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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 1973)
E BATTALION Wednesday, July 18, 1973 College Station, Texas Page 5 Retail Price Freeze Changing Poultry Industry fail | ; fell ?j I ds per ; An A&M poultry science pro decade lessor said last week the Presi- lent’s 60-day national retail es in n Hce freeze is bringing about product onie changes in the state’s poul- ranlu p industry that will mean nd Floj shorter food supplies for con- bmers. oduced i poultry price-squeeze by (| hows the flaw in the freeze, Dr. and Car ^ F. Krueger, professor and lead of the Poultry Science De- lartment, said. “Agricultural commodities are effectively boxed in by retail price ceilings, although the farm commodities do not have ceilings imposed on them at the farm level,’’ Krueger added. The industry’s output costs weren’t frozen, but the wholesale selling price was. This has re sulted in some poultry producers destroying chicks and eggs as the price freeze and costs ensure losses, Kreuger explained. “Over the past six months, in gredients for poultry feeds have risen more than 100 percent. Fac tors affecting these skyrocketing feed costs have been shortages of soybeans and grains, increased fuel and transportation costs, speculation and rising credit costs, the professor, whose field is poultry breeding and manage ment, said. Poultry industry leaders point out that the timing of the freeze set the retail price level for chickens at its lowest point in 90 days in the week ending June 8, the base period of the freeze. At the same time, the price of soybean meal feed shot up to about $450 a ton from about $110 a year earlier. Soybean meal is the main source of protein in the poultry ration. “There’s no question about it, poultry producers are in a di lemma and here’s why,” Krueger said. “The cost of producing one pound of dressed broiler today— the total dock price—is 45.7 cents to the grower. This includes feed, chick, contract grower fees, serv ice, processing and management costs. But he can receive only about 39 to 41 cents a pound for them at the processing dock. That’s a loss of 5 to 6 cents a pound that must be absorbed. “Today’s cost of producing one pound of live turkey totals 42.8 cents. This includes the poult, feed, grower, service, transpor tation, insurance, fuel, deprecia tion and electricity costs. Tur key processors can pay no more than 36 cents a pound for the live birds. “Production costs for a dozen eggs today average 53 cents, based on a hen producing 240 eggs per year. All poultrymen realize that many hens are under ALBERTSONS DRUGS & FOODS w<SALE SPECIALS GOOD WED., THURS., FRI., SAT., JULY 18, 19, 20, 21, 1973 U.S.D.A. GRADE A WE CARE BOYD HALL, BRYAH/C0LLEGE STATION’S MAN IN Gold TALKS ABOUT OUR COMPLETE, DEPENDABLE PHARMACY COMPLETE DEPENDABLE PHARMA- J CY. The drug ond phormocy depart- ^ mentj at Skaggs-Albertso(i's will feature the same, dependable service that have been the trademark of Skaggs Drug Centers since they began operations Fast, friendly service will be available in the Pharmacy department, where a team of registered pharmacists will give careful, personal attention to each pre scription. U.S.D.A. GRADE A CUT-UP (WHOLE 46c LB.) neuhoff ’? BOOTH'S FRYER BREAST..:™‘a. 88' US.D.A. BREAST QTRS. ‘ ,.49< 1 DRUMSTICKS..:.""*,./^ leg qtrs..45* 1 PARTS thighs.....::.™ , • 3 BREAST QTRS. • 3 LEG DHPI/PT 0TRS. • 3 EXTRA WINGS A Ft 1 bU inti 1 P LONGHORN CHEESE SLICED BACON FISH STICKS RIB EYE STEAKS BARON OF BEEF TOP ROUND STEAK SKAGGS-ALBfRTSON'S. HALF MOON I DELICATESSEN-SNACK BAR SKAGGS ALBERTSON'S TAKE HOME FOODS! 1 LB. ECKRICH SAUSAGE 1 LB. POTATO SALAD 1 D0Z. DINNER ROLLS . 0NlY .. NOODLES .4.188* JELLY 2 & 88* GRAPE JUICE f::"....M88* COOK I ES r!™”™ 2^88* this production level, thus in creasing the cost. And one must consider the fact that not all eggs are large eggs—and that medium and small eggs are less valuable. Costs involved include feed, hen depreciation, grading and pack aging, delivery, storage and in terest on investment,” Krueger explained. Thus, producers are cutting back on their broiler output and turkey owners are having some of their breeding hens processed now, rather than waiting until the end of July, the normal slaughter time. Egg farmers are also taking steps to cut operating costs, in cluding culling of flocks and moving older, less productive hens to slaughter plants much sooner than usual. Overall, it appears that the broiler cutback may be about 10 percent, Krueger, also jointly em ployed by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas Agricultural Extension Service, said. “Nevertheless, poultry and eggs —and all foods—have been and continue to be a bargain nutri tionally and economically. Eggs, broilers and turkeys are some of our most economical sources of animal protein. Today’s con sumer spends only about 16 per cent of his take home pay on food—lower than any other na tion and lowest of any time in our history,” Krueger said. Federal Funds Received For Rehabilitation Baylor College of Medicine, the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research and Texas A&M University have jointly received federal support totaling $298,805 for continuation of studies bene- fitting handicapped persons. Funds for the second year of a proposed five-year program were provided by the Social and Rehabilitation Service of the De partment of Health, Education and Welfare. The program is conducted through the Rehabilitation Engi neering Center headed by Dr. Paul H. Newell Jr. of A&M. Newell, who also heals A&M’s bioengineering program, said the center’s initial work involves re search on effects of pressure on tissue. Information gained through the project is being ap plied to direct skeletal attach ment of prosthetic appliances— artificial limbs— and studies of skin metabolism. Co-directors for the center are Dr. William A. Spencer, chair man of Baylor’s Department of Rehabilitatoin and TIRR direc tor, and Dr. Lewis A. Leavitt, chairman of the medical school’s Department of Physical Medi cine and TIRR’s educational pro gram director. The center is designed to pro vide a multi-disciplinary approach to rehabilitation engineering. Mission-oriented teams of engi neers, physicians, scientists and allied health professionals work together in the research, develop ment and application of new tech niques which can benefit handi capped people. Administered by the Texas A&M Research Foundation, the project has received support totaling $676,905 to date. AGGIE CLEANERS July & August Special Men’s Knit Suits Cleaned & Pressed $1.00 Men’s Knit Pants — $ .50 111 College Main College Station REX THEATRE 333 University (upstairs) Phone 846-9990 Open 3 p. m. till midnight 7 days a week Clip Ad for FREE Membership Card REX THEATRE