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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1990-02-07, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1990. Co-op profits up for Auburn, down in Belgrave UCO Board Members of the Board of the Belgrave and Auburn UCO branches were named at the annual meeting of theco-op Friday night in Blyth. Membersof the board are: (front row, left to right) Chris Palmer, president; Gordon Daer, Siebolt Siertsema; (back row), Fred Meier Jr., Bruce Campbell and Don Procter. Sales and profits both dropped for the year ending September 30, 1989, members of the Belgrave and Auburn United Co-operatives of Ontario branches were told at the 75th anniversary annual of the organization in Blyth Friday night. Figures released to the members showed at the Belgrave branch down more than $150,000 for the year to $2,809,576 compared to $2,963,778 in 1988. Expenses meantime increase to $381,935 from $343,989. It meant the net contribution to the co-op in 1989 was $58,182, down from $104,840. Farmers have important part in change There was a happier story at the Auburn branch, however, as sales continued to grow, up to $1,198,184 this year from $1,084,055 in 1988, an increase of 10 per cent. Expens es were up by 22 per cent to $131,598 from $107,511. The net contribution for the year was $35,305 compared to $32,280 in 1988. Both branches showed substan tial reductions in feed sales with Auburn down five per cent and Belgrave down 17 per cent. Ferti lizer sales were down five per cent in Belgrave but up 19 per cent in Auburn. Chemical sales were down 40 per cent in Belgrave but up seven per cent in Auburn. Seed sales were off 14 per cent in Belgrave but up 43 per cent at Auburn. There was a substantial increase in petroleum sales with Belgrave being up $192,000, a total of 16 per cent. Auburn saw an 11 per cent increase. Store sales were off seven per cent in Belgrave but up nine per cent in Auburn. In the election, three delegates were returned for another term by acclamation: Chris Palmer, Fred Meier Jr. and Don Procter. In his remarks as president, Mr. Palmer noted it had been a successful year despite lower pro fits. The branches were actively seeking a salesman, he said, because'the board felt the branches could not be competitive unless they had a salesman on the road visiting farmers. He said the restructuring of United Co-operatives of Ontario (UCO) meant that branches like Belgrave and Auburn would have more chance to be independent from UCO headquarters in their operations. He said there had been approaches made by the Lucknow and Teeswater Co-ops to discuss how the Co-ops could co-operate in things such as sharing equipment. This,, he said, would be a good move for all. Agriculture is changing and the Co-ops better be ready for it, he said. “The retail end of agriculture will have to change too.’’ Jim Purdy brought greetings on behalf of the UCO board and said it had been a difficult year despite the fact sales were up $20 million because UCO had lost $4 million compared to a profit of $2.5 million a year earlier. The company had, however, been able to re-issue $20 million debentures and Mr. Purdy told members that if they have money to invest they should look at the debentures because they are a good investment, like a first mortgage on all UCO property. Because of its economic pro blems, he said, UCO had cut back on some parts of its operations. It had ceased being involved in contracting of commodities like poultry, he said. It had disposed of surplus assets which included its seed corn plant at Chatham, even if some farmers didn’t feel this was a surplus item. Corn varieties de veloped there would continue to be available and some varieties that were nearly ready for market will be available through King Grain. Inventories had been reduced by 24 per cent, reducing the cash flow and saving interest. UCO will break even this year with these changes, he said, but it won’t be easy. Besides making up the $4 million loss last year, it must also make up for a $2 million patronage dividend from its fertili zer plant which won’t be coming in. It means the company must, in effect, show a $6 improvement from last year just to break even, he said. Twin Gables Hotel LISTOWEL Thurs., Fri., &Sat. STEVENS DISC JOCKEY FOR BOOKINGS887-6159 Blytb Weekend I Specials JAN.25-FEB.24 Change is inevitable, whether we like it or not. This is reality and the farming community has an import ant part to play in it. Current crop system undesirable Continued from page 12 all that happy with the forage program itself, he said. The Com mission doesn’t like to see the situation where some farmers lose a crop but don’t get paid for it or where some farmers still get a crop and get paid for it as can happen under the current system, he said. Farmers seemed strongest in their desire to go to a program that depended on individual farm yield records. Paul Klopp of Zurich moved a motion for the Crop Insurance Commission to introduce a hay program based on the quality and yield of hay on each individual farm. It carried. Mr. Hill said he was quite Banks should refuse to use disposable deposit wallets Continued from page 5 bank than the present system. I’m sure they figured the upkeep of the present wallets and the time spent in finding the right keys and opening each wallet. Would you not think that the Bank officials, in head office and at the local branch es, should consider the risk to the environment? In our small towns, I’m sure that there won’t be that many night deposit wallets used, but imagine multiplying it by every branch in Canada and picture the pile of unnecessary waste ODeatecL' Shirley Hazlitt, ,RR 4, Goderich, was one of the Advanced Agricul tural Leadership Program (AALP) participants who heard this mess- prepared to go back to the Com mission and propose that plan although he couldn’t guarantee it would be supported. “I know there’s a lot of disatisfaction,’’ he said. “I guess our problem is how to have a program that is reason able to administer and still works for farmers.’’ A second motion was passed that if the new system couldn’t be adopted, the simulation be modi fied to take into account only the information from the three-mile radius of other growers and not to use the current “narrowing” factor that throws out extremes of high and low rainfall, leaving only those in the middle range. Perhaps this is one way that our local branch of the Bank of Com merce can become famous in head office. Don’t force the higher rates on your customers. Explain that the present cloth wallets are still in good shape and that they should be continued to be used until they fall apart and then be replaced by new cloth wallets. Refuse to become a part of the disposable night deposit wallets. Help save our environ ment! Do your part! Margaret Mclnroy RR 1, Walton, age during a seminar in Windsor, Ontario, January 22 to 24. Environmental issues form the leading edge of social change. Windsor, the heart of the automo tive industry, has stringent envir onmental controls imposed on it. The per capita cost of these protection measures places a seri ous strain on the city’s economy. Lou Romano, Director of Pollution Control, Windsor, warned of the impending cost of similar pollution abatement programs in rural muni cipalities. Although much of the seminar was devoted to the impact of the auto industry, not only on Windsor but on the rest of the province as well, participants also took time to consider current agricultural is sues. We are no longer an island unto ourselves. We are a part of the global community. Farmers THE OPTIMIST CLUB OF BRUSSELS INVITE YOU TOTRY AND WIN A TRIP TO ORLANDO, FLORIDA AT THE VALENTINE DANCE & DRAW SAT., FEB. 10,1990 AT THE B.M.&G.COMMUNITYCENTRE per AVAILABLE FROM ANY ticket OPTIMIST MEMBER Arrangements by Hanover Travel must learn to aggressively market our products. A panel of agricul turalists, including Heinz Vice- President Tom Halford discussed the changing market. Food provider of a different type, Gary Penner, Kingsville fisherman and president of the Lake Erie Fisheries, supplied a treat of his own homemade caviar. Penner spoke about the resurgence of the fishing industry in Lake Erie. Windsor provides excellent shopping for American tourists who cross the Detroit River by tunnel or the Ambassador Bridge. Jewellery stores and furriers abound. This crossing is the busi est entry point on the entire Canadian-U.S. border. , The Advanced Agricultural Lea dership Program continues with a March seminar in Ottawa. RIBS & KRAUT DINNER FRIDAY&SATURDAY 5:00P.M.-8:00P.M. BUY ONE & GET ONE FOR 1/2 PRICE Visit our new COFFEE SHOP-Regular Menn 12:00-1:30 P.M. & 5-8:00 P.M. SOUP, SANDWICHES COFFEE & DESSERT Available 12 Noon-Midnight r. <rS, «.. AM.. ■ A....... , .... I 1/2 PRICE SPECIALS APPLY TO EAT-IN OR TAKE OUT ORDERS the Blyth IPP 523-9381