticked off, reduced
inflation, lower interest rates and
the removal of the grain embargo,
as primary goals that have been
accomplished.
Block recalled that it was at the
AFBF annual meeting in Dallas,
Texas, one year ago, that
President Reagan initiated the
PIK (payment in kind) program
and said, “PIK achieved what it
was designed to achieve... sur
pluses of grain are down.”
He said another of his goals, the
new long term grain trade
agreement with the Soviet Union,
has been completed with a 50
percent increase in minimum
annual purchase levels.
Processing crops featured
DOVER, Del. The sixth an
nual combined Delaware
Vegetable Growers’ and Potato
Growers’ meeting will feature a
special session Wednesday af
ternoon for growers of processed
vegetables. It will include an
update on double row culture for
tomatoes, plus reports on lima
bean varieties, and insect and
disease control.
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Block calls for more ag exports
Also important, Block said, was
the establishment of guidelines
which assure that federal
marketing orders will be managed
by the Secretary of Agriculture
and his new program announced
this year, to encourage improved
soil conservation practices
throughout the nation.
Conceding that not all of his
personal goals have been achieved
during the first three years of the
administration, he said more must
be done to feed the needy in the
country. “But, the perception that
much of the nation, seems to have,
that less is being done in the
direction is simply not true. Ac
tually, there has been a 25 percent
increase in aid to feed the needy
under this administration.”
Other disappointments, Block
said, were the failure to achieve
control over price support loan
levels and target prices and the
fact that the nation’s export
volume has declined for the third
consecutive year... “though that
has now turned the corner. ”
In his major effort to expand
U.S. agricultural exports, Block
said he will continue to knock on
the door to open markets with
Japan, vowing to “press on in that
A program for potato growers
will be offered at the same time. In
addition, the two-day meeting will
cover a wide range of production,
marketing and management
topics. According to University of
Delaware extension vegetable
specialist Ed Kee, producers also
will be able to attend the largest
trade show ever offered in the
event’s six-year history. The
meeting is free and open to all.
WANTED
Call:
Frank Fillippo
direction until it is accomplished.”
Other needs cited included
assessment of food and food policy
needs around the world,
establishments of dialogue with
interested parties outside
agriculture and preparation of a
list of food and agriculture policy
options. Block visualizes, as a step
toward meeting those needs, the
recently formed cabinet com
mittee on food and agriculture, on
which he serves as chairman pro
tem.
Concerning future farm
programs. Block said public
demand will force reduced costs of
government programs. Guiding
factors will be that we must be
competitive in world markets, or
others will get the business. “We
simply cannot afford to lose our
competitive edge.”
“We must erase the term of
dependence on government from
our vocabulary,” Block said. The
role of government is not to
establish prices, but to maintain a
climate for their establishment.
An important consideration for
the 1985 farm program is that
“producer benefits should not
disrupt resource allocation or
distort market signals.”
Block said, “Thriving
agriculture means jobs for our
people and agricultural industry
serving the world means power for
America.”
Block asked if government in
duced acreage reduction is in the
best interest of agriculture. He
urged Farm Bureau voting
delegates to use their power as
they have never used it before to
answer that question, as they
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participate in policy decisions. He
cited differences between price
and production restrictions in
peanuts and soybeans to exemplify
the detrimental effects of
production controls on market
conditions.
Price support loan rates need
flexibility so they will not destroy
markets, Block said. He said if
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permanent policies to reduce
agricultural production in this
country were advanced, it would
be detrimental to our future.
“Exports are our life blood,”
Block said, noting that com
modities from one-third of our
producing acreage, 100 million
acres, depend on exports for a
market.
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