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The Rural Voice, 1978-02, Page 17International Plowing Match at Wingham, was named vice-president with Girvin Reed of Dungannon as second vice-presid- ent. Russell Bolton, R.R.1, Seaforth was re-elected secretary -treasurer with Graeme Craig, RR 1, Walton as his assistant. Jim Armstrong is the Ontario Plowman's Association director. The Plowmen's Association is sponsor- ing two 4H Sodbuster Clubs in 1978 because of the interest created by the International. A presentation by Huron County will be a highlight of the OPA convention in Toronto on Feb. 13-14. The International will be held from Sept. 26 to 30. Perth Federation to hear two interesting speakers Tc.o interesting speakers will be featured when the Perth County Federa- tion of Agriculture holds its annual meeting on Feb. 15. Charles Graccv. chairman of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association will be one of the speakers telling the advantages of an unregulated marketing system. Dr. George Collin. chairman of the Farm Products Marketing Board of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food will speak on the service to the producer by marketing boards. Perth Federation President Ken Green said the tv:o .ere not invited to stir up debate but "this %.ill give the farmers on both sides of the marketing thing". Christian Farmers will challenge chicken production roll back The Christian Farmers Federation meeting in Milton Jan. 19 decided that one or more of its members will challenge the roll back of production targets for the chicken industry. "We were very disappointed" in the ruling of the Farm Products Marketing Board (F.P.M.B.) whiph reduced produc- tion targets after an appeal by an association of poultry processing plants. the federation's secretary -manager Elbert Van Donkersgoed of Drayton said. He said that chicken producers felt their marketing board had been acting responsibly when it called for an increase in production. thus enabling farmers to increase efficiency and reduce prices. "And now," Van Donkersgoed said. "the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Board hestitates to let them go ahead and do it." The processors' association says it lost heavily last year and wants the production reductions so that it can increase profits. Van Donkersgoed said that producers were disappointed in the ruling because they understood that appeals for the F.B.M.B. were either upheld or dismissed but there were no compromises. The processers had asked for a reduction to 48 million pounds for the late spring -early summer quota period while the chicken board had wanted to produce 58 million pounds with a quota of 100 per cent plus 10,000 pounds per farmer. The O.F.P.M.B. compromised and rolled the target back to 100 per cent quota plus 3,000 pounds per farmer on the belief, according to board chairman Dr. George Collin, that about 53 million pounds would be produced. The chicken board would not offer an estimate of how much might be produced under that quota until it can "run the figures through our computer," according to chairman Gary Sytsma. Van Donkersgoed said the ruling indicates that there is a need to make farmers more aware of the appeal process. "No doubt there will be more appeals as time goes by," he said. The federation, at the same meeting, decided to "bide our time" in its opposition to a quota amalgamation policy the egg board developed and which went into effect for a two-year trial period on Jan. 1. Van Donkersgoed said the federation's position has been noted by most in the industry. there is now some hesitation among farmers and many now are convinced that the policy won't last beyond the two-year trial period. The federation will, instead, concentrate efforts on developing the basis for its proposals for a long-term quota' transfer policy, he said. Offers for quota rentals for a 30 -month period are running between $2.50 and $5.50 a bird, Van Donkersgoed said. Good news for corn producers may be bad for beet men As so often happens, what is good for one kind of farmer may be bad news for another and that appears to be the case with the announcement of plans for three nevi corn sweetener plants. While the moves will be a big boost for corn producers hit by low prices due to a surplus, they may have killed hopes for a revival of the sugar beet industry in Ontario. George Higgs of Dresden who ! was chairman of the., Ontario Sugar Beet Growers' Marketing Board when Canada THE and Dominion Sugar Co. closed its Chatham processing plant in 1967 says he is now convinced the industry will never be revived. "We are getting farther away from it all the time," he said. He said that the new $60 million London Repath-Lab- att's corn sweetener plant, a $12 million extension to the St. Lawrence Corn Syrup plant and a Canadian starch company plant and "one more strike against us". The corn sweeteners serve the same basic - market as the sugar beets did, providing sweeteners for canning operations. Thus the corn sweetener plants hurt the possibility of the sugar beet coming back. Mr. Higgs said he thinks the corn sweetener plant will be of marginal benefit to corn producers while if the sugar beet industry could have been revived it would have been a big boost to farmers faced with high production costs and land values. There has been interest, particularly from foreign groups about building a new sugar beet processing plant (He even has blueprints from one group that wanted to build a combined sugar beet and corn sweetener plant) but a major stumbling block was who was to provide the capital. A mayor reason for the demise of the sugar beet industry Mr. Higgs says is the lack of a national sugar policy to protect Canadian sugar beet growers in the same way other countries protect their growers, but a steady stream of delegations to Ottawa while the industry was still alive failed to gain help from governments of either major party. "We aren't one bit closer to a sugar policy now than we were 30 years ago," he said. Mr. Higgs still recalls the day, Jan. 29, 1967 when the last sugar beet refining plant closed down. "That was one of the worst days I ever had" he said. Greenhouse study finds idea feasible The onus for the development of a greenhouse and aquaculture industry around the Bruce Nuclear Power Develop- ment to make use of waste hot water from the power station is now on the shoulders of the private sector. A report released by the provincial government in late Dec. stated that such a project was feasible and that it would cut heating costs for greenhouses by more than 50 per cent. James Taylor, energy minister at the time, said that he was making copies of the report available to existing operators of the greenhouse and aquaculture industries, to get their response and also to organizations such as banks and energy companies who may want to invest in such a project. If the project goes ahead, private industry is expected to pick up the cost of building the greenhouses while Ontario Hydro would be responsible for making the RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1978, PG. 17.