D2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 29,1984 LIVESTOCK LATEST “W? ».V^N tVi\K-\(rT Fritz Frey sold his Solanco Fair grand champion FFA steer to Ferguson and Hassier, Inc., of Quarryville. Pictured with Frey at halter are (from left) Tim, Jim and Chip Hassier. Solanco Fair sells 12 tons QUARRYVILLE The Solanco Fair capped its livestock events with a sale of show beef and swine on Friday, Sept. 21. Once again this year, Ferguson and Hassler, Inc. of Quarryville was on hand to top the bidding for the fair’s champion FFA market steer. When the final bid was en tered, auctioneer Glenn Kreider accepted $2.01 per pound for Fritz Frey’s 1,365-pound champion. Jeff Craig’s 1,165-pound reserve champion was next on the block, NY Beef Cattlemen to sponsor calf sales Fall is traditionally the time for commercial cattlemen to market their calves and again this year the New York Beef Cattlemen’s Association is sponsoring a series of Feeder Calf Sales across the state. The first two sales are Nov. 3 at opposite ends of the state. The Southwestern Division Sale will be conducted at the Angelica Feeder Sales Inc. bam in Angelica at 1 p.m. Nov. 3. Consignors are expected not only from western and southwestern New York but from neighboring counties in Pennsylvania. Information about consigning or buying may be ob tained from James Ford, RDI, Angelica, N.Y. 14709. The Eastern Division Sale which serves cattle producers on both sides of the Hudson River and those in neighboring Vermont will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Chatham Area Auction, Chatham, N.Y. Information may be obtained from Claire Barra, Catskill, N.Y. 12414. The Southern Tier Division Sale will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 at the of show pork, plus bringing the top bid of $1.15 from K&S Inc. of Quarryville. When the herd of 20 steers was sold, buyers had paid an average price of $.89 per pound, not in cluding champions. Other active buyers included Willie the Butcher of Lancaster, and Dutchway Farm Market from Christiana. In swine sale action, Abe Dif fenbach of New Holland Sales Stables took home Jeff Byers’ 229- pound grand champion hog for $1.73 per pound. Doug Clemens of Empire Livestock Market at Bath. This sale will serve cattlemen in central New York as well as those in the Southern Tier and their neighbors in Pennsylvania. In formation may be obtained from Michael Hargrave, RDI, Wayland, N.Y. 14572. The final sale will be that of the Western Division at 1 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Empire Livestock Market at Caledonia. Information may be obtained from William Frost, 3709 Briggs Rd. Holcomb, N.Y. 14469. All of the calves marketed at New York Beef Cattlemen’s Association Feeder Calf Sales are sired by beef type bulls. All are either polled or dehorned and all beef Hatfield Packing was on hand to spend $1.47 per pound for Scott Trimble’s reserve champion. ' Prices were steady for the sale’s 106 pigs, averaging $.73 per pound without champions, and only one cent higher with the top animals included in the tally. Swine buyers of note included Willie the Butcher, Bob Kauffman of Peachbottom, Hatfield Packing and Fowl’s Feed Service of Peachbottom. male calves will have been castrated in order to sell in the official sale. Calves meeting New York Beef Cattlemen’s Association preconditioning guidelines are accepted and given special identification* at all four Feeder Calf Sales. These guidelines include weaning at least 30 days prior to the sale date; feeding roughage from a bunk-like feeder and watering from a mechanical source at least 30 days prior to the sale date; and vaccinating not less than 21 days nor more than 30 days prior to the sale date for IBR, Pl 3 and Pasturella. HAD LANCASTER FARMING FOR COMPLETE AND UP-TO-DATE MARKET REPORTS Pa. team dominajes 'Big E' competition BY JACK HUBLfeY WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Pennsylvania’s blue ribbon junior livestock judging team was vic torious once again on Sept. 15, placing first in both overall team and individual competition at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass. The team earned the privilege to compete in the “Big E” event by placing first at 4-H State Achievement Days during August. Team members include Jan Waltz of Manheim, Michelle Dean of Strasburg, Brian Hess of Conestoga and Quarryville’s Fritz Frey. Competing against seven other eastern state teams, the four Lancaster Countians placed first in beef and sheep judging, and second in swine judging, with Jan Waltz being named high individual in overall scoring. In addition to the actual judging events, participants were required to give oral reasons defending their decisions in each of the beef, sheep and swine categories. Team member Michelle Dean took top honors, with the highest individual score of all contestants. Following Pa. in team placings were Md.,second; Conn.,third; Mass.,fourth; andN.Y.,fifth. Traveling to the Atlantic Royal Exposition in Richmond, Va.,last weekend, the team found top honors to be much more elusive. Competing against 10 teams on Sept. 22, the foursome placed Grange on pou HARRISBURG - A U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee is considering changes that will weaken the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 in its regulation of poultry, however, the Pennsylvania State Grange is urging that the act instead be strengthened. In a hearing conducted in. Washington, D.C., by the Sub committee on Agricultural Production, Marketing and Stabilization of Prices of the Senate, three poultrymen spoke on behalf of the State Grange. Ron Shaffer, poultry consultant for the State Grange and former poultryman from Lancaster, told committee members that the proposed amendment to the 1921 Act would “preclude a contract poultry grower from access to a processor’s records.” “This would prohibit any regulation by the Packers and Stockyard Ad ministration over the relationship between growers and processors,” he said. “As a result, the grower can only turn to the courst for help if he believes his payment is in error.” Currently, the Act requires prompt payment to farmers for meat grown for slaughter, bon ding, and statutory trusts, and guarantees secured creditor status in the event of bankruptcy. The Act’s coverage of processed poultry and eggs, however, is more limited. The federal government has authority to investigate late payments, but the Act gives them no teeth to penalize poultry processors, Shaffer said. As a result, poultrymen in Penn sylvania have been paid as much as 16 weeks late for live poultry. The amendment (S. 2781) proposed by Senator Howell Heflin (D-Alabama) would remove the authority of the Packers and Stockyard Administration to in vestigate slaughter records. Since Jan Waltz fourth overall with Jan Waltz placing fourth in individual scoring behind a trio of Indiana youths. The Pa. team placed third in oral reasons and beef judging, and fourth in swine judging. Next on the judging calendar will be the Eastern National Livestock Show in Timomum, Md., on Oct. 6, followed by the Keystone In ternational Livestock Exposition on Nov. 6. One week later the team will be participating in the national competition at the North American International Livestock Expo in Louisville, Ky. testifies Itry act contract growers are paid ac cording to the yield of poultry meat from each bird, rather than by the bird, growers would be unable to prove the amount of money owed them by the processor, Shaffer said. The Grange is supporting another amendment to the Act to be introduced by Sen. .Arlen Specter requiring payment to growers for live poultry within seven days after delivery to the processor. Shaffer pointed out that the financial exposure of contract growers and egg producers is high. “For example, a 100,000-layer complex producing at 80 percent production ships 6,666.6 dozen eggs a day at 50 cents a dozen, worth $3,333. Compare that to the cost of one steer ($700) or one hog ($110), both protected and regulated under the Packers and Stockyard Act. In many instances, the con sumer has purchased and con sumed the birds of eggs before the grower or egg producer has been paid.” Some poultry growers also have been victimized by processing companies who have contracted with the grower or egg producer and also own the feed mill that supplies the producer, Shaffer said. The processor does not pay the poultry farmer on time, and therefore, the farmer cannot pay his feed bill. As a result, the famer loses feed discounts for early payment, and may even be charged interest on the unpaid balance. The Grange will push for ad ditional protection for poultry farmers to ensure prompt payment through both federal and state legislation, Shaffer said. The Grange is currently supporting a state bill requiring payment ot contract growers within 14 days and allowing farmers a lien on the poultry in their possession. The bill is expected to pass the Legislature yet this session.
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