NAFTA To Help Reduce ‘Artificial Costs,’ Says Farm Bureau President ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) —Reducing trade barriers will do a lot to eliminate “artificial costs” on products, according to Dean Kleckner, president of the Ameri can Farm Bureau Federation. Kleckner spoke to about 200 attendees at the golden anniversary celebration of the founding of the American Forage and Grassland Council at the national conference on Monday at the Host Resort The American Farm Bureau president operates a 350-acre, 1,800-head swine farrow-to-finish farm in Rudd, lowa. He said that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) recently approved by Congress will create the ‘ ‘potential for a trade-free con tinent” encompassing the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. “If the future unfolds like it’s supposed to, trade barriers between these three nations will be gone in IS years,” said Kleckner. The agreement, which paves the way for the final passage of the •»» X X X \ X X X AH-Terraln Bandera And Calibration FREE: Avallbie To Force User* Contact Your Zeneca Dealer General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) later this year, will mean better prices for American consumers and more markets for agricultural products. “Eliminating trade barriers is just making more sense ... because it costs an awful lot to protect domestic jobs,” he said. Kleckner pointed out the results of two reports that examined just how much the protectionism, which NAFTA will help to elimi nate, costs. One is from the Orga nization for Economic Coopera tion and Development, which exa mines the costs to taxpayers and consumers in 24 developed coun tries. The study looked at one year in particular—l992—to see how much it cost The result? Consum ers paid about $354 billion in high er costs and ag subsidies. Another report, from the Insti tute for International Economics, placed the cost of protection for U.S. consumers at about $7O bil lion annually. “How do consumers put up [“ Compatibility “1 Keeps mw lurimdc <t prions open hirausr PORCH um't mtemt mm tilth Accent or Btricm. mm , There's more to an insecticide than meets the eve So it r-i\ s to iouk »ic every aspect of FORCE* insecticide fits the way you farm in the* ‘9os. To get all the tails ibout 1 ()R( \ new day formulation and easy-to-handk plastit bag, i all Zenec i at 1 -KOf )-09-25< K > Or see your Zfcneca dealer Once you look at the big picture, ymfll sec that all indications point to FORCE with those higher prices?” said at almost any cost. NAFTA allows the passage of Kleckner. “I think that most of According to the Institute for GATT to open up markets to about them don’t know about it.” international Economics Report, 117 nations. He equated the pas- In this country, there is too consumers pay about $170,000 sa ge of NAFTA and its effect on much emphasis on job protection every year to save each job. (Turn to Pago A 24) National Grassland Enthusiasts Herbicide I# lodgers prei )R( \ mciuiimg :hv - nr * * llu Hr'fwhshk ( Jnt Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12. 1994-A2l outgoing president’s remarks. Those receiving merit awards are; J. Mike Phillips, Southwest Research & Extension Cen ter, Hope Arkansas; Ray Hoyum, Western Ag- Minerals, Houston, Texas; Steven L. Pales, Penn State University: Jerry H. Chemey, Cornell Uni versity, and Daniel J. Undersander, University of Wisconsin. Those receiving distinguished grasslander awards include; Charles M. Wolgemuth, Her shey; Joe D. Bums, Knoxville, Tennessee; Foy Campbell, Montgomery, Alabama; Willis A. King, Clemson, South Carolina; Dwayne Roh weder; Sun Lakes, Arizona; Arland W. Pauli, Lanark, Illinois; James R. Turner, Arcadia, Cali fornia; Robert Van Keuren. Wooster, Ohio; Wal ter F. Wedin, Bloomington, Minnesota; and Robot E. Wagner, Stone Mountain, Georgia. In the young scientist competition, Mark Gardner, Penn State, won first place with his pre sentation; Maturity and species effects on for age quality and in protein degradability of for age legumes. Eric Spandal, Michigan State, was second with his presentation: The relationship between plant maturity and forage quality in alfalfa grass mixtures. Paulett Pierson, Ohio State, was third with her presentation: Greenhouse selection for resis tance to Sclerodna crown and stem rot in alfalfa. And Stacy Campbell, Michigan State, was fourth with her presentation: Maturity and spe cies effects on forage quality and in protein degradability of forage legumes. In the forage spokesperson competition win ners are; 1. James McKinlay, Ontario; 2. Donnie Shaw, Kentucky; 3. Audrey Rodgers, Pennsyl vania: 4. Bradd Vickers, New York, and 5. Kevin Belkholm, Minnesota. John Baylor was honored for his many years of service to the American Forage and Grassland Council, especially for his efforts to write and publish the history of the association that has been completed for this the golden anniversary pf the council. The past presidents sent a letter of commendation to John, and this letter was framed and presented at the awards banquet. The letter reads in part: “The past presidents of the American Forage and Grassland Council express appreciation for writing the history of the AFGC. This was a major undertaking and a sig nificant achievement Those of us who have been privileged to serve this organization in the capac ity as president want to take this opportunity to thank you for docummenting the forage coun cil’s first 50 years. With the knowledge of what has gone before, our present and future leader ship can be better prepared to meet the chal lenges of the future. The past presidents salute you and thank you for contributing somuch, both during our past, and on this landmark occasion as we begin our journey into the next 50 years.” John Rodgers passed the gavel to the incoming president, Clive Holland. The next conference is scheduled for Lexington, Kentucky, in 1995. (Continued from Peg# A2O) nell University, and Daniel J. Undersander. University of Wisconsin.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers