Page 28—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 14, 2000 Don’t Turn Your Back On Biotech NORCROSS, Ga. It’s hard to believe how fast our world is changing. Techno logical innovations are every where computers, cell phones, digital this and digi tal that. And now we are hearing more and more about biotechnology. Agriculture has already countries. Herbicide resistant money, and/or insect protected corn, Advances in biotechnology soybeans, canola, cotton, and can also lead to more efficient potatoes comprise most of the fertilizer use. Crops not suf acreage presently being fering from disease or insect planted. This is a good deal damage are more responsive , to applied nutrients. Such re- State, National Com s p° nses “ 10 « r “ ter nu -7 tnent utilization, higher Forecasts Indicate High Yields c a t l' ower uni ' cost of Biotechnology benefits more than just the farmer. We, the consumer, benefit in several ways. Pesticide resi dues on food are reduced or eliminated altogether, as are concerns over pesticides en tering surface and ground water supplies. Better uti lized fertilizer materials also translates into less opportu nity for leaching of these es sential inputs into water supplies. Such efficiencies will also help keep our food prices among the lowest of any country in the world. The potential benefits of biotechnology are enormous. We haven’t even begun to HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) According to the Keystone Ag Digest pub lished by the Pennsylvania Agriculture Statistics Service, based on Aug. 1 forecasts for yield and production, the Keystone state’s farmers expect to produce more corn for grain, oats, barley, wheat, soybeans, alfalfa hay, other hay, southern Maryland-type tobacco, and pears. Produc tion is expected to decrease for Pennsylvania seed-leaf to bacco, peaches, apples, and PULLS ITS OWN WEIGHT. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR IN A FARMHAND? Buy a new Arctic Cat® ATV and get a Camo Pack or Warn® Winch Kit for just $69, or a 2-year extended service contract, or financing as low as 9.95%? There's no better time to buy your new Arctic Cat ATV than right now. Not only do you get features like industry-leading rack capacity, suspension travel, and torque. You can also choose from four unbelievable deals. Just more proof that when ARCTIC CAT you get an Arctic Cat you get More To Go On.™ M & S SALES & SERVICE, INC. 3385 DIVISION HIGHWAY NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 1 1/2 Miles West of Blue Ball On Rt. 322 Sf 717-354-4726 Mon., Wed., Thurs. 8-8; Tues. & Fri. 8-5; Sat. 9-3 •Offer valid on aH new and unused 1999-2001 Arctic Cat ATVs, except Hunter's Limited Edition models Winch Kit installation is extra Offer good at participating U S dealers Financing is subject to credit approval Terms may differ because APRs range from 9 95% to 1695%, dependmg on creditworthiness Offer vafid 6/15AJ0-12/31/00 Exdudmg tax freight and dealer setup ATVs can be hazardous to operate For your safety always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing Never nde on paved surfaces or public roads Never carry passengers, never engage in stunt driving ndmg and alcohot/drugs don't mix and could cause injury or even death Avoid exceseive speeds and be particularly careful on difficult terrain The Arctic Cat ATV may not be ridden by anyone under II years of age. Arete Cat recommends that all riders take a training course and that they read and understand their owner's manual before operation For safety or tramng information, see your dealer or cal the ATV Safety Institute at (800) 867 2887 Along with concerned conservationists everywhere Arctic Cat urges you to "Tread Lightly" on public and private land Preserve your future ndmg opportunities by showing respect for the environment local laws and the rights of others when you nde <O2OOO Arctic Cat Sales Inc ® ,M Trademarks of Arctic Cat Inc Thief River Falls MN 56701 (218) 661 4999 Warn® is a registered trademark of Warn Industries Arctic Cat ATVs are world class products from Arctic Cat inc embraced biotechnology. In just a few years, large acreages of bioengineered crops have been planted in the U.S., Canada, and other grapes, Corn acreage for harvest, at 1.05 million bushels, is 19 percent more than last year. The Aug. 1 corn yield fore cast of 127 bushels per acre is 57 bushels more than last year’s yield. The corn pro duction forecast of 133.4 mil lion bushels is 117 percent more than last year. For the U.S., corn produc tion is forecast at 10.4 billion bushels, up 10 percent from last year and up 6 percent from 1998. Based on Aug. 1 condi tions, yields are expected to average 141.9 bushels per acre, up 8.1 bushels from last year. If realized, this would be the largest production and the highest yield on record since 1866, when corn esti mates began. Grain har vested is estimated at 73.1 million acres, down 29,000 acres from June, but up 4 percent from 1999. MORE TO GO ON.' for farmers because their crops are protected without the use of pesticides at least for certain pests. So they can save both time and lk©(n)iM fam mm 'Sifegl PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC., INC. scratch the surface. For ex ample, yield potential may be substantially increased with new bioengineered crops. This is certainly important for a world population that recently passed six billion and is expected to reach eight billion within 50 years. Per haps crops will be developed that are adapted to saline soil, shorter growing seasons, or high elevations areas that are relatively unproduc tive today or they may be developed with larger root systems capable of extracting water more efficiently and from greater soil depths, making them suitable for arid regions where irrigation water is limited or very ex pensive. An important considera- cial ingredients, tion, perhaps the most im- So don’t turn your back on portant to the general public, biotechnology. We need it to is food quality. Potential ben- produce an abundant quan efits to consumers seem virtu- tity of healthy food for today ally unlimited. Biotechnology and tomorrow, provides the opportunity to For more information, con develop crops that have very tact Dr. Albert E. Ludwick, specific quality components. Western Director, PPI, P.O. Bioengineered rice, for exam- Box 970, Bodega Bay, CA pie, has already been pro- 94923, (707) 875-2163, e duced that contains a high mail: aludwick@ppi-far.org. concentration of beta caro tene. Beta carotene is con verted into vitamin A in the body, and it is estimated that more than 120 million chil dren worldwide are deficient in vitamin A. Widespread distribution of this rice could prevent one to two million deaths each year. Foods such as the rice just discussed, containing ingred ients that enhance health and fitness, are called “functional foods.” The active ingred ients are nutraceuticals. There are dozens of nutra ceuticals known to reduce such illnesses as cancer, dia betes, hypertension, and heart disease. Biotechnology offers the opportunity to for tify our diets in these benefi-
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers