HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-01-29, Page 11Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Jan.
23 were 2,122 head of cattle, 525
lambs and goats. On Tuesday fed
steers and heifers sold $1 to $2
higher on a strong demand. Choice
steers and heifers sold $100 to $105
with sales to $107.75. Second cut
sold $97 to $100. Cows sold $2 to $5
higher. On Thursday veal sold on a
good active trade at barely steady
prices. Lambs sold on a good active
trade on a lower market. Sheep and
goats sold steady. On Friday calves
sold on a very strong trade. Yearlings
sold steady.
There were 200 steers on offer.
Geisel Cattle Company of West
Montrose, consigned fourteen steers
averaging 1,579 lbs. selling for an
average of $103.27 with one gold
steer weighing 1,580 lbs. selling to
Dominion Meat Packers for $105.75.
Randy Diebold of Cargill, consigned
thirty-nine steers averaging 1,456 lbs.
selling for an average of $101.39
with one limousin steer weighing
1,400 lbs. selling to Dominion Meat
Packers for $105.25. Bruce Eden
Farms of Holyrood, consigned eleven
steers averaging 1,547 lbs. selling for
an average of $102 with three gold
steers averaging 1,600 lbs. selling for
$103.
Jerryview Farms of Mildmay,
consigned twenty-one steers
averaging 1,407 lbs. selling for an
average of $99.61 with eight
charolais steers averaging 1,411 lbs.
selling for $101.50.
Terry Richardson of Harriston,
consigned five steers averaging 1,390
lbs. selling for an average of $87.52
with one gold steer selling to Ryding
Regency for $99. Gary Caesar of
Dungannon, consigned three steers
averaging 1,530 lbs. selling for an
average of $93.88 with one gold steer
weighing 1,500 lbs. selling for
$98.25. Blaine Salkeld of Holyrood,
consigned eight steers averaging
1,441 lbs. selling for an average of
$91.51 with five rwf steers averaging
1,262 lbs. selling for $97.50.
Leroy Weppler of Ayton, consigned
two steers averaging 1,100 lbs.
selling for an average of $95.22 with
one red steer weighing 1,195 lbs.
selling for $96.25. Art Bos of Blyth,
consigned one black steer weighing
1,175 lbs. selling for $92.50. Kevin
Hopkins of Elmwood, consigned four
limousin steers averaging 1,231 lbs.
selling for $90.
There were 161 heifers on offer. M-
R Farms of Exeter, consigned twelve
heifers averaging 1,300 lbs. selling
for an average of $99.52 with one red
heifer weighing 1,295 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $107.25.
Corgercrest Farms of Seaforth,
consigned three heifers averaging
1,351 lbs. selling for an average of
$102.88 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,360 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $106. John
Wiersma of Blyth, consigned two
heifers averaging 1,390 lbs. selling
for an average of $92.82 with one
limousin heifer weighing 1,440 lbs.
selling to Dominion Meat Packers for
$104.75.
Blair and Debbie Fraser of Blyth,
consigned five heifers averaging
1,335 lbs. selling for an average of
$99.40 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,435 lbs. selling to
Dominion Meat Packers for $104.50.
Jim Rapson of Walton, consigned two
limousin heifers averaging 1,350 lbs.
selling to Ryding Regency for
$104.25.
Damen Farms of Lucan, consigned
two heifers averaging 1,370 lbs.
selling for an average of $101.40
with one black heifer weighing 1,285
lbs. selling to Dominion Meat
Packers for $103. Elam W. Martin of
Harriston, consigned seven hereford
heifers averaging 1,360 lbs. selling
for $103.
Murray Gordner of Mitchell,
consigned seven heifers averaging
1,339 lbs. selling for an average of
$102.68 with one gold heifer
weighing 1,340 lbs. selling to Ryding
Regency for $102.75. Marvara Farms
of Drayton, consigned six simmental
heifers averaging 1,314 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $102.75. Arthur
and George Hinz of Monkton,
consigned five heifers averaging
1,316 lbs. selling for an average of
$99.23 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,290 lbs. selling to Ryding
Regency for $102.
There were 264 cows on offer. Beef
cows sold $53 to $59 with sales to
$79.50; D1 and D2, $46 to $53; D3,
$33 to $46. Gerrit Peters of Lucan,
consigned one holstein cow weighing
1,985 lbs. selling for $70.50. Brian
Oldfield of Seaforth, consigned three
cows averaging 1,813 lbs. selling for
an average of $64.45 with one
simmental cow weighing 2,080 lbs.
selling for $70. Cranbrook Farms of
Brussels, consigned seven cows
averaging 1,179 lbs. selling for an
average of $51.55 with one holstein
cow weighing 1,525 lbs. selling for
$69.50.
There were 13 bulls on offer selling
$50 to $69 with sales to $73.50.
Wanda Snobelen of Ripley,
consigned two bulls averaging 1,745
lbs. selling for an average of $68.86
with one charolais bull weighing
1,585 lbs. selling for $73.50. Matt
Haney of Seaforth, consigned one red
bull weighing 1,850 lbs. selling for
$63.
There were 179 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $110 to $140 with
sales to $156; good holstein, $95 to
$102 with sales to $106; medium
holstein, $85 to $95; good heavy
holstein, $80 to $90 with sales to $95.
John Martin of Lucknow, consigned
twelve veal averaging 739 lbs. selling
for an average of $133.40 with one
black heifer weighing 680 lbs. selling
for $142. Brian Wideman of
Gowanstown, consigned eight veal
averaging 741 lbs. selling for an
average of $132.40 with five
limousin heifers averaging 748 lbs.
selling for $137. Henry M. Martin of
Teeswater, consigned two veal
averaging 680 lbs. selling for an
average of $124.87 with one limousin
steer weighing 670 lbs. selling for
$134.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $170 to
$193; 50 - 64 lbs., $180 to $219; 65 -
79 lbs., $173 to $207; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$139 to $184; 95 - 109 lbs., $158 to
$164; 110 lbs. and over, $125 to
$156.
Sheep sold $30 to $74 with sales to
$85.
Goats: kids sold $70 to $100 per
head; nannies, $65 to $110 per head;
billies, $200 to $300 per head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $84 to $134; 400 - 499
lbs., $115.50 to $133; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$102 to $133; 600 - 699 lbs., $101 to
$121; 700 - 799 lbs., $97 to $110;
800 - 899 lbs., $85.50 to $110.50;
900 - 999 lbs., $93.50 to $108; 1,000
lbs. and over, $81 to $103.25.
Top quality stocker heifers 300 -
399 lbs., sold $96 to $122; 400 - 499
lbs., $96 to $116; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$94.50 to $113; 600 - 699 lbs., $94 to
$107.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $83.50 to
$100.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $93 to
$102.25; 900 lbs. and over, $91 to
$102.75.
AgricultureBrussels Livestock reportFed steers, heifers sell on strong demandTHE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2009. PAGE 11.
Elmer Buchanan, interim chair of
the Farm Products Marketing
Commission (FPMC), entered the
lions’ den Jan. 21 when he spoke to
the annual meeting of the Huron
County Pork Producers’Association
in Seaforth.
Under Buchanan, the FPMC
announced a decision in October to
strip Ontario Pork of its single desk
marketing rights. He tried to explain
that decision and the ongoing
process of reforming Ontario Pork
for the new regime scheduled to
come into place April 1.
In Huron County, the largest pork
producing county in the province in
terms of producers and pigs
marketed, he was entering a county
of unrest over the decision.
In his president’s report, just prior
to Buchanan taking the podium,
Grant Love announced the Huron
County Pork Producers’Association
had launched an appeal with the
Farm Products Appeal Tribunal on
Jan. 14.
Love urged the 100 producers in
attendance not to sit back and expect
other producers to speak up for
them, but to make their voices heard.
Buchanan joked that he’d been
warned in coming to the meeting “I
might become the main course”. He
claimed there was a lot of
misinformation about the role of the
FPMC. The commission regulates
all commodities that use a check-off
system to fund activities, as well as
supply-managed marketing boards.
Ontario Pork falls under that
mandate and when complaints were
brought from some producers
against their board, the FPMC was
bound to hold a hearing.
Buchanan suggested the
complaints that led to the hearing in
July were as a result of the “angst”
on the part of producers who, under
a 1996 FPMC ruling, were allowed
to market their hogs directly, but
were still required to pay fees to
Ontario Pork, a charge they felt was
unfair because they didn’t use the
board’s marketing services.
Currently Ontario Pork markets
only 20 per cent of pigs in Ontario,
he said. The other 80 per cent are
direct sales or pigs sold outside the
province.
After reading 45 pounds of
presentations, Buchanan said, the
FPMC issued its ruling in October to
“basically downsize Ontario Pork.”
Ontario Pork will still be able to
offer a marketing service on a fee-
for-service basis for producers who
want to use it. However other
licensed marketers will be able to
offer a competing service. Farmers
would benefit from more
competition, Buchanan asserted.
“We think Ontario Pork will have
to sharpen its pencil; it will have to
be competitive.”
Only producers who sold through
Ontario Pork would pay marketing
fees, but all producers would have to
support universal services like
research, traceability, health and
environmental issues and other
services. Even those who sell
weaned pigs to U.S. growers would
have to pay a small fee to help with
these services. He said he didn’t
know how much it would be but in
western Canada weaner producers
pay a fee of 18-20 cents.
Buchanan said, farmers were
wrong if they criticized the decision
because they thought they had
guaranteed payment through Ontario
Pork. There was no such guaranteed
payment, he said. Though the board
had always managed to make sure
farmers got paid, there’s nothing in
place that says farmers will get paid
if there’s a major failure of a buyer.
The Pork Industry Advisory
Committee, which has been meeting
one day a week to plan the transition
to the new system was concerned
about the lack of guarantee,
Buchanan said. “If we’re building a
better industry this is something we
need to look at,” he said. The
committee has sent a request
forward to the government asking it
to provide money for a financial
protection plan, but he doesn’t know
if the government will agree.
He addressed the complaint that
there weren’t many small farmers on
the advisory committee which
includes representatives of Ontario
Pork and packing companies as well
as producers. He said the committee
has asked Ontario Pork for the
names of possible members but in
some cases people turned down the
invitation to join because it required
a day a week for meetings. But if a
delegation of small producers
wanted to address issues of concern
he would find time at a committee
meeting for them to be heard,
Buchanan said.
Some producers had asked for
marketing information from Ontario
Pork but Buchanan asked what kind
of information they wanted. “How
much will you pay? What’s it worth
to you? Do you use the information
now that’s on the (Ontario Pork)
website?”
But Buchanan really stirred a
hornet’s nest when he addressed the
issue of a plebiscite to allow
Braving the lions’ den
Farm Products Marketing Commission acting-chair Elmer Buchanan speaks to the Huron
County Pork Producers’ Association in Seaforth, Thursday night about the commission’s
decision to strip Ontario Pork of its sole right to market hogs in Ontario. Huron County
announced at the meeting it will appeal the decision. (Keith Roulson photo)
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.Pigs, 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
Producers grill Buchanan over Ontario Pork ruling
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen
Continued on page 14