A3B*Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 27, 1993
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Farm
program benefits must be targeted
to the production levels of family
farm operators, according to poli
cies adopted by delegates to the
National Farmers Union’s 91st
anniversary convention.
Delegates approved a policy
statement which declared that
targeting of farm program benefits
would reduce government costs
while furthering the sustainability
of family farmers, rural communi
ties, and natural resources.
The organization views future
farm policy options as a narrow
ing choice between continued
decoupling versus targeting. As
federal budgetary constraints
reduce funding available for agri
cultural programs, farmers and
larm policy decision makers have
to choose between across-the
board cuts and targeted benefits,
the organization said.
While the organization con
tinued us histone support for
strengthening supply
management programs, it ack
nowledged that the current farm
law and trade policy directions
have weakened the nation’s ability
to effectively manage agricultural
supply-demand and pricing levels,
thereby intensifying the need for
targeting.
Targeting must provide cost-of
production returns and a reason
able livelihood from the basic out
put of a family-si/cd farm, accord
ing to Farmers Union.
Farmers Protest
Proposed Cuts
ST. LOUIS, Mo. Soybean
farmers are gravely concerned
about some aspects of the Clinton
Administration’s proposed plan to
cut ag spending and impose new
fees, including a proposal to in
crease the loan origination fee on
soybeans from 10 cents to 17 cents
per bushel.
A farmer representative of the
American Soybean Association
(ASA) testified before Congress
recently in support of the broad
goal of reducing the federal defi
cit. However, they stressed a need
to treat agriculture fairly and not
ed a number of drawbacks to the
Administration’s proposed deficit
reduction package.
“We want to support President
Clinton’s bold move to control
spending and we are willing to do
our part. However, rural Ameri
cans should not be asked to pay
more than their fair share,” said
Larry Dicdrich, a soybean farmer
from Elkton, S.D., who serves as
first vice president of ASA.
Dicdrich notes agriculture has
been part of every deficit reduc
tion package, and during the last
10 years, spending on agriculture
has been reduced by $57 billion.
“After these sacrifices, we are
now asked to absorb three times
more cuts in terms of percent of
budget than any other non-defense
domestic sector,” he said. “Of the
$l5O billion proposed in spending
cuts and fees for non-defense pro
grams during FY94-97, 5.4 per
cent of the cuts are in USDA-ad
ministered programs.”
In testimony before the House
of Representatives’ Committee on
Agriculture, Diedrich outlined
areas of particular concern to soy
bean farmers. He pointed out that
the loan origination fee, even at its
current level, seriously reduces
the effectiveness of the soybean
Farm Programs Must Target Family Farm
Farmers Union would achieve
targeting by limiting federal price
suppons to the number of bushels
produced by a typical family farm
operation. It would also target
benefits by the use of tiered mark
eting quotas, set-asides, and other
farm program mechanisms which
would direct greater support for
small to medium-sued farm and
ranch operators.
The organization would also
establish overall limits on farm
program payments, and commodi
ty or marketing loans.
The Farmers Union charged
that decoupling with ns across
the-board cuts have placed the
burden of agricultural budget
reductions on the backs of small
and mid-sized farm operators,
while allowing the largest farm
operations in the nation to receive
their full entitlements.
“To add insult to injury, the
expansion of payment limitation
eligibility has been facilitated in
recent years for these same large
operations,” the NFU resolution
noted.
The organization slated that
steps in decoupling began with the
lowering of commodity loan
levels to less than out-of-pocket
production costs and with the
establishment of the triple base
system.
“Decoupling so far has pro
vided further artificial competitive
advantages to the largest farms
while collapsing the very safety
marketing loan.
“According to ASA calcula
tions, the origination fee has cut
soybean loan activity in half from
1990 levels by increasing effec
tive interest rates to well above
commercial levels,” he said.
“Even at the two percent rate, the
Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service (ASCS)
projects future use will continue to
decline. A higher fee of 3.33 per
cent will result in little or no use of
the loan. No one wins with this
proposed increase.”
Dicdrich also singled out other
troublesome aspects of the Ad
ministration’s proposal. “One ma
jor concern to soybean farmers is
the broad-based energy tax. This
tax will affect virtually every
aspect of farm activities, from
direct costs of diesel for tractors
and equipment to indirect costs for
pesticides and fertilizers,” he said.
Dicdrich expressed disappoint
ment with the President’s proposal
to reduce market development-or
iented foreign food aid by $245
million and to cut $35 million m
funding for USDA’s Foreign
Agriculture Service (FAS).
“Food assistance programs
have been an important market for
U.S. soybean farmers,” he said.
“FAS is an effective agency that
provides instrumental support for
ASA’s overseas operations. Any
reductions in market development
activities are counterproductive
when we are facing tougher mar
ket competition.”
Diedrich emphasizes soybean
farmers want to do their part to re
turn the government to solid fi
nancial ground. But he said, “I do
not believe this goal can be ac
complished on the back of Ameri
can agriculture. We must find a
belter solution where the burden is
truly shared.”
net that was originally established
for family farmers. The failure ol
the current farm program to pro
tect family farmers is evidence by
the loss of hundreds of thousands
of family farmers during the past
decade,” the farm group’s policy
declared.
The NFU organization said it is
adamantly opposed to continued
decoupling and believes targeting
is the most viable public policy
alternative available today to
respond to the crisis facing family
farm agriculture.
It warned that family farmers
were becoming an endangered
economic species as production
and land ownerhips are concen
trated into the hands of fewer and
fewer larger than family sized and
corporate farm units.
The organization also outlined
support for a targeting plan which
protect family-farmers from the
scheduled cuts in the 1994 and
PUBLIC
AUCTION
Charles S. Snyder Inc. and
Ford Motor Credit
April 24, 1993
at Charles S. Snyder, Inc.
RD 3, Tamaqua. PA.
Watch for complete listing in 2 weeks
717-386-5945
Fax 717-386-4080
PUBLIC AUCTION
VALUABLE REAL ESTATE
ANTIQUES & PERSONAL
PROPERTY
SAT.. APRIL 17. 1993
Auction Time 9 A.M.
Real Estate 1 P.M.
LOCATION: 721 Matietta Ave., Mt. Joy,
PA. From Main St. In Mt. Joy take Rt.
772 South approx. VA ml. to property
on left. E. Donegal Township, Lancas
ter County, PA.
| !
Real Estate consists of a 214 story, 3 bedrm.
home with eat-in-kitchen, dining room, living
room, attached summer kitchen & wash house.
2nd floor has 3 full size bedroms., full bath & full
attic & partial basement. Oil hot water base
board heat system. Public water. House exter
ior has alum, siding, soffit & fascia. 1-car
detached garage. Note: Terms are 10% down
sale day. Balance 60 days. Ideal country home
w/farmland boundary. Inspection by appoint
ment or open house on Sat., April 3 & 10 from
1-4 P.M. For details call auctioneers at
215-445-4309 or 717-733-1006.
Full Listing to appear April 10.
Terms by
MAMIE NEIDIGH
HAROLD R. NEIDIGH, P.O.A.
717-426-1567
Auction conducted by
Randal Kline, Lloyd Krelder,
Roy Good Jr.,
Auctioneers, AU2II6L
215-445-4309
i
AUCTIONEERS
1995 crop years when deficiency
payments become based on twelve
month, rather than five-month
marketing averages.
The targeting policy was part of
a 200-page document adopted by
f * GANT *
• er; Lincoln 225 amp welder; 300 PSI pres
| sure washer: 2 cyl. portable air compres
» sor; IH front end suit case weights; 4 hole
? Universal hog feeder; several pipe gates:
I Meyers jet pressure tank; squirrel cage
• fan; ladders: bench vise: anvil; bench grin
• ders; weed eater; misc parts; gravity box
covers: power saws; irrigation equipment:
T several wooden chicken crates; egg
I baskets; 1 row garden planter; forks &
j shovels: and much, much more!!!
I THIS IS AN EXTREMELY CLEAN LINE
OF MACHINERY, ALL SHED KEPT AND
WELL MAINTAINED. IF YOU ARE IN
NEED OF GOOD EQUIPMENT, DON'T
MISS THIS AUCTION!!!
| TRACTORS & MACHINERY SOLD
| APPROX. 11:00 A.M.
T TERMS: Cash or check w/proper
j I.D.
♦ Auctioneer:
JOHN R. HUEY II C.A.I.
? SLIPPERY ROCK, PA.
I (412) 794-6044
l AU-001588-L
• Licensed & Bonded in Ohio. W.Va. and Pa.
LUNCH
• Owner or auctioneer not responsible for
I accidents.
the convention delegates, iht
NFU program of policy and actum
covers a broad of rural, agricultur.
al, economic, and human issues
affecting farmers and their
families.
FARM AUCTION
FRANKLIN RD. EVANS CITY, PA.
APPROX. 1 MILE NORTH OF PA. TURN
PIKE EXIT 3 ON RT. 19 TO RT. 228
EAST, FOLLOW SIGNS TO AUCTION
-OR- APPROX. 5 MILES WEST OF RT. 8
ON RT. 228 TO FRANKLIN RD.
SAT. APRIL 3, 1993
STARTING AT 10:00 A.M.
TRACTORS - COMBINE - FARM
MACHINERY - STOCK TRAILER -
4-WHEELER - TOOLS - MORE
PARTIAL LISTING
TRACTORS; Case IH #BB5 4WO dsl. w/
only 533 hrs., canopy, dual hyd., torch
amp, front weights, 540 & 1000 pto, (like
new); IH #385 dsl., 677 hrs., (like new);
Farmall H; (Super clean tractors).
COMBINE: Gleaner E self propelled com
bine w/1 O’ grain head & scour clean, 2 row
corn head.
FARM MACH: JD. F 845 3X16” 3 pt. hyd.
roll over plow; JD. 4X16” semi mtd. plow;
IH 3X16” semi mtd. plow; 10’ IH trans.
disc: 12’ spring tooth harrow; Lely 10’ 3 pt.
rotara (new tines): 3 pt. cultivators: IH 13
single disc grain drill on rubber; Ford #309
3 pt. 2 row corn planter; NH #352 grinder
mixer w/sheller & ext. auger; Case IH #445
baler w/thrower; IH #3309 disc bine (like
new); 3-18' Meyers bale wagons on hvy.
gears; IH rollabar rake; 2 spinner hay ted
der; Woods RMSOO 3 pt. finish mower; IH 3
pt. semi mtd. 6’ sickle bar mower; Nl #323
1 row corn picker; Kill Bros, model 275
gravity box on 6 ton Kory gear; Nl #222 3
beater pto manure spreader; 36’ Kewanee
hay & grain elevator; 6’ 3 pt. back blade; 3
pt. 6’ box blade; 200 gal. trail type sprayer;
3 pt. fertilizer spinner; 2-4” grain augers: 6"
grain auger; 3 pt. log splitter; and more"!
STOCK TRAILER: 1986 Moritz 16 X6’
bumper pull trailer (very good)
4—WHEELER; Kawasaki Mule 500,
live traction, dump bed (very handy
machine for the farm, excellent cond., less
than 1 yr. old)
BUGGY: 2 seated Hack, Sleigh
: Ai
>LS & MIS'
Owner:
Mr. Leon Gant
Franklin Rd.
Evans City, Pa.
rear tine roto till-
iwa: