830 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



Mr. Hubbard. Our next witness is Mr. Warren D. Johnson, first 

 vice president of the National Tiu'key Federation. 

 Mr. Pace. We are glad to hear you, Mr. Johnson. 



STATEMENT OF WARREN D. JOHNSON, FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, 

 NATIONAL TURKEY FEDERATION 



Mr. Johnson. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, 

 my name is Warren D. Johnson. I live at Nottingham, Pa., where I 

 am operating a turkey farm and hatchery producing 9,000 turkeys 

 annually and maintaining a flock of 1,900 breeders. 



The National Turkey Federation is a federation of 48 State grower 

 associations. 



Although we are in general agreement with the position taken by 

 the National Poultry Producers Federation, we feel that there are 

 some factors peculiar to the turkey industry that call for some varia- 

 tion in our proposal and explanation thereof. 



The turkey industry is primarily a conversion industry, converting 

 feed grains and concentrates into animal protein. Feed represents in 

 excess of 60 percent of the costs of production including costs of poults, 

 labor, depreciation on equipment and buildings, interest on investment, 

 and so forth. The major ingredients of the feed ration of turkeys 

 under present provisions of the Aiken-Hope bill, and its predecessor, 

 the Steagall amendment, are supported at 90 percent of parity. It is 

 therefore the opinion of the turkey growers that turkeys should also 

 be supported at the same levels as these major ingredients (corn, wheat, 

 soybean meal, and so forth). It is assumed that any agricultural 

 program has for its objective the stabilization of farm income. We 

 believe that ail farm commodities should be included in any progarm 

 in such a way as to protect farmers from undue losses caused by 

 economic conditions beyond their control, but at no time should 

 prices be supported at a level that assures the average operator a profit. 



Stabilization of income, eliminating the peaks and valleys in price 

 structure has a strong tendency to eliminate peaks and valleys in pro- 

 duction thus breaking the cycle that causes an unstable agricultural 

 economy. 



Mr. Pace. Thank you very much, Mr. Johnson. 



The next witness will be Mr. Heiss. 



Mr. Hubbard. We have Mr. Clyde C. Edmonds in his place. 



Mr. Pace. We are glad to hear you, Mr. Edmonds. 



STATEMENT OF CLYDE C. EDMONDS, GENERAL MANAGER, UTAH 

 POULTRY AND FARMERS COOPERATIVE, SALT LAKE CITY, 

 UTAH, FOR THE ASSOCIATED POULTRY AND EGG INDUSTRIES 



Mr. Edmonds. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, my name is Clyde 

 C. Edmonds. I am general manager of the Utah Poultry and Farmers 

 Cooperative, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and I am president of the Asso- 

 ciated Poultry and Egg Industries, consisting of 10 national and 

 regional organizations of poultry producers, breeders, hatcherymen, 

 processors, and distributors. 



At a meeting held May 17, 1949, at which eight member gi'oups were 

 represented in person and two by proxy, the following principles with 



