(Continued from Page A 10) Congressman Don Sherwood (R -PA), Bemie Sanders (I-VT), and Dave Obey (D-WI) are pursuing different avenues to correct the inequities facing dairy farmers. Sen. Specter, Sen. Pat Leahy, and Sen. Snow have made re peated efforts to bring attention to the disparity between dairy farmer’s prices and the retail prices of dairy products in many stores. I’m very aware of the strong competitiveness in the re tail business, but I want to point out a few things I continue to find. This past winter, Giant Food Mart store in Wellsville, N.Y. was selling Land-O-Lakcs butter for $4.95 per pound (wholesale price in Chicago was $1.05 per pound). We continually see Land-O- Lakes butter selling for more than $3 a pound in many stores. The same USDA Grade AA but ter sells for $1.67 per pound in all Redners stores. Why the differ ence? These gouging prices are going on while processors are paying the lowest price for milk for butter since 1976. Walmart stores in Dickson City, Tunkhannock, Pittston, and Wilkes-Bare are selling Walmart brand name milk (G.V.) at the Pennsylvania milk marketing board’s minimum price of $2.52 per gallon (April 2003). The large Dean Food Company bottles a large amount of Walinart’s G.V. milk. However, Dickson City Walmart also sells Lehigh Valley milk for around $3.18 per gallon. Guess who owns Lehigh Valley? Dean Foods! The bottling plant number is the same on the G.V. milk as the Lehigh Valley milk (provably Lansdale). Why the two prices of $2.52 and $3.18? Trade In-Trade Up Save!!! Pwwmi PpppSp Smme* *»a X. Wgh •***•* EM«»lwtt»f ww, PA *7*** 7I7<WMUtM WestfaliaS-^ryT) Even more confusing, Dickson City Walmart also handles Swiss brand milk from Lebanon Coun ty. Guess who owns the Swiss Company? You’re right Deans Foods! Dickson City Walmart sells the Swiss milk for about $3.13 per gallon. So, Deans Foods is involved in all the milk at Dickson City Wal mart, but look at what consumers are being charged. Boyers Market in Berwick, handles only Swiss milk. Guess what Boyers sells the same Swiss milk for? $2.52 per gallon. Everywhere you travel you see Schwann’s trucks making home deliveries of various frozen foods. I understand the products are good. However, on their price list they list 2Vi gallons of vanilla ice cream for more than $2O. This equates to about $4.20 per half gallon, you can buy good ice cream at Redners Market for $1.79 per half gallon. I realize there is a difference in cream content in various ice creams, but not to that degree. Some companies are slipping in the 13/i-quartl 3 /i-quart containers in the freezers (a half gallon is 2 quarts). The companies say the ingredi ents are costing more. However, the milk and cream used for ice cream command the same 1977 price to dairy farmers. Schwann’s also belongs to the International Dairy Foods Asso ciation, better known as IDFA. IDFA shows up at many milk hearings and opposes increases to dairy farmers. They fought vigor ously against dairy compacts. Two of their strongest allies against dairy compacts in the U.S. Senate were Sen. Kuhl (D -WI) and Senator Santorum (R -PA). ArMMit , « Farm 7Mf)M%Ffti 7*7-17»-4»f» n«i«fhjni limit migmU^j; Why»ii»><>hiiHr»li wpl Recently IDFA awarded Schwann’s Food Company then second annual Grand Pioneer Award for Schwann’s outstand ing efforts in implementing a company grass-roots program, geared for Schwann’s officials and employees to communicate with elected officials. There isn’t anything wrong with the grass roots program except the Schwann’s are helping to main tain dairy farmer’s prices at the 1976-1977 level. Several calls we made to Schwann’s officials were not returned. Breakstone butter sells for more than $3 per pound in many stores. We’re not sure who owns Breakstone, but their butter wrappers make reference to Kraft Foods. Remember Kraft? They are the company that is using imported MFCs in many of their cheeses and cheese prod ucts. The FDA says Mr. Kraft, you should not use MFCs but their packages still carry MFC on the labels. Oh, that’s right Kraft says we will rename our cheeses to comply with the FDA ruling. Restaurants, like retail stores, are highly competitive and must be able to charge a fair price or else they are gone. I like to stop at Denny’s for their Slam Bang Pancake Special. As I glazed down their menu, they listed a small glass of milk at $1.33 per glass. Of course, they need a markup, but their price comes to more than $2O per gallon, or $240 per cwt. Local dairy farmers re ceive $12.74 per cwt for milk that is bottled ($l.lO per gallon). Hershey Foods opposed the Dairy Compact at the William sport hearing. It was the dairy farmer’s good friend Pennsylva nia Sen. Roger Madigan that cross-examined the Hershey offi cials and revealed some of then milk was coming from the Atlan ta area. It’s time for our elected offi cials to step in and see that the USDA prices milk fairly to our dairy farmers. This can be done without gouging consumers. Consumers please do buy milk for $3.18 per gallon when you can buy the same milk for $2.52 per gallon. Please do not pay $3 or $4 for a pound of butter when many stores sell the same grade of butter for less than $2 per pound. And, please do not buy cheeses that contain MFCs. Contact your elected officials and tell them you want your milk and milk products produced in the good old USA. Pro Ag can be reached at (570) 833-5776. Editor: We are writing this letter to you in hopes that perhaps we are not the only ones who are against “The New Milk Program.” We are referring to Cooperatives Working Together, also known as “Leadership Taking Advan tage.” We are against this program!! The East is in a milk deficit area. Why should we pay to help to get rid of a surplus that is not in the east? Besides the fact that we can’t afford to lose $.lB from our milk check. Where was our great cooperative leadership and then thinking two years ago when we were making a profit milking cows? Did they not have the fore sight to see that unchecked ex pansion out west was going to de stroy our milk market nationwide? Yes, our dairy industry is at a terrible crossroads and we are not arguing that something needs to be done. However, having said that, we do not believe this farm er-funded program is the right way to do it. How about asking the financial institutes for some help? They were the ones that had all the money to loan for all these new huge facilities. Or maybe, just maybe, they are be hind this program? Our largest milk cooperatives are in serious financial trouble, also. Why? This is the same leadership that thinks getting bigger is the answer. I’m sure this letter, if printed, will generate much discussion. That’s the idea, if you are a member of one of The Coopera tives. not Now is the time to ask some hard questions. Jeff and Michele Reasner Jemi Jerseys Newburg Yoiir Grain Equipment Headq Arden Tewksbury Manager, ProAg Meshoppen June Beef Management Calendar John B. Hall Extension Animal Scientist Virginia Tech BLACKSBURG, Va. Here are a few key items to remember for the month of June. For spring calving herds: • Finish AI; turnout cleanup bulls • Check bulls regularly for performance and injury • Feed Ist calf heifers sepa rately; give them best forage and supplement • Use 48 hour calf removal for thin cows and Ist calf heifers at beginning of breeding season • Begin fly control program • Begin creep grazing • Continue feeding high mag nesium minerals to prevent grass tetany; may be able to switch to high Se trace salt late in month • Do mid-summer deworming and implanting late in month or early next month • Finish making first cutting hay early in month • Start grazing warm season grasses For fall calving herds: • Body condition score cows; plan nutrition/grazing program based on BCS • Begin fly control program • Do mid-summer deworming on replacement heifers and preg heifers (2*year-olds) • Plan marketing program for calves • Vaccinate calves for VQA programs; line up certification • Wean calves if selling in VQA weaned program in July (weaned for 30 days) • Switch to high Se trace min eral salt • Start grazing warm season grasses.
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