AafrUncastor Fanning, Saturday, March 18, 1995
NAFTA Should Help Improve Mexican
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) For agriculture, the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) should eventually
improve environmental standards
in Mexico, rather than pull down
environmental standards in the
United States, according to a Penn
Stale .expert
“Environmental groups fear
that because of NAFTA, fruit and
vegetable production will be
transferred from the United States,
where standards on the handling
and application of pesticides are
strict to Mexico, where they are
weak,” said Dr. David G. Abler,
associate professor of rural socio
logy and agricultural economics.
FMC To Build
New Herbicide Plant
PHILADELPHIA A new
family of herbicides will be pro
duced in a new state-of-the-art
facility that will cost FMC Corpo
ration an estimated $BB million to
complete by mid-1996.
The FMC Corporation board of
directors recently approved the
investment which will dramatical
ly expand operations at the com
pany’s Baltimore. Maryland plant
FMC is a leading supplier of crop
protection products worldwide,
and has announced a commitment
to expand the Agricultural Chemi
cal Group’s portfolio of products
during the next few years.
“The new plant will produce a
new family of herbicides with
unique properties to provide far
mers with safe, effective and more
convenient ways to control trou
blesome weeds,” says Robert N.
Burt, FMC Chairman of the Board
and Chief Executive Officer.
“Growth within the Agricultural
Chemical Group is being sup
ported wholeheartedly by the
FMC board of directors, and we
look forward to introducing pro
ducts that meet the needs of
today’s fanners.”
He also notes, “Expansion at
the Baltimore site should increase
employment by 30 to 40 persons
once the production facility is at
full capacity.”
Plans are that the first new her
bicide to be manufactured at the
plant will be Authority™, a new
r J
“But by promoting job growth
and raising per capita income in
Mexico, NAFTA will give the
Mexican government incentive to
upgrade environmental quality in
that country.”
A developing country with per
capita income below
$4,000-SS,OOO will spend little on
environmental protection and car
ry out few effective environmental
policies. The result is often exten
sive air and water pollution, as
well as deforestation.
“Without question, the environ
ment is valued far more in the
United States than in Mexico or
any other developing country,”
broad-spectrum preemergent her
bicide for control of weeds in soy
bean fields. Authority has yet to
be registered for sale. FMC earlier
this fall submitted the registration
package for Authority to the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency.
“We expect the new manufac
turing plant to be completed by
July 1996, in time to supply pro
duct for the 1997 soybean
growing season. Site preparation
is already well under way,” says
Bill Schumann, Director North
American Agricultural Chemical
Group.
“Authority is a preemergent
soybean herbicide that is mainly
taken up by the weed’s root sys
tem. In weeds, it disrupts an
enzyme system critical to the pro
duction of chlorophyll,” explains
Sid McDaniel, North American
Development Manager for FMC
Agricultural Chemical Group. “It
will be an important addition to
the arsenal of products that far
mers have available to fight weeds
because it has a different mode of
action to kill weeds than products
which are now widely used in soy
bean fields.” He notes that the her
bicide is highly active against
momingglories, nutsedges, night
shade. pigweeds, cocklebur,
smartweed, lambsquarters, bar
nyard grass, crabgrass, fall pani
cum and many other weeds.
Abler said. "The first concern for
developing nations is economic
survival. For them, the environ
ment is a luxury good.
“However, once the economy
improves, things change very
quickly.” he said. "Environmental
problems such as water pollution,
inadequate sanitation and most
types of air pollution all diminish
rapidly as per capita income
increases.
“The explanation is that only
wealthy countries like the United
States can afford to devote scarce
resources to environmental pro
tection. Poorer countries like
Mexico have other priorities that
they perceive as more important”
Fortunately for Mexico, it is
close to reaching a per capita
income level of $4,000-55,000. If
the average income continues to
rise, then it is logical to assume
that water and air pollution will be
less prevalent as public attitudes
apd policy change, says Abler.
“Americans have to remember
what environmental conditions
were like in this country in the
1930 s and 19405, when average
incomes were far less than those
PUBLIC AUCTION
MONDAY MARCH 27
9:30 AM
TANEYTOWN
FARM EQUIPMENT
RT 832 1 Ml. EAST OF TANEYTOWN
CONSIGNMENTS WELCOME
TRACTORS: AC 180, CA. JD 4430 fen
der, 4020 PS WF, 4020 SR WF, 2010 NF,
2940 4x4,2440, Int 574 1200 Hr.. 300 Utility,
MF 35D, 1130,265, TO2O, Ford Bn, 9n, 2000 G
PS, Case 830.
LOADER TRACTORS: Deutz 4506 4x4
sharp, JD 770900 hrs., Kioti 2614 4x4, Kubo
ta 87200. JD 2440 w/146 loader 3100 original
hrs., B.H. loader for MF 265 (new).
FRONT CUT MOWERS: Steiner 18 hp..
Grasshopper 718 (new), Lesko commercial
52” cut.
GARDEN TRACTORS: JD 330 D, JD 240,
Power King 2418, JD 112, yellow, collector’s
item.
HAY EQUIPMENT: NH 256 rake, JD 640.
660 rakes, NH 310 baler w/thrower, Gehl 9’
haybine, JD 1327 discbine (like new), NH 850
round baler, Vermeer 605 C round baler, MC
rotary scythe.
PLOWS: Int. 1 bottom. Ford 2 bottom, JD &
Pittsburg 4 bottom, Oliver 3 bottom, JD 12’
disc, JD 210 disc.
MOWERS: Woods 20’ Bat Wing, 2 Woods
15’ Bat Wing mowers, Lilliston 7 6 3pt. mow
er, NH 451, 455 mowers, others.
INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT: Fork Lifts-
Cat V7OD 7000 lb., MF 2500 w/cab. Ink 238
tractor w/6 way blade, Long 3pL Backhoe w/
pump.
MANURE SPREADERS: NI 791 tandem,
NI 216, MFIIO. NI 12A, NH 328.
LILLISTON 9680 NO TILL DRILL
WOOD CHIPPER - MITTS & MERRILL
3pt. MODEL BX 800 (need 50 or more hp.)
NH #8 CROP CARRIER SILAGE
WAGON, LIKE NEW.
TRUCKS: 86 CHEVY 4x4, 87 FORD PU.
NEW EQUIPMENT: Will be sold absolute.
New 5,6, 7’ mowers, scraper blades, boom
poles, post hole digger. Shaver HDB post driv
er, Baltic seeders, cultivators. New 16’ 2 axle
trailer 10,000 GVW, 7” snow blower.
NOT®: We are expecting many more tractors
and more equipment by sale day. Be on time.
Limited number of small items. Selling garden
tractors at about 10:30 AM. Tractors at 11:00
AM. We will be finished by 2:00 PM.
For info call
Sam at 410-751-1500
Auctioneers
Edgar A. Bohrer, Sr.
Edgar A. Bohrer, Jr.
Items subject to prior sale.
Lunch Rights Reserved.
Environmental Standards
of today.” he said. “Most of the
key legislation protecting the
environment dates from the 1960 s
and 19705.”
The Penn State professor is
author of the article, “NAFTA,
Agriculture and the Environ
ment,” which appeared in the Uni
versity of Tulsa Law Journal.
“Pesticide application practices
in Mexico have often been critized
and justifiably so,” Abler said.
“There are few Mexican regula
tions on pesticide handling and
use, and those that do exist are
widely ignored.” Mexican work
ers hardly ever wear protective
gear and are rarely given safety
information. They generally can
not understand the information
that they do receive because they
are illiterate or the information is
printed in English. There are no
official statistics on pesticide poi
sonings in Mexico, which reflects
the low priority assigned by the
government to this problem.
"NAFTA will not affect U.S.
environmental practices, which
are governed by regulations
already in place,” Abler said “In
addition, Mexican and U.S. stan-
dards for pesticide residues on
fruits and vegetables are largely in
agreement, and NAFTA calls for
elimination of the few remaining
differences.
“The positive side to this is that
unskilled farm workers in Mexico
may well find better employment
opportunities elsewhere, or oppor
tunities for acquiring skills that
would lead to better jobs,” he said.
Either of these scenarios would
improve the negotiating position
of those who remained farm work
ers, making the unenviable choice
between health and a job unneces
sary.
“Some environmentalists main
tain that the environment is unique
and irreplaceable, and therefore
no price can be or should be
assigned to it,” Abler said. “This
argument is typically used against
policies that trade off environmen
tal objectives against economic
interests, such as the 1992 con
troversy surrounding logging in
the American West and the spot
ted owl. The argument has no
merit, however, because, if taken
literally, it would make daily liv
ing impossible.”
TOM & IRENE ATCHISON
FARM AUCTION
having sold the farm we have been
commissioned to sell on
FRIDAY MARCH 24th
® 10:00 A.M.
at the Atchison Farm, Oak Hill Road,
Barton, N.Y. (Tioga County) Farm Is
three miles off Rte. 17C at Barton - 4
miles east of Waverly, N.Y.
TRUCK: 1988 Chevrolet Scottsdale 3500
dually pick-up S6OOO miles - V 8 454 auto -
equipped with Dew Eze hydraulic bale lift
TRAILER: 16 ft Winnebago tri-axle - dump
EQUIPMENT: J.D. 336 baler w/30 thrower;
Hesston 7140 Forage Harvester - elec, shar
pener - 2 row com head; J.D. 3800 forage
harvester - elc. controls - hydraulic hitch - pick
up head; Sundance Miller Tub Grinder;
Moore no till grass seeder, IH 56 com planter;
Hesston 1010 hydro swing mower condition
er; Brillion Cultimulcher; 10’ cultipacker;
Hesston PTIO parts unit; IH 540 Sx plow; AC
transport disc; 3 sets drags; J.D. 714 silage
wagon; Papec 3 btr. silage wagon; 2 hay
wagons; 2 running gears; Papcc blower; feed
racks; 3 pth sprayer. Van Dale 2400 gallon
tank spreader, bale carriers; ’55 Ford C6OO
truck; Winpower 25KW Generator; Patz
agitator; Little Giant com dray; spin spreader;
grass seader; etc.
BARN EQUIPMENT: Haverline powerfeed
cart; Van Dale 16’ silo unloader; Patz 98 •
14-16’ silo unloader; 3 feed carts; compressor
for Zero tank; Surge units; pulsators; stan
tions; com cribs; hydraulic fertilizer auger;
alum, conveyor, etc.
MISC; welder; shelter; quick hitch; fenders
for Leyland; snowmobiles: J.D. & Polaris;
pickup fuel tank; chrome pickup bumper
PRODUCE: 400+ bushel oats; plus round
bales & square bales bam stored and some
round outside; plus much more found around
the farm
HOUSEHOLD, ANTIQUES & COLLEC
TIBLES: Roper elec, stove; Whirlpool Mark I
side by side refrigerator; microwave; upright
freezer; electric organs; Kimball 2 manuel &
Hammond chord; old buffet; desk; file
cabinet; oak side by side; swivel recliner; cof
fee & end tables; sleeper couch; book case;
clocks; lamps; pictures & old frames; gilt mir
ror; dressers; hall tree; Admiral T.V.; dome
top & square trunks; beds; quilts; candle stand;
clothes rack; brass lamp; CB base unit; projec
tor and movie screen; bench; plus many more
items found in home that has been in the fami
ly for 50 plus years.
TERMS: CASH OR GOOD CHECK
LUNCH AVAILABLE
THOMAS ft IRENE ATCHISON:
OWNERS 607-565-4413
HOWARD W. VISSCHER
SALES MANAGER AND AUCTIONEER
NICHOLS. N.Y. 607-699-7250