The Rural Voice, 1981-05, Page 31Fowl kill to stem egg surplus
Ontario farmers are going to be paid to
take their hens out of production at an
earlier age, and to keep their barns empty
longer. Laying hens will be slaughtered
earlier to stem a mounting surplus of
eggs.
Last year, the Ontario Egg Producers'
Marketing Board and the Canadian Egg
Marketing Agency (CEMA) announced a
fowl -kill program similar to•one initiated
recently to overcome the surplus
problem. The new program will pay a
farmer from 96 cents a bird for 16 weeks
of empty barns. This means. for a
20.000 -bird flock, payments could be
more than $40,000.
In a letter to producers. the Ontario
Egg Producers' Marketing Board said the
suprlus is "serious", since not only arc
storage facilities filled to capacity "but
the costs of diverting excess product into
the breaking market (food processing
industry) are more than the present levies
are able to absorb."
In the week ending March 21, for
example, the surplus egg production was
96.4 per cent above the production of the
same week in 1980. The overall surplus of
eggs in 1980 was nearly 47 million dozen.
The kill program came into effect
March 31. although some producers
didn't receive notice of the plan until a
week later. The program ends May 23.
Despite the hugh surplus of eggs in
Canada, more than 10 million dozen eggs
have been imported from the U.S. since
January under traditional market quota
agreements.
Bill Scott, of Seaforth. Huron County
director on the egg hoard, said by April 8
at least half the allowable birds in Ontario
for early kill were already committed. He
said the program is voluntary. producers
aren't under any compulsion to slaughter
their birds ahead of schedule. Mr. Scott
pointed out it would depend on the age of
birds, whether or not producers could
take advantage of the early -kill program.
Ontario has been allotted -600.000 of the
1.5 million hens in the early kill program.
The director said right now surplus
production is costing all egg producers
and paying to take hens out of production
earlier should be a lesser expense for the
producers.
Last year, a number of hens.
slaughtered early were simply buried
because the packing companies couldn't
keep up with the volume of hens. Scott
said farmers might again have to gas
birds and bury them on their own farms,
which means the producer doesn't re-
CONVEY-N-FEEDR
cattle feeder
by BUTLER
it Unmatched capacity
The new Convey -N -Feed feeder is both an end -
load conveyor and a single or multiple lot cattle
feeder in lengths up to 300' The 14" wide con-
cave belt model carries 27% more feed than o
flat l6" wide belt feeder The 18" wide concave
belt model carries more than twice as much feed
as a flat 16" wide belt feeder
It's worth more than you realize ... costs
less than you think.
LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS
R.R. 1 Kincardine, Ont.
395-5286
ceive any additional funds for the birds
from the killing plant.
The egg producer said a strike by
veterinarians at slaughterhouses was
already creating some problems for egg
producers booked to ship their flocks to
the packing plants.
Resign, Wellington
FofA tells ag minister
The Wellington County Federation of
Agriculture has called for the resignation
of Ontario Agriculture Minister Lorne
Henderson.
Brian Crawley, president of the
organization, said Henderson is "an
embarrassment to farmers" adding the
minister "has done nothing but bluster"
since coming to office.
More than 200 farmers concerned with
the rising number of farm bankruptcies
attended the meeting where the motion
was passed calling for Henderson's
resignation.
Crawley said in 1980 there were 22
farm bankrulftcies in the Hamilton arca
and 16 in the London arca, compared with
11 and eight the year before.
BER -MAR
BEEF CATTLE
Home of Champion Simmentats
CALL BERNIE NIESEN FOR
Diamond V Yeast Culture
Calf Stamma
(25% Protein supplement
Dried Molasses
Xtravim minerals
(7 types)
Dairy Cattle Premix #4
(selenium added 8,000 mg/tonne)
NOW IS THE TIME TO
ORDER YOUR RENK SEED
CORN
Agent for Kuntz
round bale feeders, farm
gates [custom, sizes
available], and round bale
feeders.
Serving Hanover &
surrounding area
364-2517
THE RURAL VOICE/ MAY 1981 PG 29