By Willard Jones I’m Willard Jones, Doebler sale* manager. All the fuss about a short seed com crop this fall is ancient history for anyone who harvested corn this fall. It just has to be true. But short supply doesn’t haive to mean those $BO to $lOO prices being talked in the farm press. Not at Doebler’s. Not for our customers. Nor are we going to wait Ufitil every last seed company makes up its mind on prices. Here’s what we’re doing: • Our prices are up $1 to $1.50 from last winter and spring prices. It’s our first increase since 1984. • Same cash discounts. That’s a 10% saving if you pay dealer by Nov. 12. • Full volume discounts, too. Up to $5.50 per bushel. Can Doebler’s hold the line on prices? No problem this fall. DOEBLER HAS THE SEED CORN ... and the Round-the-clock irrigation, hard work and some luck saved our Pennsylvania seed crop. Our midwest crop was a near disaster. But with carryover we estimate our seed supply at 110% of 1988 sales. Underline estimate. But order immediately to lock in prices and favorite numbers. If 1989 corn acres expand as expected, all seed companies could come up short. And if you’re buying from other seed companies, demand the price before you make the deal. That guarantees no surprises at delivery. Alternatives then could be limited. Remember, most dealers have little influence in determining the price their companies charge. Will yoa get the hybrids yoa ordered? It’s tough to guarantee an order even in a normal year... but we’re working at it. Last year one hybrid was oversold in days, long before totals could be run. Sometimes we find out too late that harvest of a certain number didn’t come up to expectations. We hate it. Customers are unhappy. So are we. This year we’re taking two more steps to correct the problem. price 1. Dealers will get quotas on all hybrids in short supply. These will be based on last year’s actual sales. 2. The Jersey Shore office will monitor sales of each hybrid daily. A stop order will then go out to all dealers immediately when a hybrid is sold out. It should help. Winter crop could boost seed supply Keep your fingers crossed but Doebler’s could have 15,000 to 18,000 more bushels of seed com by mid-January. A crop is in the ground along the Rio Grande, and seedlings are coming up. This is a high-risk venture and we don’t want to promise more than we can deliver. Weather, insects and disease could raise havoc. But the crop will be a real bonus for Eastern farmers if we ' pull it off. We’ll keep you posted. R.D. 1. Jersey Shore, PA 17740 WE GOT YOUR NUMBER DOEBLER’S ybrlds 2Sfo TK3t T** * «”«• \fjjmk for tmc cast MYWVMIM 4PV^ •• i *■•»- M«w MMIINK