Price Support Program Endorsed For New Dairy Policy
(Continued from Page Al)
program was the most highly
endorsed subject presented.
“The members of the Penn
sylvania Farmers’ Association
favor a price support system
where supply and demand are
balanced by the market. We*
believe the best way to accomplish
this balance is through a price
support level that is automatically
adjusted according to the amount
of net dairy products purchased by
the federal government,” said
Donald Ranck, representing the
Pennsylvania Farmers
Association.
Ranck supported PFA’s position
by citing the history of the system
between 1949 and 1980. When the
system was operating during this
time, CCC purchases averaged 4.7
billion pounds.
“The support purchase program
is a well chosen tool to achieve the
goal of stabilizing producer prices,
while simultaneously ensuring
consumers an adequate supply of
reasonably priced milk and dairy
products,” noted James Fraher,
economist for Atlantic Dairy
Cooperative. He added that the
price must be realistic and related
to government purchases as well
as changes in producers produc
tivity.
Supply management received
marginal support from the day’s
speakers. Robert Pardoe of the
Pennsylvania State Grange took
the opportunity to denounced
quotas. “The biggest beneficiary
of a quota system is the govern
ment purchase program. The price
result in Canada’s quota program
does not seem to be very enticing,”
he said.
Fraher explained, “ADC does
not, as of this time, support an
alternative to current Federal
dairy policy.”
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RANDY BOTTRICHER PAUL ZIMMERMAN CHRIST B. MILLER
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MUroy, PA 17063 Lititz, PA 17543 Bird-In-Hand, PA 17505
(717)667-2066 (717)733-7674
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Box 246, Pine St. FERTRELL & SUPPLY, INC.
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(814) 425-7401 McAllisterville, PA 17049 Berlin, PA 15530
(717) 463-2551 (814) 267-4124
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2039 Dark Shade Dr. Box 265 York Co. RD1,80x442
Windbar, PA 15963 Lamar, PA 16848 (717) 252-3342 Milton, PA 17847
(814) 467-5909 ( 717) 726-3275 (717) 523-7201
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Ranck advised, “PFA is con
vinced that most Pennsylvania
dairy farmers do not support
supply management programs for
the dairy industry.”
Advocating a supply
management system were four
members of the Pennsylvania
Farmer’s Union. Arden
Tewksbury said that PFU supports
“a milk supply management
program to assure dairy farmers
an adequate price tor his product,
and the protection that other
farmers will not over produce in a
fashion that would destroy prices
at the farm level.”
He added, “We strongly oppose
any value being given to quotas,
bases, etc. It is extremely wrong to
have the milk production at a farm
be worth more than the actual
farm.”
Tewksbury touched on a supply
management program a third
time. He noted that the approval of
bovine somatotropin would
necessitate such a program.
“The impact of somatotropin
and other technologies on the
structure of the dairy industry is
difficult to predict,” according to
Dr. William Chalupa, professor at
the University of Pennsylvania.
“Somatotropin has the potential to
increase the probability of survival
and financial performance of
small and large dairy farms.”
However, he added, the product is
not for everyone.
Chalupa concluded that until
experiments determining on-farm
responses and effects upon health
of dairy cattle are completed,
present fears may be over reac
tions.
Dr. David S. Kronfeld, professor
at the University of Pennsylvania,
cautioned against believing some
of the studies published by the drug
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Dedication And Service To Onr€kßniiiiiinlty £3
companies researching the
product, alleging the results did
not show the entire picture. He
noted that nearly 170 out of 1,000
farmers in one study did not
benefit from using BST.
He noted that a research project
he had planned, but was unable to
attain funding for, would have
explored the relation of the product
to stress and disease. Kronfeld
noted additional studies on these
subjects will be necessary prior to
the Food and Drug Ad
ministrations approval of BST.
Most of the speakers testifying
urged the Commission to seek a
method to preserve the family
farm.
II
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Donald Ranck (left), a dairy farmer from Paradise, testified Wednesday at the hearing
held by the National Commission on Dairy Policy in Harrisburg. The 18-member Com
mission, comprised of dairy farmers from across the country, will report to Secretary of
Agriculture Richard Lyng which direction the dairy community wants the dairy policy to
head.
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Jane and Glen Seidel, dairy
farmers from Womelsdorf, stated,
“Presently, we are replacing dairy
families with dairy corporations.”
They advised the Commission to
consider the social impact this
move will have.
In the new policy the Seidels
noted fanning must contain hope
for the young, dignity for the old
and a fair income for the group in
between. They cautioned against
-letting other countries gain an
upper hand in the GATT
negotiations.
Robert Rumler, retired chair
man of the National Holstein
Association, noted that no other
market commodity er ■ the
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And
Consulting Services
Lancaster Farmmg, Juntfe,
same protection as dairy products
on the world market. Dairy
products will be influenced by the
current GATT negotiations with
European countries, he added.
“We should forego efforts to
enter into the generic export
market,” he said, because of our
inability to be competitive in this
area. The United States can be
competitive in the specialty
market.
Rumler supports using the
current dairy programs as a
framework for future policy,
reserving room in the policy for the
results of the GATT negotiations.
He recogiiized that the govern-
Box 265
Bainbridge, PA 17502
(717) 367-1566
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