A3O-Lancast*r Farming, Saturday, March 8,1986
WASHINGTON - The president
of the Pennsylvania Fanners’
Association (PFA) has urged
Congress to protect the economic
future of agriculture when con
sidering the major issues of tax
reform, international trade and
deficit reduction.
PFA president Keith Eckel of
Clarks Summit, Lackawanna
County made the point during a
breakfast address to farmers and
congressmen attending PFA’s
national legislative tour. Over 200
PFA members traveled to
Washington, D.C. March 5-6 to
meet with their congressmen on
important farm issues.
PFA is a voluntary, general
farm organization representing
over 23,000 farm families. It is
affiliated with the nation’s largest
farm organization, the 3.3-milhon
member American Farm Bureau
Federation.
Addressing the issue of tax
reform, Eckel said, “PFA and the
American Farm Bureau
Federation support the need for
tax reform. However, we oppose
measures that would impose a
greater tax burden on production
agriculture than it already is
carrying.”
Saying that tax reform
legislation could greatly improve
the efficiency and growth of our
nation’s economy, Eckel noted
that, “At the present time we have
seen excessive investment in
agriculture at a disadvantage to
fulltime farmers.”
On the issue of international
trade, Eckel said PFA and
American Farm Bureau oppose
protectionist legislation, either by
the U.S. or foreign countries. “I
would urge you as Congressmen to
tell our trade representatives to be
tough. Argue fiercely for fair
treatment of U.S. agricultural
products by foreign countries,”
Eckel told the congressmen.
“The United States can be
competitive if it is farmer com
peting with farmer. But, the
Superhopper
M.H. EBY, INC.
P.O. Box 127
PFA pushes budget , trade 9 tax stands in D.C. Hour 9
American farmer is at a great others to meet the goals of
disadvantage ... in a losing Gramm-Rudman... The goals are
situation .. . when he must com- commendable, but some of the
pete with the treasury of a foreign players on this budget cutting
government,” Eckel said. team get to play first string
Addressing the budget cuts without even trying out for the
resulting from the Gramm- team, mainly the major domestic
Rudman-Hollings deficit reduction entitlement programs.” Eckel
laws, Eckel said, “At first glimpse pointed out that Social Security,
it looks like agriculture is going to veterans’ compensation and
pay a much higher price than
WASHINGTON - Rep. Ed
Jones, D-Tenn., Chairman of a
House Agriculture subcommittee
which oversees farm credit
programs, has called on the
Agriculture Department to move
swiftly to allocate Farmers Home
Administration loan funds to meet
current spring planting needs.
“It is my understanding that
second quarter (January-March)
allocations for direct farm
operating funds are exhausted or
near depletion in more than 10
states already...the need for action
in this matter is obvious and
critical,” Jones warned in a letter
to Acting Secretary of Agriculture
Frank Naylor, Jr.
“Therefore I urge that sufficient
amounts of the funds previously
set aside for the third and fourth
quarters be immediately released
and made available in states*
where needed to continue
processing applications for direct
farm operating loans,” Jones
added.
The Farmers Home Ad
ministration, an Agriculture
Department agency, functions as a
lender of last resort for farmers
who cannot qualilfy for credit from
other sources. The agency makes
short and intermediate direct
loans for farm operating needs and
longer term real estate loans. It
also provides guarantees for
operating and real estate loans
made by private lenders. The
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(717) 354-4971
USDA pressured
allocations Jones requested are in
the direct lending program for
farm operating needs.
“Any shutdown in these loans,
even a temporary one because a
state has exhausted its quarterly
allocation, could be very damaging
to farmers who are trying to make
spring planting plans in one of the
toughest economic years any of us
have seen for many producers. I
hope the administration will
respond to my request - and
quickly,” Jones added in a
separate statement.
. The subcommittee Chairman’s
letter continued, “With the entire
month of .March yet to go before
the (next quarterly) allocations
are made, it is inevitable that
many more states will join the list
of those unable to process ap
plications for direct operating
loans at exactly the time when
farmers’ planting season credit
needs are approaching the peak. ”
Jones pointed out also that in
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pensions and other entitlement supported a reduction in federal
programs will not be cut by the spending .. . but it must be a fair
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law. share of across-the-board cuts,”
PFA is urging Congress to Eckel said,
amend the deficit reduction law to When Congress considers budget
repeal the exemption from budget cuts in the U.S. Department of
cuts for entitlement programs. Agriculture, Eckel told
PFA also supports a three-year lawmakers, ‘‘We would encourage
freeze in the cost-of-living ad- you to make spending cuts which
justments for entitlement will have the least impact on
programs. “Farmers have long production agriculture.”
on spring loans
passing the 1985 farm bill, “Based on recent FmHA loan
Congress gave the Agriculture activity reports which indicate
Department authority to transfer on ly about 13 percent of
up to 25 percent of funds authorized the...guaranteed farm operating
for guaranteed loans into the direct loan fund has been obligated so far,
loan account. That authority it seems unlikely that a 25 percent
should be used promptly to help transfer to the direct loan category
avoid any cases in which farmers would result in any disruption or
find they cannot get FmHA direct shortfall in the guaranteed loan
credit at the time it is needed for program,” Jones told Naylor,
spring bills.
Cumberland Valley Co-op
holds annual meeting
SHIPPENSBURG The operational highlights. He also
Cumberland Valley Cooperative discussed changes in agriculture
advisory committee recently held occurring today,
its annual winter meeting at The following new employees
University Lodge in Shippensburg. were introduced: Robert King,
plant manager, Shippensburg;
Henry A. Zajac, general Gerald Potter, plant manager,
manager of Cumberland Valley Mechanicsburg; and Jan
Cooperative, reviewed the co-op’s Kloesmyer, dairy specialist.
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