(Continued from Page A 1)
to alter their perspective of the
export market.
While the United States agricul
tural industry exports large quanti
ties of commodities and goods, for
the most part, it has done so in a
system that treats the export mark
et as a secondary market to absorb
domestic overproduction.
The message that export
advisors have been promoting is
for agriculture to treat its export
markets as critical and worthy of
investment in time, marketing dol
lars and relationship building.
Experts'advise that those seek
ing to expand their businesses into
the exporting arena need to deve
lop relationships with competent
people in other areas of the world.
But even more than that, those
who wish to export must do some
homework.
Essential information to seek
includes knowing who will buy
what, where, when and how, and
for how much.
The effort is pretty much still in
its infancy, though a major priority
of state Gov. Tom Ridge and his
administration, according to their
statements.
The state Department of Com
merce has an exporting agency,
butitdoesn’tdeal with agricultural
products.
The state Department of Agri
culture helps mostly with the
exporting of processed agricultural
products and foods, such as ice
cream, chips, pretzels. (One offi
cial noted a sense of pride in the
fact that Pennsylvania pretzels are
being sold in Bavaria.)
For all the government prog
rams designed to affect agricul
ture, exporting is largely described
as a middle-man run industry, sup
ported by some export enhance
ment, otherwise known as subsi
dies, and through assistance in
negotiating and filing proper
documents.
Individual dairy cattle breeders
seeking to break into exporting can
expect to discover that it requires
luck, but as much studying and
researching as possible to reduce
the need for luck.
William C. Nichol, executive
director of the Pennsylvania Hols
tein Association, State College, is
considered a pioneer in exporting
cattle from Pennsylvania.
Through his workings in the
breed organization over the years,
relationships have been deve
loped, procedures have been
learned and adopted, and a lot of
Pennsylvania Holsteins have been
*rajj« r loaded with registered bred heifers heads out of the Pa. Holstein Associ
ation Middletown Farm for export to the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
Exporting Opportunities For The Dairy Farmer
shipped to various and wide parts
of the world.
For many family farm opera
tions, offering to sell some stock
that qualifies for a Pa. Holstein
Association export order has been
the extent of contact with
exporting.
For others who have valuable
stock, but don’t wish to sell it
directly, marketing fertilized
embryos, bulls or semen through
dealers, such as exists within the
veterinary and artificial insemina
tion industry, has been the path
taken.
As far as exporting live animals,
breed organizations and private
concerns are important. The mark
eting of dairy cattle genetics is pos
sible primarily through the solid
reputation established by the breed
organizations with the help of the
USDA.
The equally strong aspects of
testing through the Dairy Herd
Improvement Association, and all
the affiliates, the strength of the
indexing, and classifying have all
given dairy cattle breeders the
resources with which to develop
desirable lines of cattle and the
ability to continue it
For those wishing to sell cattle
through the Pa. Holstein Associa
tion. understand that they con
stantly keep track of breeding deci
sions through registrations, or
know of desirable combinations
and have an idea of the value and
overhead necessary to eventually
get a deal made whereby a custom
er is satisfied as well as the
supplier.
Of course, each breeder has his
or her own theories of what is
important to him, and makes deci
sions based on that
But if exporting cattle is a
desire, then it may require some
changes or additions to the home
operation.
Consultants may have to be
used, higher veterinary costs asso
ciated with tighter biosecurily and
health checks may come into play,
as well as more record keeping and
housekeeping, higher telephone
bills and more hours describing the
farm.
According to some, the added
attention to detail is difficult
because of other priorities or
interests.
However, it almost seems as
those who have been succeeding in
exporting, even on an interstate
bpsis, approach it with interest and
desire to succeed and learn and
grow.
William Allen is director of
In. >yt .of the Pa. ~Jatlon Middletown farm, a representative (on
the left) of buyers from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) makes last minute checks
and selections of bred heifers that will fill his order while William Allen, director of
sales for the PHA, helps with the 'B.
At the loading chutes at the Pa. Holstein Association Middletown Farm, a load of
registered bred heifers is counted and loaded. Chuck Russow, a USDA veterinarian
who checks paperwork and health records and overlooks the animals being shipped
walks down the line on the right, while haulers monitor cattle movement onto the
trailer.
sales for the Pennsylvania Holstein
Association and works out of the
PHA Middletown farm. The farm
is located near the Harrisburg air
port and catde can be flown out of
there or trucked to a port if ocean
voyage is the passage.
It’s also conveniently located
for access to major state and inter
state highways.
Allen has worked with Nichol
for three years.
(Turn to Pago A 25)
Chuck Russow, a USDA veterinarian seals the trailer car
rying registered bred Holstein heifers bound for South
Korea.