A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 14, 1991
EVA MARTIN
Maryland Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla.— Addresses
to the National Milk Producers
Federation (NMPF) Annual Meet
ing and Dairy Summit were
intended to be informative and
challenging to the members as
they face the 1990’5.
The Honorable Fowler C. West,
commissioner, Commodity
Futures Trading Commission,
gave his views on ‘The Future in
Dairy.”
West said, “Dairy farmers need
the ability to limit their production
and there must be some compen
sation for what they are giving up.
The pending bill tried to do this,
but it seems a bit unfair to put
those costs on the back of the
dairy farmer entirely. There is a
national interest in maintaining an
efficient dairy industry.”
West encouraged members to
continue to press for justice for
dairy farmers. “Bear in mind,” he
said, “that all is not lost because
the bill was not brought up. It was
not defeated.”
He said he feels dairy farmers
are fortunate to have a House Sub
committee and committee with
excellent leadership and with
bipartisan outlook hardly matched
elsewhere in the House or Senate.
“Listen to their counsel,” he
pleaded, “and be prepared as an
organization to leave decisions of
strategy largely to them. They
must navigate through rough legi
slative waters.”
NMPF will fragment their legi
slative influence if they are not
unified within their organization
West said.
He said NMPF needs to keep
working, and to be open to other
ideas and problems of others.
“It is not easy, but your welfare
Potato
Club
To
Meet
ITHACA, N.Y.
The Empire State Potato
Club’s annual meeting
will be held on Wednes
day, January 29, during
the 1992 New York
State Vegetable and
Direct Marketing Con
ferences at the Riverside
Convention Center,
Rochester, N.Y.
The meeting will be
at 4 p.m. in the Genesee
Room of the Holiday
Inn/Genesee Plaza.
Business of the Associa
tion will be conducted,
plans for the coming
year discussed, as well
as the election held of
members of the board of
directors.
The Empire State
Potato Club Inc. was
established in 1928 for
the benefit of potato
growers around the
state. One of its major
events each year is
Empire Farm Days. It
publishes a newsletter
and is involved in a
number of other projects
on behalf of New
York’s potato growers.
For more information
about the organization,
contact the executive
secretary, Chris
Kimball-Peterson, at
(607) 722-9588.
and dairy’s contributions to the
world are worth the effort,” he
said.
Quoting the late Congressman
Poage, West said, “It’s better to
get 50% of something than all of
nothing.”
Sen. James M. Jeffords, R-Vt.,
gave his thoughts on the “Future
Role of Government in Agricul
tural Programs.” He said he is
optimistic and believes it is possi
ble to regroup and reenergize
efforts to support passage of an
effective dairy program.
He recommended launching an
aggressive communication prog
ram and building new coalitions
of support. Direct talks between
dairy farmers and beef producers
to explain how dairy programs
have operated in the past and what
is at stake in the future is a
necessity.
United States imported
1,000,000 cows this past year to
meet the beef demands of
consumers.
“If a reduction of the dairy herd
is necessary, it is in both interests
that the additional cows be
removed in a way to minimize the
impact on beef prices,” he said.
“The price cut, bankruptcy route
will eventually put all the excess
dairy cows on the beef market.
But it is a slow and dehumanizing
process. Let dairy farmers exit
with dignity instead of
bankruptcy.”
He said the dairy industry ought
to be considered the consumers’
hero. The tremendous gains in
dairy farmer productivity have
done more to increase the number
of people served by WIC nutrition
programs and have provided more
food to the needy than any other
industry, he said.
A successful dairy strategy can
be devised, but it is important to
build as broad a coalition as possi
ble, Jeffords said.
John E. “Jack” Gherty, presi
dent and CEO of Land O’ Lakes
Inc., addressed the issue of “A
Dairy Cooperative Looks at
World Markets.”
Gherty said there is some
movement toward reduced subsi
dies and trade barriers in some
nations and feels that will result in
greater opportunities for world
This Chris
FOWL'S FEED
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Lancaster Pika
Peach Bottom, PA
717-548-2376
GOOD'S STORE,
INC.
RD #2 Eaet Earl, PA
717-354-4026
BOMBERGER'S
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Elm, PA
717-664-4660
KEY AID
DISTRIBUTORS,
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1739 W. Main St.
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215-267-5585 S ' of PA 7 ? 4^68^ , Myerstown
717-949-6817 It Loysvfll* (717) 789-3117 717-866-2246
Speakers Address Dairy Issues
trade in dairy products.
Gherty noted that currently,
global trade in dairy products con
stitutes less than 5% of total dairy
production. Though small, this
trade is critically important to
nations like Australia and New
Zealand which export a significant
portion of their national
production.
He explained that the United
States produces 16% of the
world’s milk production, Euro
pean countries 25%, Australia 2%,
and New Zealand 2%.
The United States exports 1%,
European countries 10%, Austra
lia 25%, and New Zealand 85%.
United States has 4% of the
world trade while European coun
tries have 60%, Australia 8% and
New Zealand 15%.
With regard to the value of
dairy exports, the United States is
$289 mm, European countries
$3,540 mm, Australia $409 mm,
and New Zealand $1,039 mm.
Gherty said that the United
States would do significantly bet
ter in world markets if trade rules
gave us a level playing field,
because we enjoy a very favorable
competitive position in terms of
efficiency and cost of production.
dark cloud he SSSZ2 Best SCC Management
emment and its lack of substantive ™
the U.S. dairy industry. for Keeping Cows Clean, Cool
Since 1980, Land O’ Lakes has
attempted to carve out a plan and SUSQUEHANNA (Wayne
gain some experience in world Co.) Sometimes there are no
markets. Using a two-fold secrets, no “tricks to the trade,” as
strategy, the cooperative has they say.
launched efforts in international In the case of the dairy farm
marketing and economic develop- managed by James Slocum and
ment activities. wife Joan, simply keeping the
“We got involved in the inter- cows clean and moisture-free,
national arena because we felt we keeping the stalls cool, and keep
couldn’t afford to sit on the side- ing an eye on the stock garnered
lines and watch the forces of glo- the farm the honor of the state’s
balization move along without top-ranked herd in mastitis
us,” Gherty said. “Now, 10 years management
later, we’re convinced more than According to Pa. DHIA records,
ever that moving from intemation- the Slocum farm had a linear score
al isolation to' international improvement of 34 percent and an
involvement will play a signific- overall somatic cell linear'score of
ant role in our ability to serve the 1.9. By keeping the somatic cell
long term interests of our count (SCC) low by careful man
members.” agement, the farm was best in the
The experience and exposure state,
didn’t come cheaply, but Gherty “There’s really no secret to it,”
said he remains convinced that it’s said Joan Slocum. “Nothing fan-
been beneficial for Land O’
Lakes.
Gherty said, "We can look at
the world market as an opportuni
ty, a challenge, or a threat. What
we can’t afford to do is operate as
if the world market was of no con
cern to us.”
He said other cooperatives
should include international activ
ity in their annual business plans,
aggressively seeking international
experiences for the board mem
bers and staff.
The National Dairy Board
export advisory task force, the
Dairy Export Incentive Program
' and USDA market promotion
programs are resources available
to cooperatives interested in inter
national activity.
Gherty said he challenges
cooperatives to keep focused on
projects that will benefit their
members.
"It’s a difficult decision to cut
your losses and abandon a project
that’s becoming too expensive.
But don’t lose sight of the fact
your goal is to benefit farmers.”
James J. Miller, leader of the
Dairy Analysis Section in the Eco
nomic Research Service for
USDA gave “USDA’s Economic
Outlook for Dairy.”
According to Miller:
1992 is expected to be char
acterized by little expansion in
milk production, slightly higher
farm milk prices and improved
commercial sales of dairy
products.
The dairy sector will face
challenges associated with possi
ble changes in Federal Milk Mark
eting Orders and possible partial
removal of trade barriers under
GATT.
Expansion plans in 1992
probably will be conservative pri
marily because income prospects
are not too bright. The exit rate of
dairy farms is not expected to be
as large as during 1991.
Milk production is expected
to finish the year 1991 about even
with a year earlier. Milk produc
tion in 1992 is projected to stay
close to 1991 during most of the
year. Milk cow numbers probably
will average well below a year
earlier.
Milk surplus to decline in
1992 with U.S. exports of dairy
products expected to increase sub
stantially from a year earlier.
cy, really. We lowered the vacuum
on the pipeline down to 13. S (most
milk with a setting of about 14,1
think). We also keep the tempera
ture at about 37 degrees in the bam.
And all cows are treated the same
no one gets anything special.”
Also, the cows’ teats are washed
off and the milkers are kept dry
from cow to cow. The farm uses
sawdust supplied by shavings from
a furniture factory as bedding,
which provides cow comfort and
absorbs moisture to help manage
SCC.
The Slocums have been dairy
ing for 24 years. The farm man
ages 25 registered Holstein and 20
replacement stock, and includes
500 acres (80 of which are till
able). The herd includes Red and
White Holsteins. Milking is from a
stall bam to pipeline.
erYourTree!\
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ZIMMERMAN'S
FARM SERVICE
Bethel, PA
717-933-4114
WEAVER'S
STORE, INC.
1011 Dry Tavern Rd.
Denver, PA
215-445-6791
PIKEVILLE
EQUIPMENT, INC
R.D. *2
Oley, PA
215-987-6277
SHARTLESVILLE
FARM SERVICE
RD 1, Hamburg, PA
215-488-1025
UMBERGER'S
OF FONTANA
Rt. 322 at Fontana
717-867-5161