Ag Community Responds (Continued from Page A 1) takes shape. In a statement Thursday, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Guy Donaldson ex tended sympathy and prayers to families affected by the “sense less acts of violence.” “Our nation experienced a terrible reminder of the fragility of life. The spirit embodied by the thousands of volunteers who have come forward to provide whatever aid and comfort they can, is one that is familiar to America’s farm families. We have faith that the spirit and unified purpose of the American people will thwart any threat to our freedom and liberties. And we have faith that our elected leaders will join together to pro tect and defend our way of life. We join all fellow citizens in giving our hearts to all those af fected by this tragedy.” Although economic concerns including agriculture have been secondary to the human toll of the attacks, some analysts and leaders in the ag community have commented on the broader implications. Pennsylvania Secretary of Ag riculture Samuel Hayes, Jr., said in a statement Thursday, “In addition to the physical threat, Tuesday’s terrorism has already had an impact on Pennsylva nia’s role in the global market place. The Department of Agriculture was contacted on Wednesday by a buyer from Sin gapore to indefinitely cancel his business trip to Pennsylvania later this itionth because of Tuesday’s terrorism. Without any doubt, the threat of terror ism will have a negative impact.” Penn State agricultural econ omist Jim Dunn spoke Wednes day on the potential impact on ag commerce, even while wait ing news on the fate of several of his colleagues that had been em ployed at the World Trade Center (WTC). “I’m a lot more concerned about the people involved,” he said. According to Dunn, some sig nificant outcomes of the attack that could affect our agriculture are that the New York Com modity Exchange and a dairy futures trading center were lo cated in the WTC. “A lot of brokerage offices in the trade center included those that trade ag commodities,” Dunn said. Also located in the WTC were many firms that provide finan cial services such as loans and bonds to agribusinesses. “There will be very difficult times (for the companies in volved),” he said. Although the destruction of ag trading and financial centers creates “an information prob lem,” and will disrupt transac tions, Dunn pointed out that the actual production and flow of ag products should not be greatly affected. “Agriculture is ultimately determined by- what is done on the farm,’’ he said. Hayes issued this warning in his statement: “Society should not believe our agriculture will always be spared from the ac tions of terrorists and their guer rilla attacks. Agro-terrorism is a threat. Our livestock, crops, and food supply can be seriously harmed by terrorists and uncon ventional combatants.” Michael Swanson, an ag econ omist for Wells Fargo bank, commented on the destruction. “This is one more thing that complicates our trade relations with countries around the world,” he said. “Trade is based on so much more than dollars and sense. It’s based on relation ships between governments and ordinary things like the ability of people to jump on a plane and travel trom one place to another. Our farmers are really hooked up to this worldwide network of trade. If a market is closed to us, it has a deep impact.” At Lancaster Farming, we sympathize with all victims and families affected by Tuesday’s tragedies, and stand behind na tional and worldwide efforts to bring justice to those responsible. All of us are proud to be Ameri cans. Va. Broilers And Fryers Harrisonburg, Va. September 11,2001 Report Supplied By USDA Movement of ready-to-cook whole birds was moderate. Demand was mod erate. Live supplies were moderate for plant needs with an estimated slaughter of 1,357,000 compared to 1,377,000 last Tuesday. Weights were desirable. Pro cessing schedules moderate. Actual slaughter for Sept 3-7 totaled 6,444,186 head, average weight 4.76 lb. Negotiated F. 0.8. dock prices, 2 pounds and heavier ice-packed broilers and fryers, trucklot sales of US Grade A or equivalent were steady to higher at .S4-.68 per pound, less than trucklot sales .S7-.76 per pound. Estimated Slaughter Of Broiler/Fryers In Virginia, Sept. 11, 2001 (In Thou sands). 7 of 7 plants reporting. Esti mated 09/05: 1,444. Actual 09/07: 1,407; Avg. Weight 09/07:4.72 lb. Actual 08/31; 1,377; Avg. Weight 08/31:4.91. Young Turkey Barts And Bulk Meat Des Moines, lowa September 10,2001 Report Supplied By USDA NATIONAL YOUNG TURKEY PARTS AND BULK MEAT, Frozen, unless specified, cents per lb, delivered first receivers, part and full trucklots, as of September 10. Trade sentiment on bulk parts was steady to firm with drums in the strongest position. Inquiry contin ued active on bulk parts with interest centered mostly on tom items. Offerings of tom bulk parts ranged from instances light to short of buyers’ needs. Hen parts offerings were light and generally held with confidence, except for hen necks which showed some spot availability. Trading slow on all itmes. DOMESTIC TRADING: BREASTS, 4-8 lbs: Grade A avg. 103.06,127,000 lbs; Plant Grade avg. 95.00, 8,000 lbs. DRUMSTICKS: TOM - avg. 34.47, 95.000 lbs.; HEN avg. 32.00, 35,000 lbs. WINGS, FULL-CUT: TOM - avg. 30.00, 6.000 lbs.; HEN 35.00, 40,000 lbs. Merger Discussions (continued from Page A 1) and Virginia members indicated it would be counterproductive to continue merger discussions.” “The meetings we have held with our Maryland and Virginia members indicate there is a sig nificant level of member concern regarding a full merger,” Mary land and Virginia General Man ager Robert Shore said. “With that in mind, we agreed that it would be appropriate to discon tinue merger discussions. We will, however, continue to ex plore ways our cooperatives can work together to benefit mem bers.” Gherty said the initial merger discussions, and continuing dis cussions regarding future busi- WINGS, V-TYPE: TOM - avg. 34.39, 66.000 lbs.; HEN - avg. 50.57,70,000 lbs. NECKS: TOM avg. 30.55. 31,000 lbs.; HEN - avg. 30.00; 29,000 lbs. BREASTS, B/S, TOM 165.00; 20,000 lbs; TOM FRESH -185-187.00, avg. 186.00,80,000 lbs. THIGH MEAT, avg. 67.00; 80,000 lbs. BREAST TRIM MEAT - avg. 119.86, 140,000 lbs. TENDERLOINS - no quote. DESTRAPPED TENDERS— FRESH - avg. 157.00,40,000 lbs. WING MEAT WITH SKIN - avg. 72.67, 120.000 lbs. MECHANICALLY SEPA RATED - FRESH - avg. 17.14, 430,000 lbs. EXPORT TRADING: DRUM STICKS: TOMS - avg. 32.89, 280,000 lbs. WINGS V-TYPE: - TOMS - none. TAILS avg. 29.00, 80,000 lbs. MECHANICALLY SEPARATED: avg. 17.00, 80,000 lbs. THIGH MEAT - FROZEN - avg. 66.10,408,000 lbs. National Canner Fowl Market Atlanta, Ga. September 7,2001 Report Supplied By USDA NATIONAL CANNER FOWL MARKET; Majority of prices were un changed to slightly higher on both light and heavy canners, when compared to a week earlier. Trading was moderate for a mostly moderate to fairly good demand. Offerings were generally ade quate for current trade needs. The un dertone was mostly steady. Cents per pound, current negotiations with out freight cost LIGHT CANNER HENS: Line run without necks: 23-25. HEAVY CANNER HENS: Without necks; 31-38, majority 31.5-32. Cents per pound, current negotiations freight cost included: LIGHT CANNER HENS: Line run without necks 24.75- 29.5 majority 24.75-25 HEAVY CANNER HENS: Without necks: 32-40, majority 32.5-33. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 15,2001-A29 ness relationships, are based on shared cooperative commit ments and the increasing impor tance of size, scale and geographic reach to dairy indus try success. “All four cooperatives in volved in these discussions share a commitment to preserving and expanding market access for members’ milk, adding value to that milk and generating posi tive returns for members,” Gherty said. “We will continue to explore ways that we can work together to achieve those goals. Our focus will be to de velop business relationships that generate new efficiencies and enhanced market strength, put ting our farmer-owned coopera tives in a better position to compete effectively and deliver maximum value to members and customers.” Officials of the four coopera tives voiced a commitment to continuing the work of Advan tage Dairy Group, an East Coast milk-marketing joint venture es tablished in January 2000 and involving Maryland and Vir ginia, Land O’Lakes, Lone Star, Arkansas Dairy, and Southeast Milk, Inc. (which was not in volved in the merger discus sions). Lone Star Milk Producers General Manager Jim Baird added that Advantage Dairy Group is a prime example of co operatives working together to compete more effectively, and it was a common desire to expand on that successful relationship that spurred interest in a merger plan. “We have a proven record of working together,” Baird said, “and we will continue the suc cessful efforts of Advantage Dairy Group.” Land O’Lakes (www.lando lakesinc.com) is a national, farmer-owned food and agricul tural cooperative, with sales ap proaching $6 billion. Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Associa tion (http://www.mdvamilk. com) is a milk marketing and processing cooperative which markets milk for nearly 1,600 dairy farmers in 10 states from Pennsylvania to Alabama. Lone Star Milk Producers, Windthorst, Texas, markets 700 million pounds of milk for 130 dairy farmers in Texas, Okla homa, Kansas, Missouri, Arkan sas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Arkansas Dairy Co operative Association, Damas cus, Ark., represents 300 million pounds of milk and 185 produc ers in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers