(Continued from Page Al 6)
this data was that on a volume
and value basis, MPC imports ac
counted for a small percent of
total imports. For example, on a
dollar value basis, MPC imports
amounted to just 8 percent of
ABC GROFF
New Holland. PA 717-354-4191
CANNB-BILCO DIST.
Alburtis, Pa 610-966-3733
fHtWWrBSBIIBfI
FARM SERVICE
Chambersburg, Pa 717-264-3533
CHARLES S. SNYDER, IRC.
Tamaqua, PA 570-386-5945
DUNKLE ft ORIEB. INC.
Centre Hall. PA 814-364-1421
Won A USIIUV «M|T!ID TNUT*
EMU S ÜBrnKx EJifUilr** UvV*
New BetHoville, PA 610-367-2169
ffAVWiM PQtTlimigOT Jfe
Ky|f|rWni «
SUPPLY, me.
Alrvillc. PA 717-862-3967
FIELD’S IMPLEMENT STOKE
Eighty Four, PA 724-222- X 154
a IfAV V W IMIIT KVIMPr
(wßanUn VAJuLfix llVvlmiuii
Richland. PA 717-866-7518
mffVMUlVr'Vr MBiff
IKKIKUvm VAlKfll
EQUIPMENT CO.
Abbottstown, PA' 717-259-6617
LESLIE O. FOGG. me.
L firidgetoaJCUL- _Bs&4ai-2Z27_
total cumulative imports in 2002.
That said, MPC imports were up
21 percent in 2002 relative to the
same January through Septem
ber period in 2001.
So, what does this all mean?
Here are my thoughts:
1. Imports are not evil
REfl
BLO
Quality Bui
Perform;
• Heavy Dut'
• Reinforced
• Durable Ci
• Optional H'
BUSH HOG
member, we have a goal of ex
porting dairy products. One can
not have the hope of exporting
dairy products without offering
market access to other countries.
2. USDA should enforce safe
guard provisions. This safeguard
provision was part of our trade
agreement with other countries.
If imports of any one category
exceeded a certain level, we had
the ability to issue new tariffs to
show down imports. It was only
appropriate that USDA used this
provision on American type
cheese imports.
3. What is the deal with casein
and MFC? These two product
categories are not subject to the
tariff-rate quota regime that
other dairy products are. Why?
Does it make sense to import
lower-valued MFCs, increase
government stocks of nonfat dry
Re-
Taneytown. MD 410-751-1500
UMBBROER’S OP FONTANA
Lebanon, PA 717-867-5161
milk, lower the support price of
nonfat dry milk, and then dump
excess government inventory of
nonfat dry milk on the domestic
and global markets? These two
categories should be dealt with in
the new trade round talks.
4. Investigate new options for
the dairy price support program.
This program is certainly broken.
First, we had to lower the sup
port price of nonfat dry milk
since we were importing so much
lower valued MFC that govern
ment stocks of powder went
through the roof. But the dairy
price support program potential
ly robs domestic processors of ex
perimenting with production of
MFC. Also, cheese market prices
have clearly been below support
price levels. Why haven’t cheese
processors used the dairy price
support program?
5. A final thought. Don’t be
lieve the press accounts that im
ports represent so many tanker
truck loads of milk flooding our
m
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 11,2003-A27
borders. Unfortunately, the real
story is much more complex.
First, we don’t import tanker
loads of milk. We import dairy
products that contain select dairy
components. The conversion of
dairy imports to tanker loads of
milk is simply an illustration, a
rather poor one at that. A better
idea is to gather all relevant trade
data and simply add up how
much quantity and value of im
ports are actually coming into
our borders. That can then be
compared to exports, or to im
ports in other years. That is the
approach National Milk is tak
ing.
The next step would be to add
up how many pounds of milkfat
and nonfat solids this presents.
The third step would be to evalu
ate the impact of these imports
on domestic production and
prices of, say, cheese and butter.
This approach demands research
and hard work, not quick calcu
lations and scathing editorials.
Those are my thoughts!