AlB-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 8,1986
The recent flare-up of Avian
Influenza in Pennsylvania has
again revealed the vulnerability of
livestock and poultry producers to
the potentially devastating
economic effects of animal and
poultry diseases.
Despite ongoing research,
continued improved techniques for
caring and housing, new and
improved vaccines, surveillance
and monitoring by producers,
there are still many diseases and
conditions which have no
preventive vaccine or cure.
Depopulation or infected and
exposed herds and flocks continue
HARRISBURG Chester I.
Reed, Executive Director of the
Pennsylvania Farmers Union,
testified on behalf of the family
farm organization at a hearing
held by Senator Aden Specter on
farm credit and concerns with the
Farmers Home Administration
(FmHA)
Reed explained that the federal
government bears a three-part
responsibility when dealing with
the current farm crisis
First, FmHA must admit that its
expansion-oriented loan officei s
had a hand in creating the massu e
agricultural debt, the outstanding
balance of which is over $2OO
billion
“FmHA must be as cagei to
work with farmers in renegotiating
loans as it was to make those loans
in the first place." Reed said.
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Animal health board
to be the only positive means of
disease control.
While such action almost always
presents a severe financial burden
on the affected producers, the
resultant restrictions imposed by
state or federal agencies in an
effort to control the disease can
have serious impact on non
affected producers as well as
related industries
The Pennsylvania Farmers’
Association (PFA) policy
recommends:
“The Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture (should) be funded
to maintain the present levels of
PFU hits FmHA’s credit stance
pointing to the delinquency letters
threatening foreclosure which
FmHA had planned to send to
every borrower $lOO or more in
arrears as an example of how
FmHA’s attitude won't help family
farmers stay m business ' For
tunately , FmHA has reconsidered
its position and will onh send
threats of foreclosure to borrowers
who haven't even tried to pa\ back
their loans since the foreclosure
moratorium was first announced
in Coleman \ Block," Reed
continued
The farm leader also cited a
proposed FmHA rule which would
deny ownership and operating
loans to farmers producing
commodities which are in surplus
Reed said that such a rule would
push many small familv farmers
over the edge into bankrupt! \
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The Farmers 9 View
animal health care; establishment
of an animal health commission to
coordinate the overall activities of
animal health, research,
diagnostic and indemnity
programs for Pennsylvania
agriculture; and public funding for
indemnity programs.”
State Representatives Samuel
Morns (D-Chester County), and
Carmel Sirianm (R-Susquehanna
County) in November, 1985, in
troduced the proposed Animal
Health and Diagnostic Act (HB
1935). This legislation would create
an independent commission known
as the animal health and
without reaching the rule s stated
goal of reducing surpluses
The second area of responsibihU
for the government is some kind of
short-term relief to get farmers the
operating capital they need for this
Spring ‘The credit situation this
vear is even tighter than it was last
vear," Reed said
The third area of government
responsibility is the need foi 1
needed?
diagnostic commission. Members
of the commission would include
the secretaries of agriculture and
health; House and Senate majority
and minority ag committee
chairmen; the dean of the
University of Pennsylvania School
of Veterinary Medicine; the dean
of Pennsylvania State University’s
College of Agriculture; and six
members representing the
agriculture industry.
The commission members would
elect a member chairman. It
would coordinate all animal
health, research and diagnostic
programs. This would include all
term policj and a commitment to
the famih farm system of
agriculture "The patchwork
handaid approach to farm polo \
that we ve seen in the last few
farm hills has been a senes ot
politic al compromises that haw
done nothing to improve (atm
income." Reed said This has to
chance '
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such projects and programs being
conducted by the Agriculture
Department, Penn State and the
University of Pennsylvania.
The commission would be
permitted to receive funds from
the federal and state government
and private sources for
agricultural research and Penn
sylvania agricultural promotion.
Appropriations going for animal
health, animal research and
diagnostic programs would go to
the commission and not to other
government agencies. This
provision in H.B. 1935 would help to
assure animal health funds would
not come under the influence of
political instabilities, such as
administration changes.
All farmers, regardless of their
commodity, should support the
passage of the animal health and
diagnostic act. A strong
agriculture benefits both the
farmer and non-farmer.
The Farmers’ View is a column
that is compiled by the Public
Relations Division of the Penn
sylvania Farmers' Association
(PFA). It expresses the views of
PFA’s policy positions on key
issues as adopted by the
organization’s 23,313 family
members.
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