PMMB Raises Over-Order Premium To $1.40 HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) —The Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board (PMMB) will raise the over-order premium to $1.40 per hundredweight effec tive from March to June of this year. On Jan. 27, the PMMB con ducted an emergency over-order premium hearing to consider raising the level of the over-order premium. Testimony was re ceived on behalf of Dairylea Co operative, Dairy Farmers of America Northeast Council, Dairy Farmers of America Mid- East Area Council, Dairy Mar keting Services, and the Pennsyl vania Grange. The Board Members found that conditions have changed since Nov. 6,2002, and testimony given was credible and persuasive Grelder & Wltmer Associates, Inc. Your Complete Tax, Accounting and Investment** Service for Individuals, Small Businesses and Farmers We Are... 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However, based on testimony from the Nov. 6 hearing, board members also found the possibili ty remains that, because of cus tomer demands, based partly on the level of the over-order premi um, some milk dealers have, or will, put plans in motion to move some of their operations out-of state to avoid paying the over order premium. While some circumstances have changed, board members believe that an over-order premi um of $1.40 through June 20 2733 Willow Street Pike Willow Street, PA (717) 464-2951 Fax (717) 464-2013 greiderstaxsvc@msn.com *Memb«r„. jr Roxanne Witmer Enrolled Agent Notional Auociation of Tax ProhuiooaU Member NASD & SIPC 9 DIAPHRAGM DEMAND .MUCH*, (ft strikes the proper balance while providing as much income to the Pennsylvania farmer as possible, maintaining a market in Pennsyl vania for Pennsylvania produced milk, and insuring an adequate supply of wholesome milk to Pennsylvania’s consumers at a fair price. In response to the Nov. 6 hear ing the board decided to lower the over-order premium of $1.65 in steps to $1.50 in January, $1.40 in February, $1.30 in March, and $1.25 for April-June. Testimony at the Nov. hearing convinced board members that the market for Pennsylvania milk was threatened because of the difference between the Pennsyl vania over-order premium and PFB: Mixed HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Pennsylvania Farm Bu reau has expressed both appre ciation and disappointment in response to the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board’s (PMMB) decision this week to stop decreases it had scheduled for the over-order milk price for Pennsylvania dairy producers. “We think the board could have set the premium level at $1.50 for the next four months without any serious problems,” said Joel Rotz, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s dairy specialist. “We appreciate the prompt ac tion the board took in prevent ing further reductions in the over-order premium.” The PMMB, acting on testi mony received at a hearing on Jan. 27, voted to maintain the over-order price at $1.40 per hundredweight (cwt.) of milk for March through June, when the remainder of the order ex pires. PMMB had allowed the over-order price to drop from SI.SO/cwt. in January to $1.40 in February. Dairy Marketing Services (DMS), which repre sents the Dairy Farmers of America and Dairylea coopera tives, had petitioned for the hearing and recommended that the over-order price level be set at $1.50. PMMB had voted in Decem ber to lower the over-order pre mium in steps from $1.65/cwt. to $1.25 by April and keep it at that level through June. The over-order price is added to the price of Class I (fluid) iSiittliarNlQ 25 To 3300 Gal. Vertical and Horizontal Mtyitro rumps The liQfc-l hdfc Long -SBEJ UHEJ BBE. Blue i wn Line I For roller pumpe, centrifugal pumps diaphragm pumps piston pumps and plunger pumps no one offers you more quality choices than Hypro More types More models And most of all more quality and dependability For virtually any spraying fluid handling or pressure cleaning need you have depend on The Long Blue Line™ for genuine value Genuine Hypro pumps from your quality Hypro dealer y*»il a rJPtta mh • UMWPKIIPft v 4 ,.> .-■ & premiums paid out-of-state. Cus tomers were beginning to de mand that Pennsylvania proces sors seek arrangements that would allow them to avoid pay ing the over-order premium alto gether. Board members believe that to maintain a strong dairy industry in Pennsylvania, all segments of the industry must be healthy. To continue the long-standing $1.65 over-order premium in relation to out-of-state-milk costs provides a very strong incentive for both in state and out-of-state processors, based on their customers’ de mands, to either source their raw milk from out-of-state supplies or to structure their transactions in such a way that the over-order espouse To Premium Decision milk produced, processed and sold within Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) had submitted a letter to the PMMB in support of the DMS petition for the January hearing. In the letter, PFB reit erated its support for continu ing the over-order price at the $1.65 per hundredweight level which was in effect last year. At the very least, PFB wrote PMMB members, the over PINE BUSH, N.Y. As a service to its partners, the Na tional Campaign for Sustain able Agriculture (National Campaign) has offered the Fed eral Sustainable Agriculture Program Primer. This resource compiles basic information on a wide range of the programs and policies that the National Cam paign and its partner organiza tions have helped to conceive, develop, promote and/or get funded over the years. In a simple, user-friendly for mat, the primer provides a short description of each pro gram, who administers it, how people can access the program (including application deadli nes and criteria for eligibility), how the program is funded, the program’s status including various stages of administrative ■W HOURS: Mon.,Thurs., Fri, *Kv. 7-8:30 lues., Wed. 7-5:30 Sat. 7-4:00 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 8, 2003-A35 Sustainable Ag Program Primer Released Dry Cow Booster That Costs 70 a Day Hoffmans Horse and Cattle Powder is an ideal tonic for cows over freshening. Feed 6 wks. before freshening. 1 Tablespoon a day. (Two weeks over freshening, feed 1 Tablespoon in the morning & 1 Tablespoon in evening) NKS This is an over-all good booster if fed to dry cows, and it will pay you big dividends. Sugar Valley Collar Shop 18 Wagon Wheel Lane Loganton, PA 17747 D & J Farm Store 65 Hess Rd Quarryville, PA 17566 Daniels Farm Store 324 Glenbrook Rd Leola, PA 17540 717-656-6982 Gap Repair Shop 994 Gap Rd Kinzers, PA 17535 717-442-4781 premium is not paid to Pennsyl vania producers. While board members are aware of the financial stress on the state’s dairy farmers, and are very concerned about the situa tion, they believe it would be of no benefit to Pennsylvania pro ducers to set an over-order pre mium at a level that would cause Pennsylvania processors—for competitive purposes—to seek ways to avoid paying the over order premium. Should any of these conditions change and threaten the stability of Pennsylvania’s dairy industry, the board can react quickly to hold miother emergency hearing to address the problem. order price should not fall below $1.50 for the remainder of the current order’s term. PFB pointed out that economic projections presented at the January hearing indicate dairy farmers’ economic plight will be even worse than what was anticipated at a hearing last November which led to the PMMB’s decision to cut back on the $1.65 over-order premi um. action (rulemaking, implemen tation, etc.), and where to go for more information. The Federal Sustainable Ag riculture Program Primer is available at http:// www.sustainableagriculture.ne t/primer.php. “This is only the beginning,” said Kathy Lawrence, National Campaign executive director. “We’re looking to refine and regularly update this federal program primer, and will be adding more programs in the coming weeks. We’ll also be veloping more in-depth fact sheets for selected programs.” Elvin Zimmerman 18051 Ridgewood Ave Barnett, MO 65011 573-378-2658 Bird-In-Hand Farm Supply 200 Maple Ave Bird-ln-Hand, PA 17505 Gideon F. King 5465 Elam Rd Kinzer, PA 17535
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