Alfred State College Dairy Team Is Fourth Nationally ALFRED. N.Y. The dairy cattle judging team from Alfred State College ranked fourth over all, with a team member earning two first-place wins, in competi tion at the World Dairy Exposition in Madison, Wis. Competing with 16 other col leges, Alfred State students placed third in Jersey judging, fourth in Guernseys, and fifth in both Brown Swiss and Ayrshires. The team also ranked fifth in oral rea sons. Timothy K. Elsbree of Troy, a senior in the animal science curri culum at Alfred State, was first place individual in Jerseys and in Brown Swiss, third in oral rea sons, and fourth in Ayrshires. Elsbree, son of John and Donna Elsbree of Troy RD 1, placed se venth overall among individuals. The team was coached by Mat thew Stewart of Alfred State’s Agriculture and Horticulture De partment faculty. He reported rankings for Els bree and his teammates, includ- The Alfred State College dairy cattle Judging team placed fourth at the national com . . * a a petition. The team consists of, from the left, Brian Zug, Colleen Palmer, Katherine State Accepts Agribusiness Lunde, timothy Elsbree, and Matt Stewart, coach. Award Nominations HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) State Agriculture Secretary Boyd E. Wolff is accepting nominations for the Department’s 1994 Agribusiness Achievement Awards. The awards are presented to Pennsylvania companies that have made a special contribution to the development and expansion of Pennsylvania agribusiness. First place awards will be given in two separate categories. “The Agribusiness Award is part of our effort to recognize the people who contributed so much to Pennsylvania’s leading indus try,” Wolff said. Legislation To Fight Animal Disease WASHINGTON. D.C.—More than half of the House of Rep resentatives and Senate now sup port legislation to allow veterina rians to administer life-saving drugs to animal patients when clinically appropriate. Sixty-one Senators and 242 Representatives have cosponsored 5.340 and H.R. 1423, the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act “Veterinarians must be permit ted to treat sick animals and pro tect people from animal diseases,” said Rep. Charles Stenholm (D, Texas), sponsor of H.R. 1423. “I intend to continue to fight for pas sage of this important legislation.” An existing amendment to the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) restricts the use of animal drugs prescribed by vet erinarians to the species and usage(s) specified on the label. Passage of the parallel bills would change the FD&C Act to allow veterinarians to prescribe the saf est and most beneficial drugs to fight disease and alleviate suffer ing among animal patients. The legislation would codify current FDA policy and permit veterinarians to use the safest and most beneficial animal drugs when treating animal patients. The discretionary or “extra label” use of drugs would be restricted to those times when the -Katherine A. Lunde, daughter of Ingrid Lunde of Apalachin and the late Lars Lunde, fifth in Guernseys. -Colleen M. Palmer, daughter of Ben and Marilyn Palmer of Holland, NY, ninth in Guernseys and 12th overall. -Brian L. Zug, son of Edward and Debra Zug of Peach Bottom, 20lh overall. At the earlier Eastern States Ex position competition in Spring field, Mass., Alfred State’s team finished in third place, just one point out of second place, coach Stewart said. The team placed first in Ayr shires, and look thirds in Holsteins and Jerseys. Among individuals, Elsbree was first in Ayrshires, second in Holsteins, and third in Jerseys. Lunde placed first in Holsteins, fourth in Ayrshires, and seventh in Brown Swiss. Zug took sixth and seventh in Ayrshires and Jerseys, respectively. “Prestigious companies that have won this award include Hat field Quality Meats, Knouse Foods, Newhart Foods, Pellegrino Food Products, and other firms that helped establish a quality standard for Pennsylvania Agri cultural products.” Awards will be presented at the annual Farm Show Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Sheraton Inn Harrisburg East in Harrisburg. The deadline for receipt of completed award applications is Nov. 12. Contact the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Market Development at (717) 787-4210 for more information or to request an application. veterinarian makes a professional and clinically appropriate judge ment that the health of the animal to be treated is threatened or suf fering or death would result from the failure to use such treatment. “Strict adherence to the FD&C Act makes it impossible to prac tice modern veterinary medicine,” said Sen. Howell Heflin (D, Ala.), sponsor of S. 340. “This law con flicts with the veterinarians’ oath to use specific knowledge and skill to maintain animal health and safeguard the public.” Ultimately, veterinarians would be permitted to provide for animal health and well-being, and help ensure the safety of food from ani mal origin for human consumption. (Turn to Pago A 39) Promotion Program Continues HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) “We’re very pleased that the by dairy fanners. State Agriculture Secretary referendum has been approved,” The program is administered by Boyd E. Wolff congratulated the Wolff said. “Over 71 percent of the Dairy Promotion and Research nation’s dairy farmers for voting die voters elected to continue the Board, comprised of 36 dairy pro to continue their efforts to prom- order, showing that there was ducers appointed by the secretary ote their product. broad support for this important of agriculture to represent the The Dairy Promotion and program.” dairy industry. Research Order was established in The dairy promotion program is 1983 to implement a national financed by a 15-cent perhun- Pennsylvania’s program is program for the promotion of dredweight assessment of all milk administered by the Pennsylvania dairy products and nutrition produced in the 48 contiguous Dairy Promotion Program education. states and marketed commercially (PDPP). NFU Host To International Meeting MINNEAPOLIS The dairy group of the International Federa tion of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) met here Oct 8-10 to dis cuss dairy industry issues and trends. The meeting was hosted by the National Farmers Union (NFU), Wisconsin Farmers Union and Minnesota Farmers Union. “At the end of the day, farmers concerns from one part of the world to the next are very similar and it is important that farmers from throughout the world meet to cultivate understanding and look at our industry from an interna tional perspective,” said Leland Swenson, president of NFU. The group discussed the current situation and the world dairy out look. Delegates were told that 1993 production is projected to decline by 1 percent due mostly to the expected 3 percent fall in out put in industrialized countries, largely reflecting major declines in production by former Soviet block countries. Delegates discussed the diverse issues facing the dairy industry throughout the world, varying from improving genetics and feed ing programs to increase milk pro duction in developing countries to producing milk in the manner required by consumers in indust rialized countries. “Foreign aid programs where milk powder is given or sold very cheaply to our consumers have put some of our dairy farmers, parti cularly the small, family farmers, out of business in our country,” lan Webster, chairman of die National Association of Dairy Farmers of Zimbabwe, told the group. Willi Kampmann, representing Germany, said the primary issues facing German dairy farmers con- cem the wholesomeness and per ceived social responsibility with which milk products are produced. The group also examined diffe rent models for handling industry related research. John McQueen of the Australian Dairy Farmers Federation led the discussion by oudining the system in Australia, whereby the dairy organization’s funding for research and develop ment is matched one for one by the federal government. Research, which is interactive between scientists and farmers, is carried out in the government facilities, but involves greater industry input than traditional research protocols. There was also an array of opin ions on world trade and the effect of liberalization on dairy farming. “I see the writing on the wall. Government support of agricul ture worldwide is declining and will continue to do so.” said Ernie Glienke, representing the lowa Farm Bureau Federation. “I advo cate free trade, so that my family has the option of expanding our operation as much as we want and having the new markets via reduced trade barriers for this additional production.” “At the same time, Irish farmers find it terribly unfair to have to operate on static quotas with redueed prices, in order that a far- mer in another part of the world is able to expand his production,” said Michael Drea, chairman of the IFAP dairy group and rep resentative of the Irish Farmers’ Association. “Agricultural products pro duced within varying economic, political and social situations can’t be expected to compete with one another,” said Manfred Bobner of the Swiss Central Dairy Association. “Although opinions on most every issue we discussed vary, there is a deep-rooted sense of commitment among the particip ants to the economic well-being of the family-farming system,” said Swenson. Following two days of intensive discussions, the delegates partici pated in an industry tour of Wis consin’s dairy country. The tour included stops at a single-family, 45-cow dairy, a two-family, 300-cow dairy farm and a cooperative cheese processing plant. Tour participants also had the opportunity to discuss dairy issues with some 20 Wisconsin Farmers Union members that joined the tour. Also attending the meeting from Farmers Union were: Dennis Rosen, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union and Dennis Wiese, president of the South Dakota Far mers Union. Meeting delegates included dairy organization rep resentatives from Argentina, Aus tralia. Canada, Denmark, the European Community, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and Zimbabwe. The International Federation of Agricultural Producers is com prised of 81 national farm organi zations representing 57 countries, including both developing and industrialized countries. IFAP serves as a forum for farm leaders to exchange information and ideas and to discuss issues of common interest. Because of IFAP’s size and scope, it also serves as a communication vehicle and international spokesman for the world’s farmers. NFU is a member organization of IFAP. with NFU President Leland Swen son serving as one of IFAP’s three vice presidents.