Altlmcutw Farming, Saturday, May 17,1986
Hackettstown
Poultry & Egg
Hackettstown, N. J.
Tuesday, May 13
Report Supplied by Auction
Leghorn Fowl .15-.20.
Heavy Broilers .13.
Pullets 1.80-2.35.
Roasters .70-.80.
Bunnies: 1.50-2.00.
Ducks 1.10-1.55.
Rabbits .80-2.00.
Pigeons 2.05.
Bantams .65-1.10.
Eggs
Grade A: White Jumbo X Lge.
.49-.76, Brown .52-.75.
Grade A: White Large .42-.65,
Brown .44-.60.
Grade A: White Medium .40-.55,
Brown .39.
Grade A: Brown Small .40.
Weekly Summary
Harrisburg, PA
Friday, May 16
Report supplied by PDA
15 Livestock Markets
CATTLE: 7922. Compared with
7360 head last week and 7322 head a
year ago. Steers 1.00-2.50 higher;
heifers steady to 2.00 higher; cows
steady to .50 higher; bulls weak to
1.00 lower; steers High Choice &
Prime 54.50-58.00; Choice 52.25-
57.00; Good 48.00-54.00; Standard
43.00-49.50; heifers Choice 49.50
54.50; Good 45.00-51.50; Standard
40.0046.50; cows Utility & Com
mercial Breaking 36.25-42.00;
Cutter & Boning 34.50-39.00;
Canner & Cutter 30.00-36.00; shells
20.00; few Choice bullocks 50.00
54.50; few Good 45.0051.00; YGNo.
1,120022001 b. bulls 43.0051.75; No.
2,9001400 lb. 38.0045.00.
FEEDER CATTLE: Med. No. 1
steers 300700 lb. 50.00-62.00;
heifers Med. No. 1,300-600 lb. 42.00
53.00; bulls Large & Med. No. 1,
350750 lb. 45.0058.00.
CALVES: 3263. Compared with
3026 head last week and 2959 head a
Twin Rib Roofh
29 Gauge Painted Steel
* White
29 Gauge Galvanize
28 Gauge Galvalume
.024 Aluminum
We custom cut eeeh order to the onset length
. specified ot no exits ehsrge.
UNIVERSITY PARK - A trend
toward increased contract farming
provides farmers with much
needed capital, but in exchange
they must give up some of then
freedom in making management
year ago. Vealers Grading Good &
Choice mostly steady; Standard &
Low Good 3.00-6.00 higher; Prime
vealers 105.00-120.00; Choice 75.00-
100.00; Good 60.0065.00; 90-110 lb.
48.00-58.00; 70-90 lb. 43.0053.00.
FARM CALVES; Holstein bulls
90-135 lb. 60.00-125.00; mostly 70.00-
115.00; few heifers 95-130 lb. 53.00-
74.00.
HOGS: 5246. Compared with 5438
head last week and 6416 head a
year ago. 1.00-2.50 higher; No. 1-2,
210-255 lb. 46.50-48.00; No. 1-3, 200-
260 lb. 45.00-47.25; No.'2-3, 200-265
lb. 43.00-45.75; few No. 2-4, 240-290
lb. 40.00-44.00; few No. 1-3,160-190
lb. 39.50-44.00; sows .50-1.50
higher; US No. 1-3,300-700 lb. 35.00-
41.50; boars2s.oo-33.00.
FEEDER PIGS: 789. Compared
with 800 head last week and 966
head a year ago. Fully steady; 20
35 lb. 21.0037.00; 35-55 lb. 25.00
48.00; few 5065 lb. 44.0059.00; all
per head.
3 GRADED FEEDER PIG
SALES: 1952. Compared with 2023
head last week and 2391 head a
year ago. 3.006.00 higher; few No.
1-2, 2030 lb. 110.00142.00; 3040 lb.
90.00113.00; 4050 lb. 87.00106.00;
5060 lb. 83.0099.00; 6070 lb. 70.00
89.00; 7080 lb. 69.0079.00; No. 2-3,
4055 lb. 74.0087.00; all per hun
dredweight.
SHEEP: 831. Compared with 751
head last week and 1091 head a
year ago. Steady to weak; Choice
& Prime 3070 lb. 88.00110.00, few
125.00; 75-110 lb. 80.0090.00; Good
& Choice 6090 lb. 69.00-80.00; si.
ewes 14.0040.00.
GLENWOOD METALS
Custom Cut Metal Roofing & Siding
* Earth Brown
* Sand Tan
* Cypress Green
* Barn Red
* Harbor Blue
* Painted White
* Mill Finish
Contract farming gains popularity
v”Tn
Available Ik
decisions.
H. Louis Moore, professor of
agricultural economics extension
at The Pennsylvania State
University, says under contract
fanning, or “vertical integration,”
a producer signs a contract with a
feed company or a marketing
organization to produce for that
firm. This permits a company to
exert complete control over the
production and marketing of a
farm commodity.
“We see this trend in the in
dustries that have the capability of
being very efficient,” he says. The
poultry meat and egg industries
are so highly integrated that few
independent producers remain.,
Moore sap contract farming has
been especially evident in the hog
industry in the last decade. “In the
Lancaster and York areas many of
the large hog operations are under
contract.”
Since 1977, the number of hog
operations nationally with 500 or
more animals has increased 3.3
percentage points, from 3.4 per
cent to 6.7 percent as of Dec. 1,
1985. While this may seem like a
relatively small increase, hogs
raised on such large farms now
make up 55.5 percent of all hogs
raised, compared to only 35.3
percent in 1977. The smaller
operators, who make up the
remaining 93 percent, today
produce only 44.5 percent of the
hogs.
This is a direct result of contract
farming: more hogs are being
raised on fewer farms. In both the
poultry and hog industries, large
contract farms are replacing small
farms.
Moore says contract farming
may allow farmers to have bigger
operations than they could if they
had to produce their own capital.
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Also, if a feed company is involved
it might also supply the feed or
other supplies on attractive
repayment terms.
Producers supply the facilities
and some management, but they
also lose some freedom in making
decisions. “In many respects, the
farmer becomes just a hired
hand,” Moore says.
The contractors gain a
guaranteed market for feed,
feeder pigs or chicks. Contract
farming also allows them to
guarantee supply for a processing
firm.
Contract farming leads to very
efficient production, Moore says,
and more uniform production
throughout the year so that the
market doesn’t have a surplus at
one time and then a shortage later.
It does have some disadvantages
for the farmer, though. “One of the
big disadvantages is that it makes
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it more difficult for the average
fanner to compete,” Moore says.
“The guy who tries to stay out of
contract farming finds it in
creasingly difficult to do so as the
marketing firms associated with
contracting become larger and
more influential.
“Farming becomes more like a
factory enterprise and that could
be a disadvantage,” he adds.
Consumers benefit from the
efficiency, Moore says. “The
trends usually work to the benefit
of the consumer in that the retail
prices of the goods are lower than
they would be if you didn’t have
contract farming in that en
terprise.”
Moore thinks the trend will
continue. “Based on the ex
periences of the poultry and hog
industries it can be expected that
contract farming will continue to
increase.”