thursday, december 15, 1977
daily nebraskan
page 9
Nationwide farmers' strike shows little effect locally
By John Ortmann
The American Agriculture farm strike showed little if
any effect on agricultural buying and selling on its first
day, according to two people involved in farm product
marketing.
The nationwide farm group plans to discontinue buy
ing and selling farm products and supplies until market
demand or government action raises farm prices to the
break-even point. Backers say the strike, which began
yesterday, will last until this happens.
Homer Rogers, president and general manager of
Omaha Livestock, a livestock commission firm at Omaha's
Union Stockyards, said Wednesday's receipts of slaughter
cattle were normal.
Rogers said the Omaha market received 2,800 cattle
for slaughter yesterday campared to 4,500 a week ago and
3,600 a year ago.
Hog and sheep runs showed similar trends, Rogers said,
with hogs closing $1 higher. He expects the rise in hog
prices to bring increased supplies of hogs to the market,
blotting out any effects of the strike.
Market statistics
The 11 major United States markets had 42,000
slaughter cattle yesterday, he said, compared to 37,300
last week and 42,000 a year ago.
"This is what we would have had regardless of the
holding action," Rogers said.
Janet Bridger, who with her husband Jack owns the
Denton grain elevator, said at noon Wednesday business
was normal.
Bridger said she noticed an increase in buying and sel
ling by farmers before the strike, which she said was a
means of surviving during the holding action.
Strike support in the Denton area is mixed, she said,
with many farmers in sympathy with the strike but unable
to support it because of large debts.
Elevater open
The Bridgers considered closing the elevator Wednes
day to support the strike, but remained open to serve non
striking farmers.
Winter is a good time to have a farm strike because
grain crops are already sold or are sealed under govern
ment loans and can not be sold, according to Everett
Peterson, UNL professor of -agricultural . economics.
Also, farmers are not doing field work and so do not
need to buy fuel, fertilizer and other growing supplies, he
said.
Peterson said he knows of no calculations as to how
much farm produce would need to be withheld before
prices rise. However, he said he expects no major effects
unless the 1978 crop is not planted next spring. He does
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not think that will happen, however.
Slaughter livestock and milk cannot easily be withheld
because milk is perishable and livestock continue to gain
weight, further depressing the market when they are sold,
Peterson said.
No sales increase
Rogers also expects no decrease in livestock sales,
explaining that there are seven percent more cattle on
feed in the United States than there were a year ago.
When these cattle are finished, they must be marketed,
he said.
This surplus means that if some cattle are withheld,
enough others exist to fill demands, he said.
The strike will be effective only as an attention-getter,
Rogers thinks. He added that politicians will not respond
to farmer's demands. The number of consumer votes so
far outnumbers farm votes that politicians will favor
consumer interests, he said.
Rogers predicts stores will use the strike as an excuse
to raise the retail price of meat even though the price
paid to farmers will not rise.
0"DWE DBESD" HOME
TO) SELfl-
n
One of the questions students must answer at tne end of the semester is whether
to sell their textbooks or to keep them for possible future reference. We hope the
following information about the value of used textbooks will assist you in that
decision.
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Current edition textbooks required for classes at UNL for the upcoming
semester are bought back at Nebraska Bookstore at 50 of the regular price. The
top value price extends through the regular buyback period at the end of each
semester and drops as the quantities for classes are filled.
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Ufvia ..YJV&ti
Current edition textbooks which" may be used for upcoming semesters but
which have not yet been ordered by the instructor are bought at speculative prices
between wholesale value and top value. About half of these books will move up in
value and half will decrease in value as we get more information oh class
requirements.
Current edition textbooks no longer being used on the UNL campus can often
be purchased by Nebraska Book Company for resale to schools in other parts of the
United States. Prices on these books vary according to the national demand for
each title.
Sayl
Old edition textbooks and most paperbacks fall into this category. Check our
prices and then decide whether or not to keep these books for your personal library
or for future reference use.
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DMT.
With every group of textbooks that you sell, you'll receive a coupon
worth $1.00 towards any purchase of $5.00 or more. Use it now for
Christmas or save it for next semester's books.