Kleckner reappointed
Dean Kleckner, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, has been reappointed by United States president Bill Clinton to serve on the advisory committee for trade policy and negotiations.
The committee gives advice on U.S. trade matters, particularly trade objectives and agreements.
Kleckner is a corn, soybean and pork producer from Rudd, Iowa, and was first appointed to the committee during the Reagan administration.
Interest rates drop
Interest rates for Alberta’s beginning farmer program are being reduced to 7.5 percent on April 1, 1998.
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The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation can finance lower interest rate loans because of its ability to get lower commercial interest rates through Alberta’s preferred credit rating.
“The current gap in interest rates between the BFP and short-term commercial lending rates means that some beginning farmers have been putting themselves at financial risk by refinancing long-term loans over shorter terms to take advantage of the lower interest rates,” said a government news release.
“To address this gap, interest rates for BFP loans are being reduced from nine percent to 7.5 percent effective April 1.”
For customers in the first five years of their loan term, the net interest rate after applying the BFP incentive will be unchanged at six percent. The incentive will be lowered to 1.5 from three percent.
Council appointees
Two people have been appointed to the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council.
Ron Sutka, of Cranford, and George Murphy, of Peace River, were appointed in mid-November by provincial agriculture minister Ed Stelmach.
Sutka has served on various sugar beet grower groups and committees.
Murphy raises grain, oilseeds, grass seed, peas and lentils, and has served with a seed processors co-operative and the pulse growers commission.
The two men have been appointed to three-year terms.
