Farming in Ora
report shows g
• v
Farm income in Orange County increased 8.6 per cent
during 1961 -over the previous year.
Th is is brought out in the annual report of County
Agricultural Agent Don S. Matheson as delivered to the
county commissioners this week. Total gross cash farm
income for the year was estimated at $7,647,000—up
$600,000 from i960.
The agent’s report also called attention to lower broiler
and egg prices which put several broiler producers out of
business and brought a $45,000 decrease in income from
this source. The i960 total for broilers and eggs was
$1,525,000, as compared to $1,480,000 last year.
Tobacco grown in Orange during ’61 sold for $3,
1 » 250,000, based on an average yield of 1,650' pounds an
acre and $.64 a pound. The report also showed beef cattle
on the increase ($388,000 income) and milk and livestock
(production up. . .. . . ...
Following is the text of the farming report by Mr.
Matheson: J
1. Income
In 1955 a group of leading
farm men and women met-with
the Extension Agents and made
a five year plan to increase farm
income by one million dollars by
1960. Gross income records of
crops arid livestock were kept
each year, and in spite of a 20%
reduction in tobacco acreage in
1957, the gross farm income fori
1960 was raised one and one
half millioh dollars. This year
the Extension Advisory Board!
set another five year goal of an:
additional two million dollars in
gross farm income. We hope to;
meet this new goal of nine mil- i
lion dollars by 1966.
2. Tobacco
_The tobacco crop grossed
250,000 based on 3,080 acres har
vested producing an average of
1,650 pounds per acre and sell
ing for 64 cents a pound. This is
$250,000 more than last year.
Our aim has been to increase;
poundage per acre of high quail !
ty .tobacco. Several educational \
meetings, a tour of the Oxford
Experiment Station, and .exhibits
at Durham, visits to individual
farms, news articles and letters
were methods used. Thirty-five
farm ponds have been built dur
ing the year, one-third of them
being used to irrigate tobacco.
Assistance now ic being given to
bacco farmers who wish to lo
cate, additional acreage to lease
under the recently amended law.
3. Dairy
Dairy farmers continued to in
crease production, and market
ing 32,500,000 pounds of milk
for $1,873,000. With the addi
tional sale of cull cows, breed
ing stock and veals, the total
gross sales exceeded two million
dollars. Because of a surplus of
grade A milk appearing on the
markets from time to time dur
ing the year the price' to the
farmers was slightly lower than
last year; however, the total gross
was in excess of I960. ....
Efficiency in production was
stressed. Milking machine clinics,
DHLA workshop, feeding meet
ings and tours were held with
good attendance. Our DHIA av
erage production was 10,517
pounds per cow, which was the
highest for the state of any
county having more than six
herds on test. .Clarence Symes,
one of our testers, won 2nd place
in the state testers competition,
and Bobby Nichols won 2nd
place iff the •State” Efficiency
Contest. One proven bull was
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sold to American Breeders Serv
ice for artificial breeding pur
poses. Many new silos were con
structed, and mechanized silage
handling systems have been in
stalled on many farms. County
and District 4-H Dairy Shows
were held.
4. Poultry
Unprecented low broiler
prices ('l0-12c per pound) put
every independent broiler grow
er out of business. One large
producer lost his home through
mortgage foreclosure. Commer
cial egg flocks were increased
by 20,000 birds. However, lower
egg and- broiler prices resulted
in a decrease of gross income
from $1,525,000 in 1960 to $1,'
482,000 in 1961.
The Poultry Co’mmittee of the
Extension Advisory Board has
strongly urged that further ex
pansion of poultry and egg pro
ducing facilities be limited to
adjustments on individual farms
for the sake of efficiency.
In November, the 26 biembers
of the Orange County Poultry
and Egg Producers Association
voted unanimously in favor of a
“Program of production con- j
trols, at the producer’s level,
with negotiable quotas, to be set
up and administered by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
through its office of Agricul
tural Stabilization i Conservation
Service, using the past history
of the farm over a reasonable
number of years to establish the
farm quota”. Signed copies of
this action was mailed to Rep
resentatives Kornegay and Cool
ley, and to Senators Ervin and
Jordan.
Colony cage systems are be
coming more popular. Over 30,
000 birds are now housed by six
producers in this type of con
struction.
■f
5. Beef Cattle
Beef cattle are increasing at
a fast pace in Orange County
and we believe that the increase
is on a sound practical basis.
Most of the increase is in the
cow and calf program. However,
some farmers are feeding out
steers Very profitably. The gross
income increased from $327,000
in 1960 to $388,955 in 1961.
Most of the beef cattle work
has been devoted to manage*
ment. Demonstrations in Man
See FARM REPORT, page 9
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