VOL 35 NO. 13 Beef Economist Predicts Good, Not Magnificent Year For Industry ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) “I think 1990 is going to be a good year, but notice I didn’t say magnificent year,” said H. Louis Moore, Penn State extension eco nomist, to about ISO cattle farmers at the Cattle Feeders Day on Tues day at the Farm and Home Center. Moore told the fanners that while we’ll be “lucky” to avoid a recession in 1990, beef fanners Bovine TB Stopped VERNON ACHENBACH, JR. Lancaster Farming Staff EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.) A state Department of Agriculture official said he is even more cer tain than before that bovine tuber culosis has been- stopped in Pennsylvania. Dr. Max Van Buskirk, director of the Bureau of Animal Industry, recently said he has seen no sujpi cious results at the end of a second round of testing for bovine tuber culosis that ended this week. How ever, Buskirk warned that it will still be several months, and another round of testing, before Pennsylvania can resume its status as a bovine TB-free area. Early January, Boyd Wolff, state agriculture secretary, announced that a first round of testing of 10,698 dairy cattle showed no positive reactions, out side of the 121 that did test positive and were killed. The nearly 11,000 cattle were tested because they were consid ered at risk of having the disease because of possible exposure to a Dauphin County herd of infected animals that no longer exists. There is no effective treatment for bovine tuberculosis, which is con tagious to man. The disease was discovered last August and resulted in the destruc tion of 109 cattle from one herd and 12 other cows that had either been bought from the herd or had been exposed to the infected animals. Wolff said, “we feel confiden t... all animals that contracted the disease have been located and were removed.” Van Buskirk said the disease is apparently no longer a threat in Pennsylvania, but federal regula tions require a third round of test ing of animals that may have been exposed to the infected animals. “There are no new indications of any problems,” Van Buskirk said. “There are no problem herds at the present time. We think that’s true now (that there is no bovine TB here) however, these tests are the routine tests required to lay any question to rest and (have) our bovine TB-frec status restored by the U.S. Department of Agricul ture (USDA). It is kind of a routine mop-up, now,” he said. Rve Sections should be optimistic about selling their cattle in 1990. Total meat production will be up about 18 per cent, and beef will make up 37 per cent of all meat consumed. Moore’s “fearless forecast” places a 77.0 cents per pound price on fat cattle for the first quarter of 1990, and 73.0 cents per pound for the third quarter. “The ‘captive’ markets, such as Art GiaNelter (left) presents the York Farm Family of the Year Award to Wayne and Athena Beshore. At the 1990 Keystone Cornucopia are (I to r): Rocco Pugliese, president; Edward Helfrick, senate chairman, ag committee; Patrick Stapleton, minority chairman, senate ag committee; Lt. Gov. Mark Singel; Kenneth Brandt, minority chairman, house ag committee and Boyd Wolff, state ag secretary. Cornucopia, The Social Event Of The Season EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) To remind state legisla tors about the importance of farm ing and agribusiness in Pennsylva nia, the Pennsylvania State Coun cil of Farm Organizations invited these lawmakers to dinner. This happened Monday evening at the 1990 Keystone Cornucopia served at the Marriott where everything onthes3S plate was grown or pro duced in Pennsylvania. Lt. Governor Mark Singel said the cornucopia has become the social event of the season. “You Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 3,1990 turkey and chicken, will increase through the 1990 s as they’ve done consistently in the 1980 s,” he said. Poultry products make up 36 per cent of all meat consumed in this country. While beef production should increase about 6 percent, beef will continue to grab a smaller share of the total market Total beef imports should equal 2.2 billion pounds in 1990. about? are the movers and the shakers in the ag industry,” Singel said. “It would be presumptuous to claim the success of the Casey admi nistration all for ourselves. Those related to agriculture, both Demo crats and Republicans have work ed in bipartisan efforts to make Pennsylvania the premier state for agriculture. “We have created new jobs, bet ter education and worked against drugs. And while we are cooperat ing to make Pennsylvania better, we are not done yet,” Singel said. Singel said farmers seem to be able to “weather the weather,” but percent of the total beef supply. However, beef and pork will con tinue to have a smaller share of the total market. Exports growing slowly Exports are growing slowly at 600 million pounds in 1990. “Note that is in millions of pounds, not billions, such as the import market,” Moore said. Ag Leaders Honored By York Chamber BY JOYCE BUPP York Co. Correspondent YORK (York Co.) A New Cumberland farm family and Loganville meat retailers have been recognized by the York Area Chamber of Commerce for out standing contributions to agriculture. The E. Wayne Beshore family received the farm family award and Godfrey Brothers Meats was honored for distinguished service during the third annual agriculture recognition banquet January 25 at Wisehaven Hall Co-sponsors for the ag salute were die Extension Service and York Area Chamber of Commerce. to lose a farm is something diffe rent To help this situation, Singel said the administration had mobil ized the Ag Land Preservation efforts. Other efforts on behalf of agri culture were listed as the new working relationship between Penn State University and PDA to make better use of pesticides, efforts to increase domestic and export sales of Pennsylvania pro ducts, funding for fairs and the newly announced $2.6 million contract to put a new roof on the farm show buildings. “We are in it together, and if we 509 Per Copy ‘ ‘lmports will continue to be much greater than exports." Moore said that supplies of pork, broilers, and turkey will not decrease. Feed prices have not decreased much since the 1988 drought, and grain growers will still feel the pinch. Cattle are being brought to feed lots earlier (about 3 percent more than a year ago) and (Turn to Pago A 25) E. Wayne Beshore family Wayne and Athena Hayes Beshore began dairying in the late 1940 s on the farm of his parents, Elmer and Florence Beshore. On their first year of herd lest, the Beshores’ ten head averaged 7,160 pounds of milk and 252 of butterfat. The New Cumberland farm’s 167 acres are cropped to grains, forages and straw for the regis tered Holstein herd. Showing is a family tradition of more than three decades, beginning when the Beshores’ eldest son, Marvin,' joined the 4-H program with his first project heifer calf. (Turn to P«B» *32) Penn Del’s Glenna Now Excellent 96 REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio The 1989 Unanimous All- American Aged Guernsey Cow and Unanimous Junior All- American Aged Cow is now appraised 96 points. Penn Del Vicuvius Glenna is the second cow in the breed to receive this score. Grand champ ion of all three national shows and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair this year, “Glenna” has accumu lated five All-American titles for her owner, Emily Branstetter of Edmonton, Kentucky. A Penn Del Hornet Vesuvisu daughter, she completed a 365-day lacation of 25,770 pounds of milk, 1,203 pounds of butterfat and 906 pounds of pro tein at four years and two months. (Turn to Pag* A4B) continue, there is no limit to what we can do,” Singel concluded. “Agriculture will continue to be the number one industry in the state.” State Ag Secretary Boyd Wolff said over the last few years we have accomplished many things and built a foundation for our children. “And we pledge to keep it going into the next century,” Wolff said. Food baskets were prepared from donated items to represent the bounty of Pennsylvania’s agri- (Turn to Pag* A 24)
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