The Citizen, 1990-02-07, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1990.
Brussels Livestock met good demand on cattle
The market at Brussels Livestock
Inc. Friday met good demand on all
classes of cattle. There were 354
slaughter cattle on offer and 138
hogs.
Good to choice steers sold from
$90 to $92 to the high of $99.50.
Fourteen steers consigned by Ken
Dalton, RR 1, Walton averaged
1248 lbs. and sold for $94.47 to the
high of $99.50. Two steers consign
ed by Gary Pipe, Brussels averaged
1295 lbs. and sold for $92.05.
Nineteen steers consigned by Mur
ray Forbes, RR 2, Clinton averaged
1329 lbs. and sold for $89.13. Three
steers consigned by Steve Adams,
RR 5, Brussels, averaged 1363 lbs.
sold for $88.98.
Twelve steers consigned by
Bruce Bros. RR 1, Belgrave, aver
aged 1252 lbs. sold for $88.97.
Thirty-six steers consigned by Bill
Hayden, RR 6, Goderich, averaged
1208 lbs. sold for $88.44 to the high
of $94. Two‘steers consigned by
Tom McPherson, RR 3, Teeswater
averaged 1150 lbs. sold for $88.85.
Thirty-three steers consigned by
George Adams, RR 2, Wroxeter
averaged 1286 lbs. sold for $87.64.
Ten steers consigned by Elmer
Scott, RR 3, Teeswater, averaged
1294 lbs. sold for $88.11. Thirty-
one steers consigned by Allan
Edgar, RR 2, Wroxeter, averaged
1209 lbs. sold for $85.55.
Good to choice heifers steady.
One heifer consigned by Charles
Higgins, RR 5, Brussels, averaged
1210 lbs. and sold for $92. Five
heifers consigned by John Black,
RR 6, Goderich averaged 1186 lbs.
sold for $88.69.
Twenty heifers consigned by
George Blake, RR 2, Brussels
averaged 1172 lbs. sold tor 5>oa.3z
to the high of $92. Six heifers
consigned by Mike Watson, Brus
sels, averaged 1030 lbs. sold for
$87.50. Five heifers consigned by
Lome Weber, RR 1, Neustadt,
averaged 1174 lbs. sold for $87.07.
There were 108 cows on offer
selling steady. Six cows consigned
by Bodmin Ltd., RR 5, Brussels
averaging 1118 lbs. sold for $63.87.
Two cows consigned by Robert
Hohnstein, RR 2, Mildmay averag
ing 1485 lbs. sold for $61.15. One
cow consigned by Benneweis
Farms, RR 1, Borholm averaged
1160 lbs. sold for $63.75. One cow
consigned by Adrian Verstoep, RR
3, Monkton averaging
sold for $63.
One cow consigned
Michie, RR 4, Brussels
1350 lbs. sold for $62. Three cows
consigned by Bruce Beitz, RR 3,
Mildmay averaging 1457 lbs. sold
for $59.29. Four cows consigned by
Gord Roulston, RR 1, Ripley,
averaging 1450 lbs. sold for $63.07.
One bull consigned by Gord Roul
ston, RR 1, Ripley averaged 2050
Pigs under 50 lbs.averaged
$97.22;50 -60 lbs.averaged
$93.33;over 60 Ibs.averaged
$85.26.
lbs. sold for $77.25.
One bull consigned by Leo
Murray, RR 3, Holyrood weighed
1860 lbs. sold for $80.75.
1630 lbs.
by Lloyd
averaged
Unhappy farmers hurled insults
at crop insurance officials
About 80 farmers unhappy with
the way the Ontario Crop Insurance
Commission’s forage insurance
program work in last year’s
drought hurled questions and in
sults at two members of the
commission at a meeting Wednes
day night in Clinton.
Gordon Hill of Varna, Chairman
of the Commission and Steve
Willis, head of the forage insurance
program, stood for nearly two
hours and tried to answer questions
and, in some cases, took abuse
from farmers, particularly those
from the southern part of the
county in (ironically) Hay township,
over problems with the system.
Mr. Willis bore the brunt of most
of the resentment as he tried to
explain the complicated system for
assessing yields. The difference
between forage coverage and other
crop insurance is that it’s an area
coverage not an individual farm
coverage, he said. While assessors
can measure corn in a bin or
grainary, he said, there seems to
be no accurate way to measure the
amount of hay a farmer has. The
size of bales can vary or the
fineness of cut in haylage can make
a huge difference in the volume in a
silo. At one time there was a
program to try to measure indivi-
dual farmers’ yields, Mr. Willis
said, but very few farmers sub
scribed to forage crop so it was felt
the program mustn’t be effective.
Instead a complicated computer
simulation program was set up in
1977 that takes into account the
amount of rain, the amount of
sunshine, the predominate soil
type in the township, backed up
with 30 years of records, to attempt
to say what yield a farmer should
get depending on the weather for
the year. The time of the year the
rain comes can be important, Mr.
Willis said, because in the simula
tion it is estimated 50 per cent of
the forage crop will be in the first
cut and 25 per cent in each of the
next two cuts. Therefore if there’s
good rain for the first cut but a poor
rainfall for the latter two cuts, the
farmer may not qualify for much
insurance payout.
There is also a complicated
comparison program involved that
cmpares farmers’ weather records
to other insured farmers within a
three mile radius and to the nearest
weather recording station. There
was much criticism about inaccur
ate weather information by the
farmers. Some said that the rainfall
in their area varied widely from the
nearest weather station. Mr. Willis
admitted that 1989
difficult year in the
rainfall.
Mr. Willis said
was a very
spottiness of
there were
additional problems this year be
cause of the sheer volume of people
enrolled in the forage program.
The total of farmers using the
program jumped from 1700 to 7000
this year, a fact he attributed to the
high payout for losses in 1988 but
others attributed to the fact the
federal government insisted farm
ers take out crop insurance in order
to quality for drought payments.
Other farmers complained about
the combined program for both
pasture and hay. Mr. Hill said that
if the current high numbers of
people enrolled in the program
continue, it might be possible to
design different programs for hay
and pasture. The Commission isn’t
Continued on page 26
Crop guides available
BY BRIAN HALL
FARM MANAGEMENT
SPECIALIST
FOR HURON COUNTY
The 1990 Field Crop Recommen
dations Publication and Guide to
Weed Control are now available.
The Guide to Weed Control re
places the 1989 guide while a
supplement is being issued for the
Field Crop Recommendations. The
supplement does not replace the
Field Crop Recommendations but
provides an update on varieties and
pesticides.
Both publications may be picked
up at the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food office in
Clinton.
Fresh Cut Flowers
Brussels Variety
887-6224
Glenn B. Raynard
Bevan Shapton, Sales
Supervisor, Topnotch Feeds
Limited is pleased to an
nounce the appointment of
Glenn B. Raynard as Sales
Consultant for the Brussels
Branch.
Glenn is a graduate of the
University of Guelph and
brings with him, experience
in the Feed and Farm Supply
Business. Glenn is looking
forward to working with agri
cultural producers in the area.
Feel free to contact Glenn and
discuss your needs.
TOPNOTCH FEEDS
LIMITED
BRUSSELS, ONTARIO
887-6011
FOR ALL OF YOUR
LAMBING
REQUIREMENTS
Be sure and visit the guys at
Dauphin Feed & Supplies
WE CARRY A
COMPLETE LINE OF ...
•LAMB CREEP
•SHEEP RATIONS
•SHEEP MINERAL
•SHEEP WORMERS
PLUS WE HAVE A FULL LINE OF ACCESSORIES
• Lamb Nipples
•Bottles
•Elastorators
•Pliers, etc.
DAUPHIN
FEED & SUPPLY LTD.
DUNGANNON Mon WALTON
529-7951 ’ 529-3133 Sat. 9 -12 noon 887-6023 ’ 1-800-265-9685