The Sidney herald., 1961-02-08

a Great Falls - American agri-
culture is definitely a growth in
dustry, said R. B. ToOtell, gov
ernor, Farm Credit Administra-
ton, Washington, D. c.
Addressing the joint annual
membership meeting of the pro
duction credit association and fed
eral land bank association, Gov.
Tooteu, who was reared in the
Great Falls area, urged farmers
not to be misled by oft-repeated
statistics on the shrinking farm
population that might lead them
TO conclude that agriculture is a
dying industry.
Actually, we face a certain
growth situation" Gov. Tootell
said, pointing out that by 1870
demands for meat animals are eX-
pected to increase by 81 percent;
poultry products, by 25 percent;
fruit and vegetables, by So per-
cent; and feed grains, by 40 per-
cent.
Gov. Tootell described these
estimates as being ION the con-
sentative SIDE" not taking world
markets into account. "Our for
eign trade" he said, sis expected
to expand, also"
The credit official warned
however, that increased consump-
tion alone does not insure future
prosperity = that technology anc
mechanization advances on the
; farm indicate 1--WE WON'T eat our
selves out of farm SURPRISES il
!. the practicable future" He added
, too THAT ''the squeeze On income
: of the average producer is ikel.
to continue"
? Farmers at present are beinl
= penalized Through SurlpSu
penalized through Surplus-de
4 pressed prices for performing
= miracle in efficiency = a miracl
which Gov. Tootell described a
being " a prime ingredient in on
> industrial strength, as we'll as
source of envy to the Sovie
Union"
, In the United States, fewe
than 10 percent of our labor fore
is producing a super abundanc
lc of food, releasing 80 percent I
ie produce other goods and services
20 Gov. TooteM pointed out. In Rus
70 STA, he observed, some As percel
10 are needed in primary agricultul
al production.
II The amazing efficiency ON OF
To farms has been brought abo1
I'd through science and mechanizatic
permitting the substitution of ca
on ital for labor, Gov. Tootell sal
nd most of which has been financt
MS Through earnings, but an eve
IL increasing amount through cred
"The availability of credit of Il
r. right kind has become an impor
on ant factor" he said, and he pr
dicted credit sources will CONT
lie to be available to farmers
Through their cooperative Fan
Credit System and other Sourc,
Management becomes of critic
Importance, as capital investme
increases" Gov. Tooten said,
urging farmers to re-exami
their operations continually in
effort 10 fit themselves il
changing agricultural patterns.
Noting the trend toward lars
farms, Gov. Tootell said, "Size
the business is not a guarantee
financial success in farming. |
adequate size is one of the
SentialS."
Digging deeper into the ava
able statistics, Gov. Tooten sa
Despite the shrinking number
farms in the past decade,
number of farms with cash sa
above $4,000 per year increa:
by AZ percent - from 484, 900
$4,000. These farms produt
SO percent of total farm mark
ings in 1859, compared with
percent in 1885,"
Because of this and other f
, tors, Gov. ToOtell saidi he did
buy the currently popular the
that at some time in the futl
nearly all farm production '
: be handled by some $4,000 la
farm CORPORATIONS, sometimes