A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 26,2001 NFU Asks USD A To Correct Price Reporting System WASHINGTON, D.C. In a May 22 letter to U.S. Agricul ture Secretary Ann Veneman, the National Farmers Union (NFU) called on the USDA to immediately correct reporting problems in the long-awaited mandatory livestock price-re porting system that began in early April of this year. The NFU alleges that computer program errors in a system that provides transparency for live stock markets has cost produc ers millions of dollars. The let Pa, Businesses Should Apply For Export Awards HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Gov. Tom Ridge recently encouraged Pennsylvania busi nesses to apply for the 2001 Ex port Excellence Awards. “We have worked hard over the last six years to make Penn sylvania internationally compet itive,” Gov. Ridge said. “The Ex port Excellence Awards are a perfect way to honor those em ployers who have worked with us to make Pennsylvania a major player on the world economic stage. These businesses should stand up and be recognized for their outstanding efforts.” Pennsylvania is not only a leader among states but also a competitor among nations. Under Gov. Ridge, Pennsylvania has opened 13 trade offices around the world, bringing the total to 17 more than any other state. Eligible applicants must pro duce, manufacture, or assemble a product or provide an exportable service from a registered Penn sylvania business. Up to eight awards will be presented in the “Agriculture” and “Manufacturing” categories (includes new-to-export, small, medium, and large size or type of company). Two awards also will be presented in the category of “Services” for either an export able or trade-support company. Ten additional awards will be given in a new category this year. The “Special” category was cre ated to recognize Pennsylvania companies that have achieved in ternational success that does not reflect in their export sales. This category will be by nomination only from an entity other than the nominee. Each applicant must submit a Power Washing Painting - Sandblasting Specializing In Farm Buildings, Fences, Roof.' Feed Mills, Etc. Aerial Equipment AMOS FISH 5269 Paes Rd., New Holland, PA 17! 717'354'9856 717-951-ZSZ7 Mol ter also called on USDA to eliminate the department’s “3/ 60 rule,” a guideline that according to the NFU, protects the confidentiality of firms but nullifies the intent of the new program and is detrimental to producers. “We have worked with farm ers and ranchers for a long time to create a level playing field for producers trying to receive a fair price for their livestock,” said Leland Swenson, president of NFU. “Underreporting by copy of the appropriate financial data for the past three years (ex cept for companies that fall under the “new-to-export” and “special” categories), along with a narrative about their business’ experience of exporting products. Applications will be rated using a mathematical formula based on financial data to de termine increases in exporting over the past three years. A panel of judges made up of members of Pro Ag Urges New Pricing Formula PHILADELPHIA Testify ing at a hearing conducted by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcom mittee on Appropriations, Arden Tewksbury, manager of the Pro gressive Agriculture Organiza tion (Pro Ag), warned the com mittee that the milk pricing formula used to pay dairy farm ers must be changed in order to assure a continuance of our fami ly dairy farms and to assure the U.S. consumer an adequate sup ply of domestically produced milk. The subcommittee hearing, which was chaired by Sen. Arlen Specter from Pennsylvania, was conducted recently in Philadel phia. The main purpose of the hear ing was to explore the wide range of prices paid to dairy farmers and the prices paid by the con sumer for dairy products. Tewk sbury told the committee that the retail price for dairy products often remain at a high level, even after prices to dairy farmers col lapse. The Pro Ag manager in formed Sen. Specter that he had Free Report Reveals “Money DOES Grow on Trees.” Are you a Private Land Owner in PA who owns 10 acres of more of woodland 7 It YES, you are eligible for the FREE REPORT: “15 Secrets Revealed That Will GUARANTEE a Successful Timber Sale!" and a FREE, No Obligation Consultation from TimbeiLeads it you are thinking about selling your standing timbei - DON'T - until you read this tiec timber sales icport that could be woith thousands of dollais to you l For )oui free icport 01 to schedule youi tiee consultation, call TimbeiLeads, in Juniata Count), 101 l liee 1-877-386-7595. WATERLESS TOILETS We Perform Septic Inspections & Certifications ECO-TECH Call Today 1-800-879-0973 ’557 bile USDA is unacceptable. The error should be corrected im mediately, and farmers and ranchers need to be compensat ed for their losses.” The letter calls for immedi ate action to rectify alleged er roneous calculations by USDA for boxed-beef prices that have occurred since the beginning of mandatory price reporting. It also encourages the department to compensate producers who have endured losses due to er rors in reporting of boxed beef the Team Pennsylvania Export Network will review the applica tions. The judges will focus on company financials, trade activi ties during 2000 provided in a written narrative, and interna tional success to determine the award finalists. The Team Pennsylvania Ex port Network was developed to assist Pennsylvania business with global development and is com prised of a network of trade pro- talked with 120,000 consumers in the past 26 months and the con sumers are baffled regarding the disparities of milk pricing. The Pro Ag official pointed out some of the discrepancies: 1) In November 2000, the price paid to dairy farmers across the U.S. for milk used to manufac ture cheese was $9.57 per CWT (74 cents per gallon). This price was the lowest since November 1977. Even with the low farm price, cheese was selling for $l5 for a five-pound block in many supermarkets. Yet, at a store in Meshoppen, the price was $8.50 for a five-pound block. 2) Recently, a Pro Ag survey of butter prices in a Berwick su permarket found a pound of Land-O-Lakes butter selling for $3.44. In another Berwick store, another brand of the same grade butter was selling for $2.29 per pound. 3) In a supermarket in Hon “SUN-MAR” Composting Toilets / Several models available / v.. --^L. including non-electric. / ( • NO Septic System | 1 • NO Chemicals Save the Environment' \ \ I Recycle Back to Nature' V V \ /j] FREE: 12 Page Color Catalog values. Farmers Union also calls for the immediate elimination of the 3/60 guideline that protects companies’ identities when there are fewer than three firms buying livestock in a market or when one firm controls at least 60 percent of the market. The rule is designed 'to protect con fidentiality and proprietary in formation for firms purchasing livestock but has adversely af fected producers by reducing price transparency and limiting fessionals within 10 regions of the state. Its mission is to enable Pennsylvania firms to expand their sales into international markets and to increase the number of Pennsylvania firms selling their products and serv ices overseas. All applicants will be notified by the end of July as to their se lection. The finalists will be in vited to the Governor’s Export Excellence Awards on Sept. 25 in Pittsburgh. esdale, Pro Ag found milk selling for $2.87 per gallon (Pennsylva nia Milk Marketing Board min imum price). Yet, three feet away, a gallon of Deans milk was selling for $3.25 per gallon. Offi cials of the supermarket told Pro Ag that Deans was supposedly bottling both gallons of milk. The Pro Ag manager warns the committee of the increased amount of dairy products being imported into the U.S., especially casein and milk protein concen trate (MPC). Tewksbury told Specter it appears foreign coun tries have found ways to circum vent the GATT agreements by shipping milk products into the U.S. in concentrated forms. MPC appears not to be regulated by the GATT agreement. Pro Ag thinks the imports of dairy products are displacing several billions of pounds of do mestic milk, causing additional problems for local dairy farmers. The Pro Ag leader made sever al recommendations to the com mittee. f Mahoning Outdoor Furnaces Cut Your Heating Costs With Our Outdoor Furnace • Standard Model Burns Wood, Coal or Wood by-products • Multi-Fuel Model Burns Wood, Coal, Oil or Gas Randall G. Renninger Certified Public Accountant Specializing in agriculture and construction industries “We help business people discover ways to cut costs, save taxes, and be more profitable” Call about our FREE seminars 535 W. Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 (717)299-6480 ♦ Fax (717)299-6390 the availability of important in formation. “The mandatory price re porting program will not work effectively until the 3/60 guide line is eliminated,” Swenson said. “In this increasingly con centrated industry, the exist ence of this rule has led to less disclosure of information than that provided under the previ ous protocol. The mandatory price reporting system should set us one step forward, not two steps back.” Applications must be sub mitted to the Office of Interna tional Business Development, Fourth Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225 by 5 p.m. Mon day, July 9. For more informa tion or to obtain an application, contact a local Team PA Export Network Regional office at 1-888-PA-EXPORT or call the Office of International Business Development at (717) 787-7190. • Investigate the legality of MPC being imported into the U.S. • Investigate the legality of MPC being used in the U.S. • Investigate the amounts of casein coming into the U.S. • Pro Ag strongly recom mends there be no imports of dairy products into the U.S. from countries where hoof and mouth disease has been discovered./fur thermore, there should be no im ports of dairy products from countries where mad cow disease exists. • Pro Ag strongly urges the U.S. Congress to adopt a new dairy bill that would price milk to dairy fanners based on the av erage cost of producing milk as determined by the USDA. • Pro Ag strongly recom mends the reauthorization of the Northeast Interstate Dairy Com pact. Pro Ag further urges the U.S. Congress to authorize any state, or group of states, to enact dairy compacts.
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