HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-03-01, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012. PAGE 23.
The long-awaited Drummond
Report was released last week. The
weighty report calls for a serious
change in direction in this province.
If implemented, all Ontarians will be
impacted, including agriculture and
rural Ontario.
The report points out that Ontario
is not in a crisis... yet. There are a lot
of good things that are being
done, but we aren’t facing the
reality of being a province in
slow decline. Rather than a
crisis, the report argues that Ontario
faces a challenge – which can be
met with “well-considered, firm,
steady and even imaginative
action” to resolve the looming
difficulties before they build into a
larger crisis that requires drastic
action with fewer options to use in
response.
The report calls for an economic
vision and a road map to reform
public services in a way that
proactively promotes building for
the future. Maintaining the status
quo cannot be the focus of this
reform. The report calls for a
fundamental shift away from
focusing on simply creating jobs to
policy and programs that are focused
on improved productivity for
Ontario businesses.
The report also calls for sustained
fiscal restraint. If the
recommendations of the report are
taken seriously then the total budgets
for health, education and social
services will be facing serious fiscal
restraint over the coming years.
Every other department is going
to be collectively dealing
with $4 billion less through to 2017-
18.
For agriculture, there are some
concerns that farm organizations
will need to consider. The new Risk
Management Program was not given
a specific recommendation in the
report, but it was used as an
example of a program that is not in
line with the new direction
recommended in the report. The
horse racing industry is specifically
targeted in the report, which may
have repercussions for hay and horse
farmers in the province. Finally,
indicating that government’s
environmental programs and
services be based on full cost
recovery and a user-pay model may
have serious implications for all
farmers.
The Drummond Report is a
potential catalyst for change in this
province. The recommendations of
the report have implications for
everyone in Ontario. It remains to be
seen if government, business, and
individuals are willing to embrace
the tough recommendations of the
report that build for the future, or if
this province will continue with the
status quo.
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Feb.
24 were 2,003 cattle, 410 lambs and
goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold on a fully steady market.
Choice steers and heifers sold $119
to $126. Second cut sold $115 to
$119. Cows sold on an active market
at $3 to $4 higher. On Thursday beef
veal sold on a steady market while
holstein veal traded steady to last
week’s decline. Lambs, sheep and
goats sold on a steady market. On
Friday calves and yearlings sold on a
strong active market at prices steady
to last week.
There were 66 fed steers on offer.
Dennis and Marylou Bross of
Listowel, consigned three steers
averaging 1,442 lbs. selling for an
average of $122.95. One black steer
averaged 1,690 lbs. and sold for
$126. Kevin Wagg of Mitchell,
consigned 12 steers averaging 1,615
lbs. selling for an average of
$122.31. One black steer weighed
1,665 lbs. and sold to St. Helen’s
Meat Packers for $123.50. Francis
Riley of Walkerton, consigned 10
steers averaging 1,506 lbs. selling
for an average of $121.47. A group
of six black steers averaged 1,527
lbs. and sold for $122.75.
Lynn Farrell of Kincardine,
consigned four steers averaging
1,456 lbs. selling for an average of
$118.06 with one black steer
weighing 1,510 lbs. selling for a
high of $121. Frank Foran of
Lucknow, consigned four steers
averaging 1,459 lbs. selling for an
average of $120.03 with two
charolais steers weighing 1,388 lbs.
selling to St. Helen’s Meat Packers
for $120.50. Eric Versteeg of
Clifford, consigned three steers
averaging 1,593 lbs. selling for an
average of $115.49 with one red
steer weighing 1,600 lbs. selling for
$119.50. Don Wilhelm of Stratford,
consigned three steers averaging
1,453 lbs. averaging 119.41
with two red steers weighing
1,413 lbs. selling for a high of
$119.50.
There were 97 fed heifers on offer.
Art and George Hinz of Monkton,
consigned seven heifers averaging
1,375 lbs. selling for an average of
$121.29 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,395 lbs. and sold for
$124.75. Curtis and Owen Chaffe of
Mitchell, consigned three heifers
averaging 1,568 lbs. selling for an
average of $119.81 with one black
heifer weighing 1,435 lbs. selling for
$123.75. Elan Farrell of Kincardine,
consigned two heifers averaging
1,235 lbs. selling for an average of
$119.77 with one red heifer
weighing 1,340 lbs. selling for $120.
Dwayne and Lorri Dickert of Ayton,
consigned four heifers averaging
1,555 lbs. selling for an average of
$117.42 with a group of two red
heifers weighing 1,503 lbs. selling
for $120. Dennis and Marylou Bross
of Listowel, consigned one black
heifer weighing 1,250 lbs. selling for
a high of $119.50.
There were 277 cows on offer.
Export types sold $70 to $81.50 with
sales to $84.50; beef cows, $78 to
$88.50 with sales to $94; D1 and D2,
$57 to $62; D3, $52 to $57; D4, $37
to $47. Dale Gammie of Lucknow,
consigned three cows averaging
1,702 lbs. and selling for an average
of $92.76 with one grey cow
weighing 1,525 lbs. selling for $94.
James Murray of Lucknow,
consigned one bwf cow weighing
1,620 lbs. selling for $92. Glen
Haney of Seaforth, consigned one
charolais cow weighing 1,660 lbs.
selling for $90.
There were eight bulls selling
$69.50 to $89 with sales to $99.
Gary Hewitt of Goderich, consigned
one limousin bull weighing 2,170
lbs. selling for $99. Mike Henry of
Tara, consigned one black bull
weighing 1,915 lbs. selling for $89.
There were 230 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $125 to $160 with
sales to $171; good holstein, $90 to
$100 with sales to $109; medium
holstein, $80 to $90; heavy holstein,
$90 to $95 with sales to $100. Lamar
Frey of Listowel, consigned 10 veal
averaging 708 lbs. selling for an
average of $154.14 with one
limousin steer weighing 650 lbs.
selling for $154. Mosie J. Shetler of
Lucknow, consigned five veal
averaging 701 lbs. selling for an
average of $152.04 with one
simmental steer weighing 750 lbs.
selling for $162. Mike Durnin of
Auburn, consigned eight veal
averaging 724 lbs. selling for an
average of $139.78. One heifer
weighing 675 lbs. sold for $162.
Lambs, 50 - 64 lbs. sold $226 to
$257; 65 - 79 lbs., $188 to $230; 80
- 94 lbs., $191 to $227; 95 - 109 lbs.,
$192 to $202; 110 lbs. and over,
$190 to $195.
Sheep sold $60 to $97 with sales
to $130.
Goats: kids sold $50 to $110 to
$135 per head; nannies, $65 to $100;
billies, $150 to $250 with sales to
$300 per head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $160 to $206; 400 -
499 lbs., $176 to $206; 500 - 599
lbs., $147 to $204; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$143.50 to $178; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$128 to $156.50; 800 - 899 lbs.,
$133.50 to $152.50; 900 - 999 lbs.,
$135.75 to $144; 1,000 lbs. and over,
$117 to $136.
Top quality stocker heifers, 400 -
499 lbs., sold $150 to $171; 500 -
599 lbs., $131 to $160; 600 - 699
lbs., $139 to $156; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$128 to $146; 800 - 899 lbs., $126 to
$152; 900 lbs. and over, $123.75 to
$135.
Lisa Thompson, Huron-Bruce
MPP is calling on the McGuinty
government to back off any attempt
to end the Slots at Racetracks
Program, which has brought
substantial growth to the horse
racing industry.The horse racing
industry in Ontario provides an
estimated 60,000 jobs for Ontarians,
mostly in rural areas, and pays a
total of $1.5 billion in wages and
salaries each year. “This is a stable
industry that creates jobs and puts
millions into the provincial treasury
every year,” said Thompson. “I
cannot support any measure that
removes jobs and economic
stimulation from rural Ontario.”
Over the last decade annual
expenditures by the horse racing
industry has increased by 67 per
cent to $2 billion in 2010 from $1.2
billion in 2000. Approximately 80
per cent of this expenditure
occurs in Ontario’s rural agriculture
communities where it
provides much needed economic
growth.
“The horse racing industry has
been a part of the fabric of
communities in rural Ontario for
over 150 years,” said Thompson.
“These are real people who depend
on the horse racing industry for their
livelihood—and the McGuinty
Liberals want to take that away
because they don’t know how to
manage the books.”
“Removing the Slots at
Racetracks Program would not only
be catastrophic for the horse racing
industry, but what about other
economic spin offs and the rural
merchants who depend on this
industry?” said Thompson. “We
have to think about the feed dealers,
truck owners, and all the employees
who are dependent on these sectors.
This is a huge industry and the
trickle down effect will be
substantial. I will not stand by and
let rural Ontario be on the losing end
of yet another McGuinty Liberal
broken economic policy.”
Lisa Thompson, Huron-Bruce
MPP will be using her private
members ballot spot on March 8 to
debate an important motion she
tabled on Dec. 8, 2011.
Thompson tabled a motion calling
for a moratorium on all further
industrial wind turbine development
until a third party health and
environmental study has been
completed. Thompson has heard
from many constituents in Huron-
Bruce and from residents across
Ontario who have been concerned
about the environmental, physical,
social and economic health of
their communities and believes
third party studies should be
completed.
“The health and well-being of the
people of Ontario should be first
priority when developing renewable
energy projects,” said Thompson.
“The McGuinty Liberals have failed
to listen to rural Ontario, and have
forged ahead placing industrial wind
turbines in communities that are not
willing hosts, without knowing the
health and environmental
implications.”
Last month Ontario’s largest farm
organization, the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture (OFA), along with the
Christian Farmers Federation of
Ontario (CFFO) called for a
suspension of further industrial wind
turbine projects until serious
shortcomings can be fixed. The OFA
has said the development of
industrial wind turbines is pitting
rural residents against each other
and members have told federation
representatives about the health risks
associated with wind turbines.
In December, Ontario’s Auditor
General confirmed exactly what the
Progressive Conservatives have been
saying all along: that the McGuinty
Liberal’s approach to renewable
energy is flawed and has lacked
proper oversight. In January,
Greenpeace Co-Founder Dr. Patrick
Moore said wind turbines destroy
more jobs than they create and lead
to higher energy prices.
“The Auditor General hit the nail
on the head,” said Thompson.
“These industrial wind farms were
constructed in haste, without proper
planning, and without the proper
science. A third party health and
environmental study is crucial to
ensuring families living close to
industrial wind farms have their
health and safety protected. We also
need to determine the social and
economic impact these turbines are
having on communities.”
Thompson has developed a
petition to the Ontario Legislature in
support of her motion. To obtain a
copy visit www.lisathompson
mpp.ca and click on ‘Petitions.’
Drummond Report could affect agriculture
Thompson to debate turbines on March 6
MPP moves to protect racing industry
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