Wednesday, november 8, 1978
page 12
daily nebraskan
Ag economist urges new export expansion
Changes in world agricultural trade
patterns are confronting the United States
with severe challenges to maintain a high
volume of exports to traditional markets,
to increase exports to growing markets in
less developed and centrally planned areas
and to achieve more stable growth in
exports of ag products, according to a UNL
professor.
Everett Peterson, an economist with the
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Re
sources Extension Division, said the U.S.
position as the world's largest producer and
exporter of agricultural products is not
likely to be threatened in the near future,
but important changes occuring in world
agricultural trade have significant impli
cations for U.S. agriculture.
Exports have become increasingly
important to farm income, according to
Peterson, with the production of from one
of three harvested acres in the U.S. going
to foreign countries.
Peterson said farm product exports
generate domestic employment, stimulate
income and have contributed more than
$10 billion to the U.S. balance of trade in
the past four years.
The U.S. generally accounts for more
than half of the world's trade in coarse
grains and soybeans, Peterson said,
although it produces less than a third of
the world's total production of course
grains and only 40 percent of the world's
soybeans. Two-fifths of the world's cotton
and wheat trade come from the U.S., but
only a sixth of world production. Two per
cent of the world's output of rice is grown
in the U.S., but 20 to 30 percent of the
rice trade comes from the U.S.
The United States also holds a fourth to
a half of all world grain stocks. It accounts
for abouj 44 percent, much more than
policy makers believe prudent or the U.S.
to hold, according to Peterson.
Accompanying a sharp rise in the
volume of U.S. agricultural exports over
the past decade have been subtle transition
in the sources and composition of foreign
demand for U.S. farm products, Peterson
said.
The three major shifts include:
-While the volume of U.S. wheat ship
ments to developing countries has increaas
ed by more than a fourth in the early
1960s, there has been a remarkable shift in
the mix of commercial sales and conces
sional sales. Two thirds of all U.S. wheat
exports to developing countries during
1961 to 1965 were under food aid
programs, compared with one-tenth during
1971-1975.
-Food products have continued to
account for half of U.S. agricultural
exports since the early 60s but the compo
sition of the remainder has changed radical
ly. Cotton and tobacco made up a fifth of
the U.S. exports during 1960,64, as did
feedgrains and soybeans. Since then,
cotton and tobacco's share have dropped
50 percent, and the feedgrin and soybean
share has nearly doubled. Expansion in ex
ports of feedgrains and soybeans have
grown from $5 billion to nearly $27 billion
in 1978.
-U.S. exports to some markets, parti
cularly the Soviet Union and Red China
have grown in importance, but have
fluctuated tremendously.
The Soviet Union bought $18 million in
farm products in 1970, $12 million in
1971, $954 million in 1973. $410 million
in 1975 and $1.1 billion in 1977. China
went from $800 million in 1975 to
$44,000 in 1976 to $64 million in 1977.
Peterson said these changes figure sub
stantially in the demand outlook for U.S.
farm products.
Fire, smoke the best signals for snow help
Severe snowstorms or full scale blizzards
are as common to Nebraska as death and
taxes. The old saying, "If you don't like
Nebraska weather, stick around for a
minute," is as true as often as not. What
would appear to be a peaceful showfall,
within minutes can become a raging storm.
Each year hundreds of Nebraskans find
themselves caught in a life and death
struggle due to winter storms. People
should be reminded, at this time of year, of
some of the international signals of
distress.
The State Civil Defense Agency says, "If
you become lost while hunting or if your
car breaks down along some deserted
route, during a storm, you should think
about signaling for help immediately. You
could be there for a long time, so seek
shelter from the elements and establish an
emergency signal at once."
The best signal is fire - a large bright fire
at night, and a smokey fire during the day.
Black smoke should be used in light
colored, open areas. Your spare tire or any
petroleum based material will provide a
good thick, black cloud of smoke for some
time.
White smoke should be used in dark or
densely wooded areas. Green wood or pine
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Dinners include a
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Lincoln, 464-9178
Prime Rib
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Seafood Crepe
Tender crepes stuffed with
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topped with Mewburg sauce
Teriyalri Chicken
Marinated boneless breast of chicken
needles, added to a well-lighted fire will
send billows of white smoke skyward.
Maintain a good supply of fuel, and
build the signal fire on the highest point
near your shelter. If fuel is plentiful, two
fires are better than one. Three fires in a
triangular pattern, will always be recogniz
ed as a positive signal of distress.
Remember that before you build a fire
- be sure to clear a wide area of brush and
if possible; circle the "fireplace" with
stones to prevent starting a fire that could
burn out of its bounds.
A mirror is also a good attention -getter,
and a metal signal mirror should be con
sidered standard equipment for any hunter.
A car's rear or sideview morror, a tin can
lid or any shiny, reflective object can be
used as a signalling device. On a clear day.
flashing signals can be seen up to 10 miles
away, and even farther by aircraft.
Signals that can be seen from the air
may be constructed of stomped-down
snow, piled bushes, rocks, tree branches,
etc, and should be at least 10 feet high.
The following signals for assistance are
some that are understood, internationally,
by all pilots.
I - need doctor
II - need medicine
X - unable to proceed
F - need food, water
Arrow - proceeding in this direction
LL - all well
If you are ever in doubt of which signal
to use, remember that the use of the inter
national distress signal - SOS - is always
understood to mean trouble.
Winter swims
can cause
hypothermia
Many northern cities have their
Polar Bear Clubs, with members who
strip down to bathing tunks on a
winter day and then take an icy dip
in a lake or stream. Most people,
however, would never consider such
a frigid exercise, and if by accident
they do take a cold water dip while
ice fishing or skating, they arc very
apt to freeze to death.
The loss of body heat from such
an experience is known as hypother
mia, and can be recognized by a
number of symptoms.
After the body's normal tempera
ture of degrees falls to 95
degrees, it starts to fall rapidly. Signs
of pain, tiredness, poor coordination,
numbness, slurred speech and mental
confusion appear.
Falling into the 80s, unconscious
ness may result, as well as blueness
of the skin, enlargement of the
pupils, muscle stiffness, irregular
heart rate and a weak, barely detect
able pulse. Death may occur when
the body's core temperature range is
between 80 and 85 degrees, but is
more likely to happen when the core
drops below 80.
Knowing how to treat hypotherm
ia is especially important to persons
who are engaged in winter sports,
particularly for those involved in wil
derness hiking, camping, skiing,
hunting and fishing. Here are some
pointers, from the State Civil
Defense Agency, for the concerned
winter sportsman.
If you come across a hypothermia
victim, remove him or her from the
cold water or icy place and transfer
the victim to as warm a place as
possible. Remove their wet clothes
only if it involves a minimum of
movement to the victim; do not
massage them.
Lay any unconscious or semicon
scious person in a face up position
with their head slightly down. Since
the blood pressure will be low, the
head-down position will help to en
sure an adequate flow of blood to
the brain.
Begin to warm the victim immedi
ately; delay may cause death. One
method of rewarming is to place the
victim in a bath of lukewarm water,
about 105 to 110 degrees. Keep the
arms, and legs out of the bath to
delay the return of blood circulation
to the extremities. Heating the limbs
causes cold blood to flow from them
to the body core, further cooling the
core.
Lacking a bath, apply hot towels
or blankets warmed by a fire, to the
victim's head, neck, groin, chest and
abdomen.
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