D6-Lancaster Fanning Saturday, May 12,1990
NFU Applauds Decision
To Delay BGH
DENVER, Colo. Leaders of
the 250,000 member National
Farmers Union (NFU) said the
U.S. Food and Drug Administra
tion’s decision to postpone the
approval of the controversial
bovine growth hormone (BGH)
shows that concerns surrounding
the use of the chemical are
serious.
An FDA official announced
Monday that a decision on
approval of BGH will not be made
until at least next spring. Compa
nies seeking approval of the pro
duct had predicted that FDA
would OK it early this year.
The postponement came shortly
after Farmers Union members and
representatives of other farm and
consumer groups convinced state
legislators in Minnesota and Wis
consin to pass measures forbid
ding BGH use for a period of time,
even it is approved.
Farmers Union members from
several major dairy producing
states have been voicing concerns
about the product for months, say
ing that it would lead to overpro
duction of dairy goods while con
sumer worries over the hormone’s
safety would cause consumption
to fall off.
“This delay really exemplifies
Farmers Union Continues
To Oppose BST
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Pennsylvania and New York
legislators must be urged to intro
duce legislation to protect the
livelihood of the family farmer
and the health and economic well-'
being of all consumers.
Pennsylvania Farmers Union
wishes to commend our Represen
tatives for passing H.R. #l9O in
October of 1989. This resolution
asked for a delay in the commer
cial sale of bovine somatotropin
(BST) until an extensive study
could be done to determine the
impact it would have on consum
ers and dairy farmers and on cows
that receive the hormone. Howev
er, much work still needs to be
done by our legislators on both the
state and national levels.
Pennsylvania and New York
Fanners Union members congra
tulate the legislators of Wisconsin
and Minnesota for passing legisla
tion and further congratulate Gov
ernor Tommy Thompson of Wis
consin and Governor Rudy Per
pich of Minnesota for signing
legislation mandating a morator
ium on the sale of milk produced
from BST-injected cows.
Synthetic BST (also called
bovine growth hormone, or BGH)
is a genetically engineered version
of a cow growth hormone that sti
mulates increased milk production
by up to 25 percent when injected
into dairy cows.
Legislation mandating a one
year moratorium on commercial
BGH use was signed in Minnesota
ness
News
the power people can have in
influencing government deci
sions,” said NFU President Leland
Swenson. “BGH is not good news
for farmers, consumers, or any
body other than the chemical com
panies promoting it and FDA is
now realizing that.”
A spokesman for the FDA’s
Center for Veterinary Medicine
told a group of farm writers in
Washington this week that
approval of BGH was being
delayed until more data is avail
able on the hormone’s effective
ness and its effect on cows
injected with it. Independent stu
dies by several researchers have
indicated that data provided by the
companies that want to produce
BGH has not provided clear evi
dence of its safety for humans or
for dairy cows.
The Farmers Union’s major
concern has regarded the potential
economic impacts for farmers if
BGH becomes widely used. “We
can already produce more milk
than we need too, as evidenced by
dairy herd buyouts and cheese
giveaways in recent years,” said
Swenson. “Technology that
increases the production of a pro
duct that can already be overpro
duced is not a breakthrough at
all.”
by Governor Perpich in April.
Wisconsin Governor Thompson
signed legislation the last week of
April that mandates a moratorium
on the sale of milk produced from
BGH-injected cows. The morator
ium will be imposed for a period
of one year.
An FDA official announced
Monday that a decision on
approval of BGH Will Not be
made until at least next spring.
Companies seeking approval of
the product had predicted that the
FDA would OK it early this year.
This postponement by the FDA
came shortly after the Legislators
of Minnesota and Wisconsin
banned the sale of milk produced
with BGH for a period of time
even if BGH did get FDA approv
al. The FDA’s handling of BGH
has been widely criticized and is
now under investigation by the
U.S. General Accounting Office.
There have been no independent,
publicly funded studies on the
long-term health effects of BGH
on humans or dairy cows.
“Those states that have enacted
legislation to put a moriutorium
on the sale of BGH-produced milk
must be applauded. More data
must be gathered before the health
of dairy cows is needlessly placed
at risk, causing farmers economic
ruin. We need to assure the con
suming public that milk will
remain a safe and wholesome
dairy product,” said Bruce Krug,
president of Lewis Co. New York
Farmers Union
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA An
ad campaign for Farm Credit
Banks, Baltimore, MD, has won
first place in the 1990 National
Agri-Marketing Association’s
nationwide competition. Created
by Barker Campbell & Farley
Advertising and Public Relations
the campaign was judged the best
agricultural four-spread series in
the country.
The agency was also named a
national finalist for its point-of
purchase ad and black-and-white
single-page ad series which were
NEWARK, Del. Planting
date is critical for maximum
yields with either full-season or
double-cropped soybeans, accord
ing to Bob Mulrooney, University
of Delaware cooperative exten-
Independent studies by several
researchers have indicated that
data provided by the companies
that want to produce BGH has not
provided clear evidence of its
safety for humans or for dairy
cows.
“Thanks to the foresight of
Legislators like those in Wiscon
sin and Minnesota and Governors
like Thompson and Pcrpich, the
public is protected from the greed
of chemical companies that try to
get drugs approved for the market
before adequate testing is com
pleted,” said Allen Deiter, presi
dent of Pennsylvania Farmers
Union.
Delegates to the National Far
mer Union Convention in March
approved a resolution calling for a
nationwide three-year moratorium
on BGH, saying it would allow
adequate time for both sides of the
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because were owned and controlled by people who services induing insurance plara
really understand jour business. Something do remain thesarne however
Farmers Just like yourseS Thing was, we The Farm Credit ban officer you tak to still makes
didni exactly lay outaStmfay dinner spread of bans most of the decisions.
Our menu was bmited and we knew it Aod (Fiances arc he can do it faster than most
So recently we overhauled ourlendmgsystem bankers can say'bureaucracy"
V\c now offer competitive rates and options for loans So thrtaboia this fcrarnomentVVho would
we never could offer before. i tL ti_ you rather deal with foryour
Adjustable rate mortgages FADMIVEDriV next ban?Abanker who
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\knableandfbied rate bans IlOOOuy nIVKVS ItuU DCttSf- Or afarmer who knows it
An ad campaign from Farm Credit Banks, Baltimore,
Maryland recently won first place in the 1990 National Agrl-
Marketlng Association’s nationwide competition. The ad
was created by Barker Campbell & Farley Advertising and
Public Relations.
Farm Credit Ad Wins
Planting Date Critical
For Maximum Yields
National Award
part of the Farm Credit ad cam
paign.
The ads show that the Farm
Credit loan officer is both a fanner
who knows banking and a banker
who understands farming. In the
winning four-color series, black
and-white single-page series and
point-of-purchase ads, the bank
officer is shown wearing the “uni
form” of the fanner, bluejean
overalls, while also clad in the
banker’s pin-striped suit. Another
execution shows a youthful loan
officer wearing a Future Farmers
of America jacket.
sion agent.
“The optimum planting time for
full-season soybeans is mid-May
to early June, Mulrooney said.
“Planting full-season soybeans
after early June will cause a reduc
tion in yield. This yield penalty
increases as the length of the delay
increases. From June 1 to July 1,
each week delay in planting will
reduce yields by 1 to 2 bushels.
After July 1, the yield penalty for
delayed planting will be 2 to 3
bushels per week.”
Planting date affects other agro
nomic characteristics as well, the
agent notes. Very early-planted
beans and late-planted beans will
be shorter in height, lodge less,
pod lower, and produce fewer
branches than beans planted in
mid-May. Depending on soil
temperature, soil moisture, depth
of planting, and soil structure,
soybeans will emerge in 5 to 14
days after planting.
Mulrooney cautions farmers
against rushing to sow soybeans
into cold, wet soil early in the
season.
“It is usually better to wait until
the soil warms up," he said. “This
‘ ‘We knew the Farm Credit ads
were award-winners right from
the drawing board, but it’s
extremely rewarding to have
NAMA label them as the best
agricultural ads in America,” said
Jan Eliassen, account executive
for Barker Campbell & Farley.
By winning NAMA’s national
competition, the agency has
reached the highest peak possible
for an ad campaign. The ads are
running in regional and national
magazines, including Lancaster
Farming.
will favor rapid and uniform
emergence, fewer disease prob
lems, and a more uniform stand
that can compete with weeds.”
Planting date is far more critical
fen: double-cropped beans than for
single-cropped beans, the agent
notes. Each day delay in planting
double-cropped beans may result
in a 1/2-bushcl yield loss. A key to
achieving high yields from
double-cropped beans is to plant
as early as possible. Mulrooney
said the following management
practices will allow double
cropped beans to be planted
earlier:
• The planting date for double
cropped beans is limited by the
harvest date of the preceding crop.
Barley can be harvested one to
two weeks earlier than winter
wheat, thus allowing soybeans to
be planted earlier.
• No-till planting into small
grain stubble will allow soybeans
to be planted earlier and conserve
soil moisture as well.
• Both crops can be fertilized
before the small grain is planted.
This will reduce the preparation
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