E34-Lancaster Farming,, Saturday, August 15,1992
ROCKSPRING (Centre Co.)
Public concern about nitrate pollu
tion from agriculturae has forced
farmers to elimihate the spreading
of excess manure on their land or
face fines from local
governments.
At Ag Progress Days farmers
can auend a presentation on man
ure management and can add their
names to a directory for buying
and selling manure. Leon Ressler,
agriculture and environment
Video Supports Pork
AMES, lowa Health
conscious consumers told the
livestock industry if they were
going to eat meat, it had to be lean.
The National Pork Producers
Council responded by kicking off
its consumer-oriented “Pork
The Other White Meat” cam
paign. Joining the “let’s get lean”
trend, the National Farmers Orga
nization (NFO) decided its mem
bers needed a “campaign” to fat
ten prices by producing leaner
pigs so it kicked off its Pork
Improvement Project.
"Hog producers must produce
leaner hogs for consumers,” said
Merle Suntken, director of NFO’s
hog division. “The Pork Improve
ment Project gives them the
opportunity to do that by focusing
on producing leaner hogs through
improved genetics and marketing
those learner hogs for substantial
quality premiums.”
Suntken says genetics account
for 35 to 40 percent of profits for
hog producers.
To help its members identify
sources of genetically superior
boars and gilts, NFO produced a
video on genetics with three
purebred seedstock companies
DeKalb, Farmer’s Hybird, and Pig
Improvement Company (PIC).
‘The video production isn’t an
endorsement of three companies,”
Suntken said. “It’s an endorse
ment of top-quality hogs, regard
less of their source. It’s immaterial
to the NFO where members get
their boars and gilts as long as the
final product coming through
NFO is top quality. That’s what it
takes for our negotiators to bar
gain for better prices and contract
terms.”
The video explains each seed
stock company’s genetic program,
as well as NFO’s program bene
fits. “NFO offers market pre
miums, professional negotiators,
trained field staff, livestock ser
vice centers, and several risk man
agement programs to its mem
bers,” said Suntken. “Those bene
fits, along with quality, quantity
and consistency, give our mem
bers bargaining power in the
marketplace.”
The video will be used at Pork
Improvement Project information
al meetings conducted by
specially-trained field staff. “The
field staff gives the hog division a
two-week notice before the meet
ings are held. NFO then notifies
the three seedstock companies, as
well as any other seedstock com
pany representatives who want to
attend,” said Suntken.
At the meetings, producers arc
asked to fill out a survey on mark
eting methods and operation type
and si/c. The survey results arc
distributed to the seedstock com
panies and NFO’s field staff. The
NFO staff makes follow-up calls
to current and prospccUve mem
bers to discuss the project.
“Another integral part of the
project is marketing,” Suntken
said. Since the packers are the pro-
Farmers Can Sign Up To Buy Or Sell Manure
extension agent in Lancaster
County, will give the presentation
at 1:00 on Wednesday afternoon
in the College Exhibits Building.
Farmers with large livestock
operations often produce more
manure that they can use. “At the
same time, growers with few or no
livestock want to buy manure,”
says Ressler. “Poultry manure, for
instance, is in big demand with
mushroom growers.”
ducers’ buyers, producers must
deliver the type of hogs de
manded, he said.
“Packers demand lean hogs and
producers must market lean
hogs,” said Suntken. “It’s the pro
ducer’s responsibility to produce
lean hogs. If they don’t, packers
may refuse to buy the hogs
In 1989, Penn State Coopera
tive Extension began promoting
redistribution of manure as part of
the Rural Clean Water Program
and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Ressler surveyed farmers in eight
southeastern counties to find out
whether they would buy or sell
manure. Interested participants
received a directory of buyers and
sellers.
“About 100 farmers in the reg
ion said that they have manure to
Improvement Project
because they don’t meet the
standards.”
Suntken says most packers pay
premiums for the lean hogs they
want. “Some packers pay a $7 to
$lO premium for high-quality
hogs,” he said. “That price diffe
rential can mean the difference
between profit and loss, prosper-
FREE
ALFALFA,
THREE WAYS
1. For every 10 bags of any Northrup King hybrid com purchased for
1993 planting, receive one bag of Multi King 1, Viking 1 or Fortress
Alfalfa free! (No limit. Offer expires 7/15/93.)
2. Purchase one or more bags of any Northrup King Brand alfalfa variety
or blend and get one bag of Multi King 1, Viking 1 or Fortress
Alfalfa free!
(One bag limit. Offer expires 8/31/92 for 1992 summer seeded alfalfa and 7/15/93 for 1993 spring seeded alfalfa.)
3. Or Do Both!
For Details see your participating Northrup King dealer. ,
Or call Northrup King at 1-800-346-2476.
Look For Northrop King Co. at:
Ag Progress Days, State Col
For over 40 years, Northrop Kini
has been the leader in Alfalfa.
Cot and dried.
E. 6th Street
sell, and about 300 want to buy
manure,” says Ressler. “This
shows a real marketing opportuni
ty and an excellent way to dispose
of excess manure.”
The smaller number of sellers
doesn’t indicate a limited supply.
“Many farmers are reluctnat to
advertise that they have excess
manure because they don’t want
to risk repercussions in their com
munities,” says Ressler. “Others
already are selling it through their
ing on the farm or leaving it.”
‘Today’s high-quality hogs are
51 percent lean, have a 5-1/2 to
6-inch loin eye, and have 0.7 to
0.8-inch backfat,” said Suntken.
“If producers want to raise and
market that type of hog, they must
start with genetics, but also
remember it takes excellent man
agement and excellent nutrition.
own channels. The directory could
open up additioanl marketing
opportunities.
“Anyone can add their names to
the directory at the presentation,”
says Ressler. "They will receive
an updated copy in the mail in
about two weeks.”
Ressler also will discuss nutri
ent management and the advan
tages and disadvantages of using
manure. “Manure is costly to
transport and sometimes contains
weed seeds,” he says. “Another
promblem is that phosphorous and
potash levels are fixed. It’s not
like buying bags of commercial
fertilizer, where you can specify
levels.
“But manure contains organic
matter and micronutrients that are
important to soil composition.
Nitrogen releases slowly from
manure, and that’s better for
crops. Manure also is inexpensive
if you can keep transportation
costs down.”
NORTHRUP KING