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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-05-09, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1990. PAGE 15. ‘Fill your quota’ cream producers urged Cream Producers must find ways of filling their quotas or their industry is in danger, farmers attending a meeting of the Huron County Cream Producers in Bel­ grave were told May 1. The message was repeated by Cream Board officials and by representatives of Stacey Bros, in Mitchell, a creamery that depends on farm-separated cream to pro­ duce butter. Ivan Stueck, District Director on the Ontario Provincial Cream Pro­ ducers Board told members that if current production trends continue cream farmers will have filled only 81.9 per cent of their quota allocation at year end. If 85 per cent of the quota isn’t filled, part of the allocation for farm separated cream may be taken back by the dairy commission. He said a number of problems, including breeding pro­ blems and poor hay quality may have contributed to drops in cream production. John Duskocy, chairman of the Huron County Cream Producers Association urged farmers to bor­ row quota from others if they can produce more cream to lend quota if they would be unable to fill their quota this year. George Stock, chairman of the Ontario Cream Producers Board said that although low production and low quota prices seem bad * ^news, this is actually an excellent :ime for farmers to expand in the cream business. With the cream quota price down at 23 cents a kilogram for unused quota “it’s a drop in the bucket”. “It’s the kind of year you want to turn your thinking around,” Mr. Stock said. Steve Ritz, supervisor of butter and special products for Stacey Brothers echoed the advice that now may be the time to expand.. The dairy industry seemed to go in two year cycles, he said and the cycle seems to be going down right now, meaning it will go up again. There has been a push on people to produce more milk and cream and this has driven the price of cows up but indications are that by next spring the price of cows will come down and that maybe a time to expand, he said. He said there is strong demand for farm-separated cream and his plant will take all it can get. There is still a demand for butter with consumers, he said. Asked what the future is for the cream producer, Mr. Stock pointed out that butter is still the number one industrial dairy product mak­ ing up close to 40 per cent of industrial dairy sales. Even in a worse case scenario cream produ­ cers will still always have a quota that can be sold or converted to fluid milk, he said. Mark Maggee, in charge of trucking and logistics for Stacey Brothers said his company was at the meeting because “we want the cream industry to succeed. We don’t want quota lost.” Concern over supply manage­ ment under free trade and GATT negotiations was expressed by many at the meeting. When com­ ments of the chairman of Ault Foods, parent of Stacey Brothers, about the future of supply manage­ ment were mentioned, Mr. Mag­ gee said only part of the speech was quoted. The message had been that the government wasn’t taking the threat posed by GATT seriously enough, Mr. Maggee said. If GATT regulations are allowed to under- riiine the supply management sys­ tem about half the Canadian dairy MILLS Hens Only Roosters CHICK DA Y Order by May 11 for June 1 Pickup Mixed Chicks Brown Egg Layers Turkeys Minimum Order 25 Chicks Howson & Howson Limited FLOUR & FEED MILLERSCOMPLETE FARM SUPPLIES industry would be lost, he said. Mr. Stock agreed that producers and processors must work together to protect the supply management system. “We’ve got to maintain HOWSON MILLS BLYTH NOM 1H0 523-4241 supply management. We have to work together or we’re both gone. There had been too much fighting between producers and pro­ cessors.” X WINGHAM NOG 2W0 357-2700 DONE RIGHTAND HOWS WE GET THE JOB J99n I • Howson & Howson Ltd. FLOUR & FEED MILLERS COMPLETE FARM SUPPLIES, GRAIN ELEVATORS BLYTH 523-4241 WINGHAM 357-2700 TERRA-GATOR® WITH AIR SPREADER & IMPREGNATOR •Low soil compaction •Saves time and labour •Dickey-john computer for accuracy Apply chemicals & fertilizers in one application FERTILIZERS Straight, mixed or micro ingredients •120-tonne per hour baffle blender •Bulk delivery - anytime, anywhere •Spreaders readily available SEED •Soybeans •White Beans •Hyland Corn Forage and pasture seeds-are also available. CHEMICALS bprayer Unit - 500 gal. Spray Tank •PPI, pre or post applications •Low soil compactions and very accurate •Dickey-john monitor with 52 ft. boom width •Mixed Grain •Barley •Oats •Wheat Large supply of chemicals on hand at the right price CALL FOR ALL YOUR SPRING PLANTING SUPPLIES