HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-01-27, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2011.
County severance issue raises questions
Beef picture not as rosy as it seems: writer
THE EDITOR,
It’s probably a truism that
by the time an issue of public
importance reaches the public
domain, it’s already old news,
and already in the past tense.
And it was with this
assumption that I read news
from the Jan. 12 Huron
County Council meeting in
last week’s issue of The
Citizen.
The account was an
interesting presentation
overview of the Huron
County Economic
Development Plan, as well as
the Severance Policy, and its
implications. The ensuing
associated discussion threads
related to farm severance, and
people considerations, as well
as the economic development
issues was particularly
interesting.
I’m pretty certain that I
don’t fully understand the
nuances, or the implications,
of allowing farm severances,
or discouraging corporate
takeovers of family farms, as
part of a larger external
strategy, but I would like to
learn. I did, however, take the
time to read, at least in part,
the 2005 Provincial Policy
Statement (PPS) to which the
story referred (and which is
due for review soon).
I was particularly taken
with the content on vision for
Ontario’s land use. I can see
where this policy would be
used to blunt any attempts at
rural development.
Combining The Citizen’s
report with other recently-
read articles in other area
newspapers related to wind
turbines and wind farming,
health and other social service
reductions one might be able
to “connect the dots”. It
would seem that strategically,
it would be in the interests of
some to have fewer people
farming, and living in rural
Ontario.
Rural Ontario is indeed
under an economic siege, as
corporate and outside
political interests take hold.
And again because we have
little voice, no one seems to
be ‘stepping up’.
The newly-appointed
Minister of the Environment
dismisses the anecdotal
evidence related to health
concerns of wind turbines,
while others are intent in
stepping up the reduction of
services (think health, social,
educational) to rural Ontario
citizens.
As the onslaught of rural
Ontario continues, and closer
to home in Huron County, I
am amazed at those who
might deter the efforts of
those attempting to find ways
of retaining and encouraging
more people into the region.
Ideally, these would be people
who might raise families, and
help to develop the local
economy, pay taxes and help
to maintain the infrastructure,
including those much-needed
services.
I found references to
competitive budget
disadvantages and “episodic”
action in the story to be
disturbing also, but consistent
with what might be
considered a lack of vision on
the part of those who cannot
see what’s happening as it
evolves before our eyes.
Another local news
magazine goes on to quote
several individual participants
in the discussion and point to
a broader regional strategic
plan, to which the story
alluded as well.
As a public document, it
would be interesting to see
how people and business play
a role in the economic
development of the area. It
would be interesting to review
individual municipal strategic
plans to see how each roll
upward in support of an
overall rural master strategy. I
would hope that economic
and strategic plans from each
municipality would be part of
an overall collaborative
process, and bring these
insights to a public forum.
I think it’s important that
the people to whom, and for
whom, these plans, or
proposed strategies, impact,
should be involved too.
As a resident and taxpayer
(and stakeholder), I would
certainly be interested in
seeing what our elected
officials, bureaucrats and, in
particular, economic
development personnel, have
been developing to reverse
the tide as they set fiscal
budgets for the next several
years.
Greg Sarachman, Blyth.
THE EDITOR,
The report from the Huron
County Beef Producers
meeting paints a rosy picture
of the beef industry.
One could conclude after
reading it that prices are high
and the industry needs no
help.
If only it were so, that,
however, isn’t the case.
The reality is that prices
still have not recovered to pre-
BSE levels, and any “profits”
that are being realized are
strictly at the expense of the
cow/calf sector. Indeed, if one
were to take into
consideration the current cost
of fuel, fertilizer, purchased
feeds, transportation and
commissions besides the true
cost of raising a calf, the word
“profits” would be absent
from any conversation about
cattle.
The feeder sector
experienced a tough year or
two after BSE devastated the
industry, but was able to help
itself by dropping the prices
paid for replacement cattle.
Even so, margins were slim to
non-existent. The cow/calf
producer had nowhere to
download their losses –
they just had to take far less
for their calves while
continuing to pay full cost for
their inputs. And while the
feeder sector received some
help from government
support programs, the
cow/calf sector benefit was
almost nil.
Therefore, it is really no
puzzle as to why the call for
mediation on the BSE class
action is being driven
mainly by the cow/calf sector
and has such a low profile
among the feeders.
Some have suggested that the
feeder sector’s hesitation is
based on the fear of
disclosure of actual benefits
received from the earlier
government program - on the
basis that any future payments
would be reduced by past
payouts.
It is of deepest concern that,
while calf supplies have
already tightened due to
shrinkage in the national cow
herd, the real damage to the
cow numbers will not be
realized until next year; and
the next.
The guys that run cows
have been dealt a blow from
which recovery will take
years – their equity has
been devastated. And the
cowherd itself is older and
smaller, not exactly a scenario
conducive to greater
productivity.
The request for mediation
on the BSE lawsuit is
something that every
cattleman and woman in
Canada needs to support in
order to return some hard
cash to the beef industry in
this country. It is a food
sovereignty issue.
Perhaps when producers
consider the true cost of BSE
in Canada, they will be moved
to do two things. First, they
could make calls to their MP,
to Agriculture Committee
Chair Larry Miller or to
Agriculture Minister Gerry
Ritz, with the instruction to
appoint a mediator to
this case now, and second
they should not get too
premature in their use of the
word “profits”.
If anyone wants more
information on the mediation
request and where it is at,
please feel free to call me at
519-887-6571.
John Schwartzentruber,
Brussels.
THE EDITOR,
On Thursday, Jan. 13,
Bicycles for Humanity
Huron-Perth loaded another
shipping container with 424
used bicycles plus spare parts
to be sent to Namibia, Africa.
The committee wants to
thank everyone who donated
and was involved in some
capacity, making it a very
successful project. The fall
2010 campaign resulted in
834 bikes, as well as parts
being sent.
To all the individuals who
donated bicycles and sent
financial donations, to those
who donated through their
church or organization and
everyone who participated in
the fundraising events, this
project succeeded because of
you. Enough money has been
received to pay for the costs
of the containers and
shipping, it was also able to
help pay the import taxes and
trucking in Namibia.
The physical work involved
of collecting bicycles,
preparing bicycles for
shipping and loading them
into the containers was all
done by cheerful volunteers
making it a great group effort.
Local newspapers and radio
stations also did a great job
with their coverage of the
project and keeping the
public informed.
Working on the Bicycles
for Humanity Committee was
a blessing as we witnessed
generosity and compassion
from so many people in our
rural area of Ontario and we
thank God for you. It was a
wonderful community project
and we know that with each
bicycle sent one life can be
changed in Namibia.
Sincerely, The Bicycles
for Humanity Huron-Perth
Committee, Gary and
Dianne Nonkes, Mike and
Emmy Zandwyk, Rev. Gary
Clark, Shirley Gross, Jack
and Sylvia Nonkes and
Mark Nonkes.
See where your
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Second shipment
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