HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-08-23, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012. PAGE 15.
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Aug.
17 were 1,182 cattle, 970 lambs and
goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold $1 to $2 higher. Choice
steers and heifers sold $110 to $115
to the high of $133. Second cut sold
$105 to $109. Cows sold $2 higher.
On Thursday holstein veal calves
sold $2 to $3 higher, while beef
calves traded slightly lower due to
the week’s decline, while light
lambs, sheep and goats sold steady.
On Friday all calves and yearlings
sold on a very strong active
market.
There were 78 fed steers on offer.
Brad McAlpine of Ailsa Craig,
consigned one charolais steer
weighing 1,630 lbs. selling to
Horizon Meat Packers for $119.75.
Brenda Wright of Kippen, consigned
two steers averaging 1,528 lbs.
selling for an average of $114.89
with one limousin steer weighing
1,540 lbs. selling to St. Helen’s Meat
Packers for $117.25. Brad Martin of
Elkhorn, consigned 35 steers
averaging 1,487 lbs. selling for an
average of $109.55 with six black
steers averaging 1,426 lbs. selling to
St. Helen’s Meat Packers for
$113.25. Darryl Klein of Mildmay,
consigned on rwf steer weighing
1,565 lbs. selling to St. Helen’s Meat
Packers for $113.
Leonard and Andrew Black of
Proton Station, consigned 12 steers
averaging 1,424 lbs. selling for an
average of $111.39 with seven
crossbred steers averaging 1,469 lbs.
selling for $112.75. Dr. Keith
Dunstan of Mildmay, consigned five
steers averaging 1,467 lbs. selling
for an average of $109.48 with one
rwf steer weighing 1,505 lbs. selling
to Ryding Regency for $111.75.
There were 129 heifers on offer.
Chris Smith of Brussels, consigned
32 heifers averaging 1,356 lbs.
selling for an average of $114.33
with one blue heifer weighing 1,275
lbs. selling for $133.50. K/C
McAlpine of Ailsa Craig, consigned
one charolais heifer weighing 1,370
lbs. selling to Horizon Meat Packers
for $122.50. Greg Hackett of
Lucknow, consigned six heifers
averaging 1,196 lbs. selling for an
average of $104.11 with one
limousin heifer weighing 1,200 lbs.
selling for $117.50.
Sidney B. Martin of Harriston,
consigned 11 heifers averaging
1,319 lbs. selling for an average of
$111.06 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,370 lbs. selling for $114.
Donald Weigand of Dashwood,
consigned two limousin heifers
averaging 1,150 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $112.25.
Southlore Farmers of Palmerston,
consigned 13 heifers averaging
1,254 lbs. selling for an average of
$109.91 with two black heifers
averaging 1,128 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $111.50.
There were 175 cows on offer.
Export types sold $64 to $72.50 with
sales to $75.50; beef cows, $68 to
$77 with sales to $80; D1 and D2,
$57 to $64; D3, $52 to $57; D4, $37
to $47. Bellera Livestock of Auburn,
consigned four cows averaging
1,331 lbs. selling for an average of
$76 with one limousin cow weighing
1,405 lbs. selling for $80. Mark
Wright of Kippen, consigned two
cows averaging 1,348 lbs. selling for
an average of $72.90 with one rwf
cow weighing 1,220 lbs. selling for
$77. Eugene and Paul Lafleur of
Haileybury, consigned two cows
averaging 1,718 lbs. selling for an
average of $71.76 with one charolais
cow weighing 1,885 lbs. selling for
$76.50.
There were eight bulls on offer
selling $80 to $94. Brad Gilchrist of
Lucknow, consigned two bulls
averaging 1,725 lbs. selling for an
average of $80.99 with one black
bull weighing 1,705 lbs. selling for
$82. Finlay Cameron of Lion’s
Head, consigned one charolais bull
weighing 1,475 lbs. selling for $79.
There were 147 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $110 to $160 with
sales to $168; good holsteins, $87 to
$95 with sales to $110; medium
holsteins, $80 to $87; heavy
holsteins, $82 to $90. Lamar Frey of
Listowel, consigned 16 veal
averaging 776 lbs. selling for an
average of $140.73 with one blonde
steer weighing 735 lbs. selling for
$168. Ervin W. Shantz of
Wallenstein, consigned four veal
averaging 805 lbs. selling for an
average of $151.05 with one
limousin steer weighing 770 lbs.
selling for an average of $156. Allen
Sherk of Wellesley, consigned one
black steer weighing 770 lbs. selling
for $156.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $185 to
$245; 50 - 64 lbs., $195 to $225; 65
- 79 lbs., $155 to $210; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$114 to $175; 95 - 109 lbs., $135 to
$149; 110 lbs. and over, $137 to
$143.
Sheep sold $65 to $100 with sales
to $112.
Goats: kids sold $65 to $130 with
sales to $155 per head; nannies, $50
to $100 with sales to $110 per head;
billies, $250 to $300 with sales to
$350 per head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $170 to $182; 400 -
499 lbs., $101 to $180; 500 - 599
lbs., $129 to $177; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$122 to $156.50; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$111 to $149; 800 - 899 lbs., $117 to
$141.50; 900 - 999 lbs., $100 to
$126.50; 1,000 lbs. and over,
$104.50 to $125.25.
Top quality stocker heifers, 300 -
399 lbs., sold $150 to $161; 400 -
499 lbs., $131 to $146; 500 - 599
lbs., $125.50 to $155; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$134 to $145; 700 - 799 lbs., $127 to
$139.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $115.50 to
$125.50; 900 lbs. and over, $116 to
$123.
By Debra Pretty-Straathof
Vice-President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Drought’s slow burn of North
American crops this season has sent
prices for food commodities – such
as corn, soybeans and wheat –
soaring. But the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
suggests the subsequent rise in food
prices might be less impactful on
consumers than originally feared.
This outcome should prevail in
Canada as well.
The USDA noted this week that
the prices received by farmers who
produce commodities still only
account for about 14 per cent of the
total cost of food at retail outlets.
This is a small portion of the price
consumers actually pay for their
food. Other factors affecting food
prices at the retail level include food
processing, packaging, retail trade,
finance, food service costs, energy
and transportation. While consumers
are expected to see a rise in the
amount of money they spend on
food, food price inflation will be
close to the historical average (of
approximately three per cent) this
year and slightly above that next
year, the USDA says.
The farmer’s share – the amount of
income Canadian farmers earn from
popular processed food products –
varies across food products.
However, for a box of cereal or a loaf
of bread – it is often a very small
portion of the product’s overall
price. For example, on a box of corn
cereal costing $3.54, farmers will net
approximately 11 cents.
On average, Canadian consumers
enjoy some of the world’s lowest
food prices, with less than 12 per
cent of income spent on food. In
February each year Canadian
farmers mark Food Freedom Day in
Canada, when consumers have
earned enough income in the
calendar year to pay for their food
purchases for the entire year. In
2012, Food Freedom Day fell on
February 12.
Crops such as grain corn are for
food processing, livestock feed and
production of biofuels. Ontario
farmers who managed to dodge the
worst of this year’s drought will
obtain higher prices for their crops
because they’ll be in short supply.
Higher commodity prices and a good
crop are good news for rural
communities and the thousands of
spinoff jobs that rely on Ontario’s
primary agriculture sector.
This more positive economic
outlook based on a potential for
profit serves to attract and retain
young farmers entering the business
of food production. This renewal and
the innovation it brings to Ontario
agriculture will help drive our rural
economy and contribute food sector
jobs for thousands more Ontarians in
the years to come.
For farmers who have lost a crop
and subsequent farm income due to
drought, the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture will continue to
advocate on their behalf and work
with government in delivering
much-needed financial assistance to
keep farmers farming.
Overall, although the drought
takes its toll, our food system in
Ontario and across Canada remains
vibrant. The risk management
partnership between governments
and farmers helps overcome the
challenges of drought to continue to
deliver reasonably priced, safe food
to our fellow Ontarians and to
customers worldwide.
By Mark Wales, President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
The Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA), along with our
national and provincial counterparts
had a rare opportunity for frank,
transparent discussion about
changes to Canada’s agricultural
programming recently when
Ontario’s agriculture minister Ted
McMeekin addressed the meeting of
the Canadian Federation of
Agriculture hosted in Toronto by the
OFA.
On the agenda was the expected
outcome of Federal/Provincial/
Territorial (FPT) negotiations on
Growing Forward 2, which will
determine the next five years of
agricultural programs for Canadian
farmers. The federal and provincial
agriculture ministers are expected to
sign off on the new agreement this
fall. Minister McMeekin shared
some of the options being discussed
by ministers at the table.
Minister McMeekin suggested
farmers can expect to see a reduction
to current spending levels on
business risk management programs
including significant cuts to a key
program – AgriStability.
AgriStability is a vital program that
helps protect Canadian farmers from
large declines in farm income due to
market conditions, production loss
or increased input costs.
The OFA sees three main
problems with the proposed cuts to
AgriStability. First, such programs
were originally designed so that
farmers and government share the
significant risks of producing food.
The proposed cuts to AgriStability
will result in a disproportionate “risk
shifting” to farm families, instead of
“risk sharing.” Secondly,
implementing the government’s
proposed cuts to the program’s
design will overshoot their targeted
budgetary expenditure cuts. That’s
because farmers will be less likely to
enrol in the program if they perceive
AgriStability will no longer provide
adequate risk protection. Finally,
cuts to business risk management
programs such as AgriStability will
only serve to increase the pressure
on governments to distribute one-
time assistance to producers facing
sector-wide or regional challenges.
Canada’s primary production
agriculture represents the heart of
Canada’s agriculture and agri-food
sector, and contributes more than 9
per cent of Canada’s GDP and more
than 2.3 million jobs, or 13 per cent
of all employment in Canada. In the
current financial difficulty facing
much of the world, our agricultural
sector has remained buoyant and
become a driving force behind
Canada’s economic prosperity.
Agriculture is a strategic resource,
and its viability and productivity
must be protected. Cuts to
AgriStability coverage or other
business risk management program
spending will most certainly lead to
less effective programs for farmers.
The OFA understands the federal
government’s interest in balanced
budgets, but it is unfair and
irresponsible to make drastic cuts to
these vital programs for farmers.
Current programs and their
associated coverage levels are
crucial to keeping Canadian
agriculture viable and competitive in
increasingly challenging global
markets. Funding and functionality
of AgriStability and the rest of the
current business risk management
suite of programs must be
maintained to deal with the
situations beyond the farmer’s
control such as this summer’s
drought. Any additional investments
into innovation, competitiveness or
other industry supports cannot be
reallocated from current business
risk management programs.
The OFA believes strongly that
industry associations have the right
to be engaged in the development of
business risk management programs
that will keep our industry viable. It
is unfair and unrealistic to expect
farmers to shoulder the risk alone.
We will look for further open
discussions with our elected officials
to secure agricultural programming
that will be an effective use of
federal and provincial funds for
Canadian farmers.
Rising food costs won’t be as steep as feared
Provincial, Federal federations hold meeting
TUESDAYS
9:00 a.m.
Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows
THURSDAYS
8:00 a.m.Drop Calves
10:00 a.m.Veal
11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep
FRIDAYS
10:00 a.m. Stockers
Call us 519-887-6461
Visit our webpage at:
www.brusselslivestock.ca
email us at:
info@brusselslivestock.ca
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
AgricultureBrussels Livestock report
Choice steer, heifers sell to high of $133
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