f
Annual Egg Production Up
5 Percent From Previous Year
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Annual egg production in
Pennsylvania for the year ending
Nov. 30, 2001 was 6.61 billion
eggs, five percent more than the
6.31 billion produced in 2000,
according to the Pennsylvania
Agricultural Statistics Service
(PASS).
There was an average of 24.4
million layers in Pennsylvania
laying flocks during the
12-month period, five percent
more than the 23.3 million the
previous year. Average annual
production per layer was 271
eggs, unchanged from the previ
ous year.
All chicken inventory (exclud-
Hereford Breeders
Anticipate Summer Conference
KANSAS CITY, Mo. The
American Hereford Association
(AHA) members and the Oklaho
ma State University (OSU) ani
mal and meat sciences depart
ments are gearing up for the 2002
Breed Directions Summit, June
20-22 in Stillwater, Okla.
Hereford breeders from around
the globe and beef industry ex
perts will convene at the Payne
County Expo Center and OSU
for three days filled with speak
ers and entertainment.
Glen Dolezal, Excel Corpora
tion, and John Tucker, North
Platte Feeders, will use live cattle
for attendees to gain knowledge
on determining value characteris
tics in Herefords and to discuss
the type of cattle being selected
for the feedlot. In addition, Dr.
Tom Field, Colorado State Uni
versity and Dr. Dan Moser, Kan
sas State University, will address
past and present Hereford breed
trends, while focusing on the pro
gress made and areas seeking im
provement for the breed to main
tain its status in the industry.
Craig Huffhines, AHA execu
tive vice-president, says the tim
ing of a conference of this caliber
is perfect as the demand curve is
changing. The Breed Direction
Summit will launch the Hereford
breed into a higher level of excel
lence in performance and will
NEW HOLLAND CONCRETE
121 EAST RIDGE ROAD, OFF RT. 1. NOTTINGHAM (610) 932-3222
IT’S A BUILDING MATERIALS CONVENIENCE STORE!
Block • Concrete Products • Building Materials • Masonry Supplies • Tools • Ready Mix
All with the same great quality and service you expect from New Holland
just a little closer to home
mmew
m mJfOLLAND
m m CONCRETE
STOP BY AND DISCOVER WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED...
CONCRETE BLOCKS TO GO!
ing commercial broilers) as of
Dec. 1, 2001 totaled 29.3 million,
down four percent from the 30.6
million one year earlier. Pennsyl
vania ranked fourth in chicken
inventory on Dec. 1, 2001. Penn
sylvania ranked fourth in layers
on hand December 1.
Only lowa, with 34.6 million,
Ohio, with 30.3 million, and Cali
fornia, with 23.8 million, were the
only states outranking Pennsyl
vania in layers.
Commonwealth flocks in
cluded 23.7 million layers 20
weeks old and older, down two
percent from last year; 5.6 mil
lion pullets less than 20 weeks
old, down 12 percent; and 78,000
also motivate the breeders to en
hance their operations and be
come full service genetic sup-
pliers.
A session led by Dr. Brad Mor
gan, OSU, will be devoted to car
cass value, product enhancement
and new beef marketing specifi
cations. Participants will also
have the opportunity to partake
in sessions directed at under
standing EPDs and AHAs new
whole herd Total Performance
Records (TPR) program more
clearly.
Wrapping up the conference,
seedstock and commercial panels
will discuss the responsibilities of
a seedstock breeder and what is
expected of them from the com
mercial industry. In conjunction
with the commercial panel, a live
evaluation of individual cattle
will take place, demonstrating
what the commercial sector is de
manding from Hereford
seedstock producers.
Lee Pitts, renowned western
columnist and speaker will high
light the evening festivities on
June 20.
Participant cost is $lOO and
spouse registration is $5O includ
ing four meals. For more inform
ation or to register, contact the
AHA or log on to www.herefor
d.org.
other chickens, down eight per
cent from the inventory on Dec.
1,2000.
The average value per bird on
hand Dec. 1, 2001 was $1.60.
Total value of all flocks in Penn
sylvania on Dec. 1, 2001 was esti
mated at 46.9 million dollars,
down four percent from the 49.0
million dollars in 2000.
Nationally, egg production
during the year ending Nov. 30,
2001 totaled a record high 85.6
billion eggs, up one percent from
the previous year. Layer numbers
averaged 335 million, up two per
cent from 2000. The annual aver
age production per layer on hand
in 2000 was 256 eggs, down
slightly from the 2000 average of
257.
The inventory of all chickens
in the U.S. (excluding commer
cial broilers) totaled 441 million
on Dec. 1, 2001, up one percent
from last year. Hgns and pullets
of laying age plus pullets over 13
weeks old but not of laying age
on hand totaled 381 million, up
three percent from Dec. 1,2000.
The average value of chickens
in the nation’s flocks on Dec. 1
was $2.42, down two cents from
2000. Total value of the nation’s
flocks was estimated at 1.07 bil
lion dollars, up one percent from
a year ago.
Lowes Launches
CHB Campaign
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Lowes
Foods, Winston-Salem, N.C., has
teamed up with Certified Here
ford Beef LLC (CHB) to under
take the largest retail marketing
campaign in the history of Here
ford beef.
The launch includes print ad
vertisements, complete in-store
signage and the Beef Made Easy
labeling program. Lowes is the
first CHB account in the state
and has 86 participating super
markets.
“Thanks to Lowes, the de
mand for program eligible Here
ford and baldy steers has in
creased by 1,000 head per week,”
said Rob Ames, AHA director of
product marketing.
CHB will be a full-case
branded beef program for Lowes,
replacing its commodity Choice
beef offering and packer brand
Angus beef program sold in some
service-case stores.
N. Y. Legislation To Propose
Ag Venture Capital Program
ALBANY, N.Y. Assembly
Agriculture Committee Chair
Bill Magee (D-Nelson) is plan
ning to introduce a bill to create
the AgriDevelopment Venture
Capital Program which would
allow the State Comptroller to in
vest public retirement funds in
new and existing agribusinesses.
“The agriculture industry, just
like the high tech sector, is in
need of the investment capital
that this Program would pro
vide,” Magee said. “There is no
doubt that with an infusion of eq
uity farms, farmers and agribusi
nesses across the state will begin
to grow in profitability and num
bers.”
The AgriDevelopment Venture
Capital Program is patterned
after a similar program enacted
in 1999 which allowed the Comp
troller to invest the assets of the
Common Retirement Fund in
privately owned businesses but is
not specific to the unique needs
of agriculture and perhaps has
the tendency to focus more on
telecommunications and high
tech companies.
“Too often, agriculture is not
looked at as a means to improve
the state’s economy, but the fact
is that when you talk about the
Jean an<t Robert Berkheimer, were honored as one of
the oldest dairy couples still farming in Cumberland
County. Also shown is LeAnn Witmer, Newburg. and Bran
don Weary, president of the Cumberland County Coopera
tive Extension Association. The cooperative extension re
cently conducted their annual meeting at Penn Township
Firehall where the presentation took place. The Berk
heimers have operated a dairy farm with their son since
1970 and are currently milking over 160 cows in Monroe
Township.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16,2002-A4l
Upstate economy you have to
talk about agriculture,” Magee
commented. “The creation of an
AgriDevelopment Venture Capi
tal Program clearly shines the
light on the need for equity in
vestments in farming and agri
culture.”
Initially, the bill would allow
the Comptroller to invest up to
$25 million in assets of the state’s
over $lOO billion Common Re
tirement Fund to be matched
equitably by private dollars cre
ating an investment infusion of
up to $5O million into the agricul
ture industry of New York State.
Among his other goals this ses
sion, Magee is pushing an agri
culture agenda that provides a
whole package of services for
farmers, food processors, agri
marketing associations and con
sumers. This includes the cre
ation of the state’s first
AgriDevelopment Zones; a new
focus on agricultural education in
schools that would entice young
people to enter farming as a ca
reer; as well as the continued
push on marketing “locally
grown, locally known” New York
agricultural products.