Milford chronicle., 1961-03-17
Jim Baxter Reports
On Farm Program

That the Secretary of Agricul-
lures program for feed grain leg
islation will work hardship on Del
aware farmers was stated last
week by James FL. Baxter. Jr.,
aware State Farm Bureau.
He said also that the program
would be highly disruptive to the
livestock. poultry and dairy indus
tries here in this state"
In addition. Mr.. Baxter said that
farmers in Delaware are deeply
concerned" over the failure to in
dicate what plans the administra-
tion has for wheat.
THE surplus problem is far
more serious for wheat than for
feed grains" he explained. There
is little point in asking farmers to
reduce the production of feed
grains until they can be assured
that the food market will not be
forced to absorb the accumulated
wheat surplus"
Mr.. Baxter has issued the fol-
lowing statement on the subject:
THE idea of requiring feed
grain producers to shift a part of
their cropland to soil conserving
uses as a condition of eligibility
for price supports is sound; how
ever, the proposed bill reinstates
the discredited acreage allotment
concept.
THE government will be bidding
against itself when il simultane-
ously raises price supports ard
tries to get farmers to reduce pro-
duction. Cutting acreage and rails
ing price supports would give far
mers a strong incentive TO increase
per-acre yields on their remain
ing acreage through the heavy use
of fertilizer. supplemental irriga-
tion and other production stimu-
lation practices. Thus, much of
the effect of cutting feed grain
acreage would be lost
THE proposal to use 1959-60
acreage as a base for the program
would reward farmers who have
abused their land by heavy crop
ping in the last two years.
There is nothing in the pro-
gram to keep a producer from
shifting rotation pasture and hay
land to soybeans so as to actually
increase his production of feed
units while being paid for reduc-
ing temporarily feed grain acre
age program. the type that has
been proposed would aggravate
rather than solve the basic prob
lem of excess productive capacity.
In order to be fully effective, a
land retirement program must pro-
vide for the same land to be held
out of production for period of
several years.
"One of the most disturbing fea-
lures of the administration pro-
posal TO Delaware farms is the i'm
piled threat to use the govern
ment's surplus stocks to beat
down the market price of feed
grains.
The apparent purpose is to pc
nalize non-cooperators. The effect
would be to make the government
the market for the cooperators'
grain and would be especially dis
rUptice to the poultry and live
stock industries in Delaware by
assuring an abundance of cheap
feed in the market. The terms OF
the administrations payment-in-
kind proposal would also prove
disruptive to livestock, poultry
and dairy farmers since it would
give farmers in surplus produc-
ing areas an advantage over those
located in the south and northeast.
The announced increase in soy
bear support prices is most
unwise move. Soybeans are an
important Delaware crop and
prices have been about the sup
port level and have been rising in
recent weeks. The soybean pro-
gram has worked well because
price supports have been used to
facilitate orderly marketing rath-
er than to prices.