Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Jan. 24, 1974, edition 1 / Page 14
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<1 4K KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR Thursday, January 24.1974 Economists Rate ^74 Farm Year Tops By GARY STEWART Mirror Staff Writer According to extension economists at North Carolina State University, 1973 was a record shattering year tor farmers and another good year is seen for ’74. However, increasing costs of fertilizer, feed, fuel and other necessr’ y items will probably make it impossible for the farmer to Improve on last year’s salary. According to NCSU economists, realized net farm income probably reached $25 billion in ’73, up over $5 billion HEAD ’EM UP! - This black angus bull is on its way to someone’s freezer, most likely, and chances are he’ll eventuallv cost the consumer Photo by Gary Stewart a pretty penny. Beef prices are expected to be high the first half of 1974 but should slack of some later in the year. w w ' T’T ^ W North Carolina Spinning Mills Outlet Store 719 E. Second Ave. Gastonia. N. C. SALE OF KNITS newest textures and colors ^ Mix and Match \ Double Knit > Keu. 2.98 100% Textered Polyester Stripes Sweater Knit Reg. 1.99 *1.29 YD Bonded Acrylic and Polyester Knit Keg. 1.99 tv":!:' *i.99vi>- NORTH CAROLINA SPINNING MILLS OUTLET 719 ,E Second Ave. GASTONIA N. C. Store Hours Mon to Sat 9; A M TO 5: P M PHONE ff65 6994 i from the record set the year before. Those same economists predict that the first half of ’74 will prove good for producers of meat but the last half of the year won’t be so good. Consumer demand is ex pected to be up by six to eight percent in the first half of the year but should decrease three to four percent late in the year. Feeder cattle in the 500 pound range is expected to bring 52-54 cents per pound through March and 53-55 cents the second quarter of the year. A check at the Shelby Sale Barn last week saw prices good, but cattlemen in this area note that you can’t foresee from one week to the next how the prices will be. Last week, bulls and steers in the 500 pound range were bringing an average of about SO cents a pound. Although 50 cents a pound for beef sounds like a big price for the cattleman, it’s not quite so big when one con siders that cost of fertilizer, feed and other items have more than doubled the past few years. Jack Hughes, a local cat tleman and turkey farmer, pointed out that the same fence posts he paid 54 cents apiece for when he built his farm costs $1.18 apiece now and the same wire he paid $7 a roll for is almost $20 a roll i»w. ‘‘If a man buys a farm now, cows will never pay for it,” predicted Hughes. “The man in between has to be making the money or else is using it up with expenses. The man on the farm doesn’t make money.” Hughes pointed out that the costs of maintaining farm equipment has also skyrocketed and added that farm labor is almost im possible to find. “You can go to a tractor place to buy some little part that you expect to be two dollars and it will be 10,” he iwted. “There’s not a thing we can do about the prices we pay. But when you sell a cow, you have to take what they offer.” As for the turkey end of his operation, Hughes said he works by contract but the “trouble with turkey contracts is that they’re the same as they were 15 years ago. “A cent a week is all they’re paying to grow pullets,” he pointed out, “and for a penny Apple Growers Class Set Apple growers and those with interests in apple marketing will not want to miss the chance to attend the Apple Marketing and Packing House School to be held this week. The school began Wed nesday, and continues tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the County Office Building, 130 S. Post Rd. in Shelby. The school will be available at no charge to anyone interested in apple marketing. Curtis Styles, Cleveland County Assistant Agricultural Extension Agent explains that “Marketing is one phase of apple production that often presents more problems to growers and is oftentimes the least understood.” I think that this school will be an excellent opportunity to get a better understanding of apple marketing problems and possible solutions. This will be even more important as time goes by since our production continues to in crease at a rapid rate”, said Styles. Agricultural Extension Marketing Specialists from NC State University will be on hand at the school. In addition to providing a good basic understanding of the apple packing house facilities. 'The types of business organization, such as cooperative, partnership, general corporation, and individual, will be explained at the Apple Marketing and Packing House School. Also apple packers and growers from successful packing and marketing firms will be on hand for panel discussions at the school. a week you can’t even pay for a house when you consider it costs $1.75-$2.00 a foot to build one.” Hughes pointed out that in the past he has raised 75,000 turkeys a year but is cutting his operation this year to about 16.000. He said all will be raised in the houses as inability to find help makes it impossible to put the turkeys on the range. He said packing companies control the prices since most turkeys are grown by con- tiact. "For instance,” he says, “1 sold my turkeys in November and have been out for three y y y y y months. If they (the packing companies) don’t grow as many, they can keep the prices up. 1 spend $20,000 for a iiouse and they let it stand empty for a third of the year. “Y'ou can’t do anything about it unless you go on your ou’ii and then they might not take them when you want to sell.” Hughes went on to say that the average farmer can’t afford to go on his own, noting that with feed in excess of $150 per ton he would have to borrow money from a bank to finance his own operation. "Then,” he said, “you run into T high interest charges.” According to Hughes, if a turkey farmer grew out his own turkeys, it would cost him around 70 cents per turkey. "And," he continued, "I have to disagree with the North Carolina State economists who predict that '74 will be close to '73. 1 don’t ex(x-ct things to be real bad but they're not going to be nearly as good as last year.” Hughes said turkey prices will have to go down, as 210 million pounds of turkey meat were held over from last year. "Prices got too high last year.” he said, "and the housewives didn't buy it. Tbcrefoi e, it's going to have to go down in .irder to sell it.” Hughes also predicted beef prices will go down and that when it dres. it will force turkey piiccs down about 15 cents |)er pound. The price situation, Hughes feels, boils down to the liousewife at)d he feels most Ixiusewives aren’t going to continue to pay high prices for meat. "The housewife is no dunimy,” Hughes stated. , "She knows how much money she has to spend for groceries. If meat is too high, she’ll find a .substitute.” - K9r4rT!‘»»i -wmr wmt ww I.mm I ’ STYRO CUPS 9 01. SIZE FOR HOT OR COLD DRINKS Vaseline BRAND VMcllne wiK-Dipe INTENSIVE CARE LOTION WITH DISPENSER $1.75 VALUE GREAT FOR SCHOOL! 29c EACH VALUE lUJ POROUS PONT PEN $1.89 VALUE FEMININE NAPKINS 24 COUNT BRAND PLASTIC BAGS PKG 26 COUNT — 44 QT. KITCHEN 20 COUNT — 20 GAL. TRASH 15 COUNT — 5 BUSHEL LEAF COLORED METAL 3 PIECE ALUMINUM RANGE • GREASE CONTAINER WITH STRAINERl • SALT SHAKER • PEPPER SHAKER OUR REG. $1.37 LADIES ' WHITE PADDED OR SOFT BRAS CHOICE OF COLORS REG. 13c EACH CIRCULAR STITCHED "SUPPORT AND COMFORT AT AN UPLIFTING PRICE SIZES 32A TO 42C ^ » VALUES TO $1 EACH 2'"88 LADIES MULTIFILAMENT NYLON CANNON WASH CLOTHS ANT HOSE PKG. OF 8 FOR OUR REG. 38c PAIR i SIZES PETITE TO EXTRA TALL. SLIGHT IMPERFECTS 3“'’88 Soiidi Olid 3 PIECE ^ SLACK SET ^ For Junior Boyt LONG SLEEVE SHIRT, PANTS AND BELT. SIZES 4 to 7. OUR REGULAR UP TO $4.96 SET LADIES 32 GAUGE ACETATE TRICOT PANTIES SIZES S-10 PKG. OF 3 CLEARANcRpM??m5?? LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS N STY 'ALUE $fl88 FASHION STYLES AND COLORS VALUES TO $3.98 MEN'S WESTERN STYLE BLUE DENIM 4.' JEANS Flore or Srroi(lit Logi. Pro-thrunk ♦' Cotton. Sizoi 28-36 ! <■ Gastonia Hwy. 74 ». AerossFromDixie Village Open Dally 9 to 9 Sun. 1 to6 Price, uooo ioru aatoroay Wbtlc Gastonia 1332 E. Frankl.«n Open Daily 9 to 9 SunltoS Bess.City lUE. Va.Ave. Open .Mon. ■ Tbur. 9-6 Fri. Til9Sunl-6 I. butnlllle. Lott. Quantity Rithll Rcurnd. ■A. A .A. -A. -A. A. A A A A A A A $«88 OUR REGULAR $3.47 GIRLS ACETATE PANTIES 4 ,4: RTiG^29r*PAIR y\ / .1
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Jan. 24, 1974, edition 1
14
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