STRONGSVILLE. Ohio
Finding available solutions for the
low price of milk will probably not
come from a Congress fighting the
national debt, but might come
from the unity of dairy producers,
said Gordon Riehl, general mana
ger of Milk Marketing Inc. (MMI),
at the annual delegate meeting in
Columbus, Ohio.
"The best answer right now
might be self-help programs
whereby all dairy producers work
together for their own benefit,"
Riehl said in his last presentation
before the MMI delegates. He has
announced his retirement for June
30, 1992.
” After the events of the last five
or six weeks (the failure to pass an
acceptable legislative solution to
light low dairy prices), I believe
we'll have to do it on our own," he
said.
"We must find self-help
answers, and that will take cooper
ation. Our problems won't go away
and I don't think we're going to get
them resolved in Congress right
now."
Because national government is
now concerned with lowering the
national debt, any program that
needs federal support is under
tough scrutiny, Riehl told the dele
gates. He said that current solu
tions could come from producers
working together to foster their
own cause at the national level.
In Our Market
Price equalization in the MMI
territory is the issue, said Riehl,
and the time for action is now.
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Dairymen Need Self-help
MMI is working with pricing
equalization agencies, such as
Regional Cooperative Marketing
Association (RCMA), the Produc
ers Equalization Agency (PEA),
and Southeast Dairy Farmers Fed
eration to get more money to
producers.
MMI is also asking state author
ities in Ohio and Pennsylvania to
issue adequate over order pre
miums while equalizing costs to
processors and returns to
producers.
One Last Lesson
In what he called his last mark
eting lesson to the delegates, Riehl
reinforced his theme: "MMI sells
your milk. It doesn't buy it!"
"It’s very important to under
stand this," said Riehl, promising
to make this his swan song for the
next six months.
"MMI sells your milk and
because of that your association
wants fewer competitors, many
buyers, the highest possible price
for your product and a short supp
ly," he said.
He contrasted this with his
description of a milk buyer. Riehl
said milk buyers want many sell
ers, few buyers, the lowest prices
and a long supply.
According to Riehl, members
need to understand the difference
between these two points of view.
Since MMI sells its members'
milk, it has reduced the number of
sellers in the market by 6,500.
In other words, Riehl said that
since the 6,500 members of MMI
are represented as one seller, they
608 Evergreen Rd.
Lebanon, PA 17042
(717) 270-6600
as members are no longer in direct
competition with each other, but
with others.
He also said that buyers of MMI
milk are MMI customers, they are
not MMI competitors.
"Your competitors are your
nonmember neighbors," Riehl
said.
In other business, MMI Presi
dent Herman Brubaker
delegates on dairy happenings
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) A traveling 2-day dairy
breeding_workshop is scheduled to
be put on late January and early
February by the southwest region
al offices of the Pennsylvania State
University Extension Service.
The program is to be held in
three different locations so dairy
cattle enthusiasts from a seven
county region can attend.
For those in Armstrong and
Indiana counties, the workshop is
to be held Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 at
Sandy Kaye’s Restaurant, located
alng Rt. 422, in Shelocta.
For residents of Green, Fayette,
Washington and Westmoreland
counties, the workshop is to be
held Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, at Rostrav
er Grange Hall, located at the junc
tion of 170 and Rt 51.
In Somerset County, the work
shop is set for Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 in
the Somerset County Vo-Tech
School, in Somerset.
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nationally and within MMI.
"From the legislative viewpoint,
this has been a very wicked year
for the dairy industry," said Bru
baker. "For the past 10 years or so,
the (White House) administration
has advocated less federal involve
ment in the agricultural policy are
na. Efforts to reduce the federal
budget deficit continue to pressure
Congress into deeper cuts in feder
al farm programs. In addition, an
ever shrinking group of farm-state
The workshop program is to be
identical at all three locations.
On the first day of the work
shop, registration is from 9:30
a.m. 10 a.m. along with coffee
and donuts, followed by an hour
long presentation on basic genetic
principles.
At 11 a.m., a presentation on
progeny testing programs with a
look at balancing the use of young
sires with proven sires is set.
Lunch is at 11:45 a.m.
At 12:45 p.m., an explanation of
the sire summary information,
specifically looking at what the
numbers mean, is to be given.
Following at 1:30 p.m., instruc
tors are to talk about breeding
goals, such as whether to breed for
milk, fat, protein, or some other
characteristic.
At 2:15 p.m., the focus will be
on determining a herd’s genetic
inventory, looking realistically at
the herd for strengths and
weaknesses.
The second day of the seminar
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lawmakers and an increasingly
urban vote makes passing sound
farm policy more and more
difficult"
MMI is a 6,500 member dairy
farmer owned cooperative encom
passing an eight state Midwestern
area including Ohio, Indiana, Pen
nsylvania, Michigan, New York,
Kentucky, Maryland and West
Virginia. Last year MMI marketed
more than 3.9 billion pounds or
453.22 million gallons of milk.
also starts with coffee and donuts
9:30 a.m, followed at 10 a.m. with
a presentation on criteria for cull
ing and selection.
At 10:45 a.m., the program con
tinues on the theme of culling,
looking at who or what actually
controls the culling decisions at a
farm.
After lunch, a talk on new tech
nology in dairy cattle breeding is to
be given starting at 12:45 p.m.
At 1:30 p.m., experts will dis
cuss the use of genetic markers and
how to benefit from them, fol
lowed by a half-hour question and
answer session.
The course instructors are to be
Dr. Larry Specht, PSU dairy
breeding specialist; Dr. Gary
Rogers, PSU science professor;
and Larry Swartz, with Atlantic
Breeders Cooperative.
The cost of the two-day program
is $l5 per person and the deadline
for registration is Jan. 23. To regis
ter, contact a local extension dairy
agent.
Hour* Uon.-fH. TM to 1:00;
(•May 7-JO to 11;N
Y2-M