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Government Has Interest-Free Loan From Farmers
CAMP HILL ‘Tennsylvania
fanners can’t afford an interest
free, $lO million loan to the Feder
al Government just because Con
gress goofed,” said Keith W. Eck
el, president of the Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Association (PFA), “We
can’t afford that kind of mistake.
“The government is saying to
BY
WALLACE A. MacDONALD
Professor of Animal Husbandry
Alfred State College
ALFRED The waiting has
begun again. Following three ear
lier embryo transfers and the births
of seven embryo transfer (ET)
calves the students at Alfred State
College have recently assisted in
another stage of the ongoing saga
of biotechnology in the college’s
Purebred Holstein herd.
HARRISBURG Conserva
tion tillage continues to grow in
popularity with Pennsylvania far
mers. Crops planted by conserva
tion tillage methods in 1987 was
50 percent as compared to 45 per
cent the year before.
According to Frederick Bubb,
USDA Soil Conservation Service,
conservation tillage is effective in
reducing erosion when used alone
on gentle slopes. On steeper
slopes, it is used in combination
with other soil conservation prac
tices such as terraces.
In 1987, 1,018,000 acres out of
2,021,000 acres were planted by
conservation tillage in the Spring
of 1987. Crops planted by conser
vation tillage included 871,000
acres of full season com, 76,000
acres of spring grain, and 71,000
acres of soybeans.
According to Bubb, conserva
tion tillage includes several
methods of tillage including chisel
plowing, ridge tillage and no-till.
Bubb said that residue cover is the
prime factor in determining the
us: We know you’re exempt from
this tax, but we goofed. So you pay
it, and then we’ll refund your
money,” Eckel said. “That’s dam
poor business, and one that far
mers in Pennsylvania can’t
afford.”
The state farm leader was refer
ring to a provision of the recently
Biotechnology
Currently eight cows and heifers
are serving as surrogates, carrying
calves wliich were transplanted
from three other donor cows. Six
of these embryos had been frozen
for several months after their
recovery from cows in earlier
embryo flushes.
How, then, are the students
themselves involved since the
actual removal of eggs and eventu
al introduction into the recipient’s
uterus is performed by a commer
cial firm?
Soil Saving Conservation
Tillage Increases
effectiveness of the practice in sav- as 80-90 percent on gentle slopes.”
ing soil. “With residue covering 80 Information on conservation til
percent of the ground, such as with lage is available from the Soil Con
a good growth of com stalks, soil servation Service or Cooperative
erosion can be reduced by as much Extension office in your county.
w si > *, •* r '
, . it l.itciAJ » V U 1 > * *k
enacted Omnibus Budget Recon
ciliation Act of 1987, which
requires farmers to pay a 15-cent
per gallon excise tax on diesel fuel
that they are not required to pay for
off-highway agricultural use. Con
gress switched the collection point
for the diesel fuel excise tax from
the retail to the wholesale level
beginning April 1
At Alfred State
To begin with, a target date is
set. This is usually established well
in advance so that all preliminary
activities can be synchronized and
implemented in a timely fashion.
The recipient animals must be
observed to assure that their estr
ous cycles are normal and regular.
It is essential that they be in the
same stage of their cycle as is any
donor cow. Since the eggs are
transferred a week after insemina
tion, all recipients must be estrous
synchronized.
in 1987
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So, now the farmer is required to
pay the IS-cent tax up front, and
later file for a refund either on a
quarterly or annual basis. The far
mer qualifies for a quarterly refund
if he pays at least $l,OOO a quarter
in diesel fuel tax, otherwise he can
only file annually for the refund.
Farmers are substantial users of
Students, then, administer the
hormone injections to accomplish
this. During this whole preparation
period the management and phys
iological considerations and activ
ities are thoroughly discussed in
classes.
On the day of transfer, students
prepare the bam and recipient ani
mals. They must be cleaned and
the animals disinfected thoroughly
since implantation to date has
required minor surgery.
Although twelve recipients
were prepared, one was, upon
examination, considered unac
ceptable and eleven received
embryos either freshly collected or
from those frozen. About 45 days
later all are examined and 8 were
confirmed pregnant. And so the
waiting goes on. July should pro
duce the ultimate test - the calves.
And with that, plans for the next
class project in embryo transfer
will begin.
Columbus, NJ
FEATURES
BUILT BY
diesel fuel. According to the 1982
agricultural census, farmers
nationwide used nearly three bil
lion gallons of diesel fuel on the
farm. That translates into a $420
million tax collection from farmers
which the government would hold
interest-free until the refunds are
made.
“Pennsylvania’s share would be
approximately $lO million this
year,” Eckel said, “which no mat
ter how you look at it is a windfall
for the federal treasury.”
Eckel explained that the law
allows the U.S. Treasury Secretary
to exempt certain groups of users
such as diesel-powered trains,
commercial aviation, state and loc
al governments from paying the
tax at the time of purchase, so our
question is, “Why not do the same
for farmers?”.
This week PFA is' holding a
series of meetings around the state
to enlist farmer help in a letter writ
ing campaign to Pennsylvania con
gressmen and senators to rescind
that provision of the law.
There are presently six bills in
the Congress, one in the Senate
(5.2003) and five in the House
(HR 3844, 3850, 3865, 3866 and
3881), which would correct the
situation, according to Eckel.
PFA is a voluntary, statewide
farm organization representing
23,443 farm families. It is affil
iated with the American Farm
Bureau Federation.
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