' VAV-v.-.W.-.V -.v,’. • A.,'. Maiybnd Women's Ag forum Explores International Trade BY SHARON SCHUSTER Impact on Maryland Agriculture,'' Maryland Correspondent at the University of Maryland, COLLEGE PARK, Md. The College Park campus. Maryland Women’s Agricultural The forum was scheduled as a Forum met March sto examine follow-up to the panel discussion of “International Trade and It’s the same issue at the group’s fall -<ope. ity Agriculture representative to the United States, was one of several people who discussed international trade at the March 5 Maryland Women's Agricultural Forum. ** \ y i ♦ meeting in Annapolis. Many at tendees of the prior forum went away feeling there had not been enough time to delve into the issue of international trade thoroughly, thus, the March follow-up. Dr. Earl Brown, international trade specialist, gave an overview of the agricultural trade situation with the presentation of a film. “Agricultural trade is a large, complex, and very competitive business. The stakes are high. The rewards can be excellent. But the risks can be devastating,” advised the narrator. “There are about 200 million metric tons of grain traded in the world every year,” said Brown. “The United States accounts for about 35 percent of that.” Brown explained that the long run demand for “the big three” com, wheat and soybeans will be in the less developed countries of the world. Brown attributed the decrease in U.S. agricultural exports from $44 billion in 1981 to $26 billion last year, to factors such as a stronger dollar, overpricing, and a worldwide recession. He said tonnage will go up in 1987, “because we’ve lowered the prices. It looks like we are going to have a lot of excess production and every country is going to have to reduce production until prices get back to normal.’’ Dr. Raymond Miller, vice president for agricultural affairs and dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Maryland, served as moderator for a panel discussion on “The Future For Agricultural Trade.” Members of the panel were James Vertrees of the U.S.D.A., Dennis Avery of the U.S. Department of State, and Paul Drazek, assistant director of national affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Here we are, locked in this strange, stunted, agricultural global competition,” said Avery. “The biggest problem for our farmers is that farm subsidies have raised our production costs to the point where we’re not as competitive as we could and should be,” he added. In summation, he said, “a lot of things are going to change they are going to have to change. The production and demand trends do not compute.” “Foreign countries are downright angry with us right The most important stage in the life of a com plant is the first six weeks after planting. In those first weeks, the com plant’s most vulnerable to lasting harm from soil pests including rootworms, wireworms, seed com maggots and nematodes If that weren’t bad enough, a second wave of above-ground pests like armyworms, billbugs, com borers, stalk borers and flea beetles arrive to damage the corn plant’s stalk and leaves. It's a long, grim list for a young com plant to face In fact the only list that’s just as long is the one on the label of a bag ofFuradan® Because Furadan insecticide nematicide can easily control the broadest spectrum of pests, while suppressing cutworms,it’ll help your corn plants get off to a faster and a healthier start What makes that critically important is that the corn plants protected against infestation and the diseases that come with infestation have a much greater chance of yielding more corn And more yield means you get more of what you plant tor So if you’re using another insecticide or nothing at all, it’s time you use Furadan And help your youngsters reach their full potential -'rv,*j«aOD**nKMUw(M^^^B vtssl^lJh Hßßß. FMC Corporation AgnculturalChemii «K roup 2000 Market Strett Phihdtlphid PANIO* Pur idanand ok art retfstertdtndtnurkst'fFMC t_orporatu n Fund in isartstnatdusc ptstkide Rt andk How label instructions © FMc L rpontmn Lancaster Farming, Saturday, march I4v 1967-121 now,” said Drazek in his overview. Bruno Julien, European economic community representative to the United States, concurred with that opinion of how the United States is viewed' by the rest of the world with regard to agricultural trade. Drazek said, “What we need to do, by bringing the market price down, is send a signal to these countries that perhaps you should reduce production and don’t expect the United States to do the whole thing for you as we did in 1983. We’re not going to do it by our selves.” Vertrees echoed this sentiment. “By and large we bear the burden of die world’s adjustment to trade balance because we are the largest producer.” Louis Loßianco, deputy ad ministrator, sales and marketing for the Port of Baltimore, was present to promote use of the port. “We’re not moving a lot of grain through Baltimore,” reported Loßianco. “We’ve got 12 million ton capacity. We moved less than 2 million tons last year,” he said. “Let me assure you that there is a commitment from the thousands of people that work for the port that we are very interested in working with ag, in trying to help them find markets, and trying to help them become competitive in those markets,” he said. “If it takes a sacrifice on the part of labor, we think they’re going to give it,” he added. Panelists and members of the audience also place the blame for today’s agricultural trade crisis on “lack of preparation and in novativeness. What we need are some market development fron tiersmen,” suggested one ob server. Peter Willoughby of the Maryland Department of Agriculture addressed this con cern with practical ideas that he brought back from his recent tour through the European Community. He called his presentation a “show and tell” session. “What does the customer want?” he asked. “Create it,” he suggested, with reference to gourmet vegetables, custom grown products that bear logos or are in specific shapes. People laughed when yogurt went on the market in the United States. Now those producers are “laughing all the way to the bank,” said Willoughby. Drinkable yogurt is the most recent innovation to hit the European market, and it is reportedly a big hit. He showed several examples of “value added” products, such as the potato pancakes being marketed by Ireland. Promotion is an important part of marketing. He illustrated the point with brochures promoting beef, dairy products and even Texas Barbecue on the state, county and local levels ui Europe. “Seventy-one percent of Canadian products will find their way into U.S. markets,” said Willoughby. He suggested that the U.S. agricultural community needs to “do our homework. ’ ’ Breaking New Ground Department of Agricultural Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 HAVECO Handicapped Vehicle Conversion Co. 421 Amity Road Harrisburg, PA 17111 Phone (in PA) 000-692-7293 (outside PA) 800-221-6167 Tilt N Tote Wheelchair Carrier, Inc PO Box 79 Waterville, Ohio 43566-0079 Phone (419) 878-8511 FaihlonAßLE tor Better Living 5 Crescent Avenue BoxS Rocky Hill, NJ 00553 Phone (609) 921-2563 Enrichments PO 80x579 Workshop (Continued from Page B 20)
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