HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-04-11, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1990.
Free Trade Agreement hot topic
among Huron County Farmers
Top producers
Displaying their awards are Art Bos (left) of RR 3, Blyth and
Allan Martin of RR 2, Listowel who were two of the several
award winners at the annual Huron County Dairy Herd
Improvement Association banquet held in Brussels on March
27. Mr. Bos earned top honours with his top producing
yearlings in the individual cow records and Mr. Martin took top
spots with his two-year-old cows in the individual cow records.
He was also rewarded for having the top producing herd in
Huron County.
Farm
New 4H club helps youth
learn about wildlife
BY JANE MUEGGE help plan a project that will make
The Free Trade Agreement may
have been in place for a year but
it’s still a hot topic with Huron
County Farmers as witnessed by
the fact five of nine briefs present
ed to local members of Parliament
at the Members of Parliament
Dinner of the Huron County Feder
ation of Agriculture mentioned the
deal.
The dinner, held in Clinton
Saturday, brought together repre
sentatives of various commodity
groups to make presentations to
Huron-Bruce M.P. Murray Cardiff
and Huron M.P.P. Jack Riddell.
The tone was set by Mike
Ondrejicka for the Federation’s
Trade and Finance Committee who
said while farmers are going to
have to adjust to the realities the
playing field needs to be more level
what “...with much higher cost
energy, interest rates four per cent
higher in our country, the U.S.
export enhancement program, tar
get prices on corn and wheat, the
impending GST and, if we manage
to actually turn a profit, we face
significantly higher income tax
rates ... The level playing field
cannot exist as long as these
inequities do.’’
Huron County Pork Producers
complained the FTA had failed to
prevent harrassment from U.S.
pork producers attempting for
countervailing duties. While they
dislike the U.S. actions, Chris
Hills, president of the Pork Produ
cers said, “we must have some
grudging respect for the speed at
which their elected representatives
reacted to their perceived dilemma.
We unfortunately have not receiv
ed similar speed and action from
our elected representatives to our
very real dilemma.”
Both Ken Ramsay for the Huron
County Milk Committee and Doug
Easton for the Huron County Egg
Producers worried about the effects
of free trade if the GATT article 11,
allowing border controls under
supply management, is not upheld.
Mr. Easton argued that increased
access for American eggs under the
FTA had already resulted in a
quota cut for Canadian farmers.
Mr. Cardiff pointed out his
government has put forward a
position to confirm and strengthen
Article 11 and the support it gives
to supply management. He also
pointed out that it is not the U.S.
government that has launched
challenges to Canadian hog im
ports but American hog farmers
themselves. If Canadian farmers
want to launch complaints against
American practices the Canadian
government will support them too,
he said.
The U.S. hog producers recently
got a 30-day extension on their
hearing and it was because they
realized they were working with
faulty figures, he said. He suggest
ed the U.S. complaint will be found
unwarranted.
Mr. Cardiff said the federal
government now has a team of
accountants studying American
farm subsidy programs so that if
the Americans want to play the
game of complaining about our
subsidies, we can play the game
back.
Mr. Riddell said he was as
opposed as ever to the FTA. David
Ramsay, his successor as Ontario
Agriculture Minister had returned
from a visit to Washington and felt
the U.S. has one thing in mind: to
get more access to Canadian mar
kets, Mr. Riddell said. After speak
ing with the agriculture secretary
of the state of Illinois recently Mr.
Riddell said he was told the U.S.
would support its farmers. The
governor of that state gave a
speech in which he spent the whole
time talking about how good the
deal was to the U.S. and never once
mentioned benefits for Canada.
Mr. Riddell said.
Despite the FTA the U.S. is not
backing away from its use of
countervailing tariffs, he said, even
though American farmers get more
subsidies than Canadian farmers.
It’s just that American farmers’
subsidies are harder to get at.
It is essential that Article II is
upheld or it is really the beginning
of the end for supply management,
he said. “The dairy industry will be
like the U.S., run by very, very
large corporations.” In the U.S.
there are herds of 5,000-7,000
cows, he said. “I hope that’s not
the way we’re going. I hope we’re
not going to have to go out and
farm 15,000 and 20,000 acres of
land. I hope we can keep the family
farm.”e
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every day; in fields, ponds, or even
in your backyard?
Through the new project, Watch
ing Out for Wildlife, you can find
out more about the wildlife in your
area, where and how they live, and
what you can do to help them
survive. You’ll go out on field trips
to look for signs of wildlife; and
your community a better place for
wildlife to live.
Share your interest in wildlife
with others. Talk to a rural organiz
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Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food office for more information
about clubs forming in your area.
Workshops for 4H leaders will be
held on Tuesday, May 1, 10:00 -
2:30 p.m. at the West Wawanosh
Outdoor Education Centre. Call
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482-3428.
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