KARL BERGER WASHINGTON, D.C. Almost all the “i’s” have been dot ted and the “t’s” crossed on a new five-year farm bill, but dairy far mers are no closer to knowing the government’s price support policy than they were in January. That’s because the very similar farm bill proposals approved to date by both the House of Rep resentatives and the Senate are subject to ongoing efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit, according to farm lobbyists in Washington. “They may have to rewrite major portions of the bill to agree with an as-yet undetermined budget savings requirement,” Rob Nooter, assistant director of national affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said last week. Nooter said the talk among farm lobbyists in Washington these days is of dollar numbers, specifically the number of billions that a budget agreement will require in savings from a farm budget that’s expected to cost $53-54 billion over the next five years. That rewrite could spell major changes in the agreed-to provi sions, particularly for dairy far mers, other analysts note. Steve Kerr, director of the Northeast Council of Farmer Cooperatives, said the battle will be waged between those who favor price cuts as the sole answer to the related budget and surplus prob lems in the industry and those who favor at least some form of modest supply control. However, Kerr said, there don’t appear to be many supply control options open to Congress, which has already ruled out another whole herd buyout program and also has shown little support for rigid quota systems. He suggested some type of temporary diversion program, whether for milk in gen- Dedication and Dependability— Palmyra/Myerstown Kennett Square/Thorndale Lancaster Andrew C. Terrell Clay Thomson Bob Zook 717-274-6402 215-444-6060 717-295-8577 MEMBER foic Proposed Dairy eral or butterfat in particular, may be the best alternative the industry can realize. Currently, both the House and Senate versions of the new farm bill require U.S. Department of Agriculture officials to implement a supply control program if sur plus projections exceed certain levels, but the legislation does not specify the details. The bills also specify that the government sup port price cannot fall below the current $lO.lO a hundredweight level. Both provisions are under pressure from the Bush administration. Secretary of Agriculture Clay ton Yeutter has made no secret of his distaste for this proposed dairy policy. In a recent speech criticiz ing the proposed farm bills, he singled out their dairy provisions for special opprobrium. Yeutter said the establishment of $lO.lO as a rigid price floor would “bring production quotas or other draco nian supply control measures.” He also said current gains in milk pro duction represent a “race for base in anticipation of regulated quotas.” However, any changes await action from the budget. summit between members of Congress and the Bush administration. The House and Senate members of the farm bill’s conference committee began meeting last week to iron out their differences, but all the major items affecting expendi tures have been set aside pending a budget agreement, Nooter said. Prospects for a new farm bill before the November elections are thus diminished. “If there’s a budget agreement by Oct. 1, there’s probably a 50-50 chance of a farm bill before they go home to campaign,” Nooter said, but he didn’t sound hopeful. Robert Frederick, legislative director for the National Grange, said one possibility is that a lame These words sum up our service to Pennsylvania agribusiness. Cultivate a relationship with the Meridian banker near you. Or call toll-free, 1-800-222-2150 fP Meridian Bank Professionals with the personal touch. Legislation Awaits Budget Axe duck Congress will pass a new farm bill in December, as Con gress did back in 1985. There is even sentiment for simply extend ing the provisions of that 1985 farm bill indefinitely, he said. That, too, would mean a continua tion of the support price reduc tions of the last five years beyond the $lO.lO floor. In yet another scenario, across the-board budget cuts under provi sions of the old Gramm-Rudman- Hollings deficit reduction prog ram or some other authority may impose a direct assessment on dairymen at least' temporarily. Some estimates have projected this fee at as much as 10.4 cents per hundredweight, which would collect about $l5O million annually. Long gone from the list of pos sibilities is the component adjust ment program, or CAP, that the KILE Schedules ‘Challenge Of The Breeds ’ HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) A unique Saturday evening program is being planned for the 1990 Keystone International Livestock Exposition (KILE) to be held October 4-8 in the Farm Show Complex. This event, the “challenge of the Breeds,” will pit four interna tionally recognized horse breeds the Appaloosa, the Arabian, the Paint, and the Quarter Horse against each other on Saturday evening, Oct 6. The animals, two from each breed, will be chosen by their respective breed associations. In order to compete, the horse must be owned by a Pennsylvania resi dent. Hie six events in which each horse will be entered include: • Pleasure Driving. Horses are asked to perform both ways at a walk and trot • English Pleasure. In EAglish National Milk Producers Federa tion proposed at the beginning of the farm bill debate. The federa tion’s idea was to impose a lower price on any milk component sig nificantly in surplus. It would have worked as a kind of two-tier pricing system by component. The federation’s proposed policy would have coupled this with some other form of standby sup ply control for milk in general and with support price adjustments keyed to surplus production levels. The federation originally had requested the support price floor be raised 50 cents, to $10.60 for milk of average butterfat content. National Milk, which serves as the chief lobbyist for most of the nation’s dairy cooperatives, would like to preserve the supply man agement option as an alternative to continued support price reduc tack, horses will perform both directions at a walk, trot, and a canter. • Hunter Hack. In addition to performing on the rail, the horse will be asked to take two jumps. • Western Pleasure. In western gear, the horse will walk, jog, and lope in both directions. • Western Riding. The horse performs a prescribed course which demonstrates the perfor mance of a well-mannered ranch horse. • Barrel Racing. A timed event in the clover-leaf pattern is per formed by the horse. The horses will be judged at each of these events on a point system by a qualified judge. The winning horse will receive the dis tinction of being the Keystone Sovereign champion and will receive an award of $l,OOO. The reserve champion will be awarded Reading •William Hughes Blaine Fessler Doug Darling 215-320-FARM Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 29,1990-Al7 lions, according to Lisa Keller, a federation spokesman. She said the industry is prepared to accept the consequences of a budget reduction agreement, as long as they are imposed equitably among all farmers. In that regard, she noted that the government oper ates supply control programs for the other major commodities. It was a point that Tom Camer lo, the NMPF president, also made in replying to Yeutter’s recent comments. “Unlike wheat and feed grains, we don’t have a permanent supply control program,” he said. “In fact, of all major comodity prog rams, dairy is the only one cur rently without a supply manage ment feature. I simply can’t under stand why dairy farmers are wrong to want to be treated like other commodities.” $5OO. Placings will be paid through eighth place. This marks the second time that a “Challenge of the Breeds” event has been held in Pennsylva nia. Last year’s winner was “Paint Me Hobby” shown by Terry and Peg Helder from Wrightsville. Jim Gallagher, chairman of the event and co-chairman of the KILE show, reports that the vari ous breed associations are in the process of looking for “outstand ing” horses. The horses not only must rate high in confirmation and performance, but must be very versatile. In addition to the six events in the “Challenge of the Breeds,” the draft horse hitch classes will be held during the evening. These classes consist of the 4-horse hitch, the 6-horse hitch, and the farm team, just to name a few. L J . Pmrftt For • Naw Hama* • ixltdfif Hama* • Swimming Paall • Gra.anhauta • tarn • MlHthawa • OHka • kutlnati Place* «*vi» moww Hoots your homo and domestic hot wator (savo to 25% of oloctnc bill) No nood for building or chlmnoy SAM Furnoeo sits outsido ohmmatos fir* dongor and flua fir# forovor CIIAN No smoko. wood, oihfi, dust in tho homo. CQjiVBMISm Load furnoco avory 10-12 hours burns togs up to 16" in dlomstsr, 30" in longth. Easily Connects To Forced Air/ Hot Water Systems Thermostat Controlled
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