A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May IS, 1999
New Jersey Ag Leaders Visit Chile
(Continued from Page A 26)
ship five days to get to the Panama
Canal, then 18 hours to get through
the Canal, and then five more days
at sea before docking in
Philadelphia.
It takes 11 days for shipments
from Valparaiso to get to Los
Angeles; and 18 days to take a load
of commodities to Rotterdam,
Holland.
Chilean growers have the same
challenges as United States grow
ers when it comes to exporting to
the European Union.
Major foreign investments and
governmental support from the
national to local level have
contributed to the growth of a
thriving export-based economy in
Chile. It’s government works hard
to cultivate markets abroad.
Additionally, Chilean export
agriculture receives support from
private and governmental organi
zations that specialize in support
ing the agricultural and export
industries.
For example, there is Founda
tion Chile, a private, non-profit
organization dedicated to identify
ing new ag-related industries with
commercial potential in Chile.
The foundation benefits agricul
ture by starting experimental pro
jects and then selling them once
they have proved their potential.
The foundation's track record
has been so good that recently,
when it began to experiment with
the introduction of cranberries,
private industry followed suit
without waiting to see if the exper
iment would actually work.
There is also Pro Chile the
In Tegualda, at the Soprole dairy cooperative, milk is col
lected in cans and tested before being added to a bulk tank
for shipment to a dairy processing plant.
A Viconto’s state of the art packing facility, peaches and
nectarines are prepared for marketing in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Chilean Trade Commission within
its Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
with 35 commercial offices worl
dwide. PtoChile’s role is to sup
port and advance Chilean business
interests in the global marketplace
by assisting in the development of
the export process, establishing
international business relation
ships, and attracting foreign
investments.
While in Chile, we visited Pion
eer Hi-Bred International Inc.
Pioneer develops, produces, and
sells seed genetics. In addition to
com. Pioneer sells soybean, alfal
fa, canola, and wheat varieties, as
well as sorghum, canola and sun
flower hybrids.
Pioneer's Chilean operations
specialize in hybrid com produc
tion. There they have ISO contract
growers farm a total of 8,000 hec
tares (1 hectare equals about 2.5
acres). Pioneer requires that its
contract growers must have a
pneumatic planter.
The Chilean people have an ide
al climate, low-cost production,
plentiful labor, and world-class
agricultural expertise.
Major investments have been
made in human resources. There
are 10 universities with agriculture
programs, each of which graduates
an average of 200 students per
year.
We met many people with agri
cultural degrees.
The people of Chile were friend
ly, interesting, and hospitable.
The cultural exchange provided
us with a valuable understanding
of how important Chile’s role ir
our world have become, and how
small the world really is.
Participants of the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program
stand with Ricardo Ariztia, president of the National Agricultural Society in Santiago,
Chile.
Forest Products, Equipment,
Technology Expo May 21-22
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) A 1999 Forest Products,
Equipment and Technology
Exposition is set to be held May
21-22 at the Farm Show Complex
in Harrisburg.
As the name of the exposition
implies, more than 75 exhibitors
from throughout North America
are set to display and demonstrate
the latest and most advanced tech
nology, equipment and products
related to the forsest products
industry.
The short name for the expo is
“Timber ’99.”
Sponsored by the Hardwood
Lumber Manufacturers Associa
tion, the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture, and the Pennsylva
nia Hardwoods Development
Council, the event marks the first
time it is to be held at the Pennsyl
vania Farm Show Complex, in the
Northwest Hall.
It is appropriate for Pennsylva
nia to be serving as host site for the
exposition, held every two years,
according to state Secretary of
Agriculture Samuel E. Hayes Jr.
“Gov. Tom Ridge and I would
like to see this showcase of Pen
nsylvania’s timber resources
become a national leader in the
industry’s schedule of exposi
tions,” Secretary Hayes said.
“When you have a great timber
industry, as we have in Pennsylva
nia, it is only natural that we
should have a leading expo.”
Pennsylvania has more than 17
million acres of forestland, with
almost 90,000 people employed in
the forest products industry, mak
ing it the state’s seventh largest
industry.
Additionally, Pennsylvania has
the largest hardwood reserve in the
nation.
The exposition is designed to
provide an opportunity for wood
lot owners to meet with representa
tives of private forestry organiza
tions, wood industry professionals
and public agencies all of
whan are prepared to help fanners
who want to maximize the eco
nomic value of their wood
resources.
“Information from these groups
and persons can help farmers to
recognize the financial potential of
their wood lots, while providing
education about the importance of
future sustainability of Pennsylva
nia's forest resources," Hayes said.
The expo is to run from 8:30
a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, May 21, and
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday,
May 22.
Among the events scheduled
include an opening log sawing
ceremony set for 11 a.m.. May 21;
indoor and outdoor displays, and
“Wood Magic,”' a show geared
toward young students to demons
trate the importance of wood pro
ducts to everyday activities.
The admission fee of $5 per
adult, while there is no fee for
children aged less than 16 years
old.
The log-sawing ceremony is to
feature log sawing by Carroll
Kline, named outstanding logger
of the year, a special visit from
Smokey Bear; remarks from state
Secretary of Agriculture Samuel
Hayes Jr.; remarks from state Sec
retary of the Department of Con-
F. 0.4 Administrator Announces
Reform Informational Meetings
ALEXANDRIA, Va. A series of meetings "designed to inform far
mers in the Mid-Atlantic region about the recently announced federal
milk marketing order reforms began this week in Woods town. New
Jersey and are to be held through June, according to an announcement
from David Walker, acting market administrator of the Middle Atlantic
Marketing Area Federal Order N 0.4.
According to a brief message in the announcement, “Representatives
from the market administrator’s office will present information and
answer questions on the new Northeast Order.”
The meetings are open to all producers.
The final order reduces the number of federal orders nationally, sets up
a new formula for determining milk values and pricing, and changes some
other aspects of the program. The order has been somewhat controversial.
The first meeting was held Thursday, May 13 in Woods town.
The rest of the schedule follows.
• May 27,7 p.m., at the Walkersville Town Hall, located at 21 West
Frederick Street, in Walkserville, Maryland.
• June 3,7 p.m., at the Lancaster Farmland Home Center, in Lancaster.
•June 7,7 p.m., at the Arey Assembly Hall, located at 201 Green Street,
in Bridgewater, Virginia.
• June 9,7 p.m., at the Rescue Hose Company Special Events Center,
located at 407 South Washington Street, in Grecncastle.
• June 10,7 p.m., at the Berks County Agricultural Center, located at
1238 County Welfare Road, in Lecsport.
• June 30,7:30 p.m., at the Arena Restaurant, located on Rt. 220 at Pa.
Turnpike Beit 11, in Bedford.
For mac information, call the market administrator’s office in Alexan
dria, Virginia, at (800) 336-0232.
Da/ry
montir
serration and Natural Resources
John Oliver, remarks from slate
Secretary of the Department of
Environmental Protection James
Seif; remarks by Ron Andrews,
chairman of the board of directors
for the Hardwood Lumber Manu
facturers Association of Pennsyl
vania. Rick Rufo, of Glen Rock,
with O’Shea Lumber, is to serve as
master of ceremonies.
On both days, the Wood Magic
Science Fair is to make demonstra
tions at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Wood Magic Science Fair
is a mobile, interactive wood pro
ducts laboratory.
Wood carving demonstrations
are to be conducted by the Boot
Jack Mountain wood carvers, who
are twin brothers Randy and Rick
Boni of Ridgeway (Elk County).