The Rural Voice, 1981-11, Page 151
KEITH ROULSTON
Free quota
Farmers ana farm leaders,
faced with declining prices
and soaring interest rates are
once again screaming for the
government to do something
before the industry collapses.
There is no doubt that the
farming industry is in a state
of crisis and there is no doubt
that farmers are to a Targe
extent the innocent victims of
a policy that has nothing to do
with them. Still, while farm-
ers complain about the high
cost of farming and the fact
that the young person can't
afford to get into farming
these days with high land
costs and high machinery
costs and high interest rates,
let me play the devil's advo-
cate for a moment and say
that in some areas of farming
I find it hard to buy this bit
about everybody being to
blame but the farmer.
To the consumer, the word
marketing board is right up
there with acid rain in the list
of unwanted troubles of mo-
dern life. Urban consumers
can see no reason for mar-
keting boards because obvi-
ously they think that if
farmers are unorganized they
will get lower prices. Studies
have shown that consumers
actually save money by hav-
ing the stable source of
supply organized marketing
boards bring but consumers
and consumer activists man-
age to ignore that.
There is a lot to be said for
marketing boards, even if you
are one of those independent
farmers who don't want to be
tied up with the red tape
quotas and such bring. But
some marketing boards make
less sense than others.
I'm afraid 1 would find it
hard to argue with a consu-
mer activist the value of those
marketing boards who insist
on giving quota, the right to
produce, a dollar value. In
those marketing systems, the
young farmer not only has to
buy his land, his equipment,
his stock, but also has to lay
out a good deal of money for
the right to be able to produce
anything with all that. How
can farmers in these fields
have the nerve to complain to
the government about inter-
est rates when they are
themselves increasing the
cost of setting up farming
through something that a-
mounts to pure greed?
In the beginning, this
quota had no dollar value.
Those farmers who happened
to be lucky enough to be
producing when the quota
system sold in were given
quota for nothing. They then
turned around and sold that
quota for a high price, a price
that has been increasing with
competition ever since. It is
simply a case of those in the
monopoly situation milking it
for all they can get out of it.
When consumers complain
about marketing boards in
these cases being unfair
monopolies. I can't argue
back. In any other business
there would be government
investigations and probably
charges.
When quota becomes an
added expense to setting up
farms, it is a detriment to the
industry. First of all, it makes
it difficult for the young
person setting up farming to
get in. Secondly, since those
who are already in, often got
their initial quota for nothing,
they have the advantage in
bidding for quota that does
come on the open market.
Farmers are setting up a
system which is killing the
small, independent family
farm they are always claiming
must be saved. They are
encouraging factory farms,
the kind that can be run on
urban business principals,
that can be run by Targe
corporations.
If farming is to be saved the
situation must be changed.
There should be compensa-
tion for those who have had to
buy quota, but in the end
quota must go back to being
free, to be distributed to
those who most need it, not
those who can afford to bid
the most.
DEALING
LLIGEC:1
DAys.
AT McGAVIN'S 5o 9 28702455
* Used Plows*
3 a 12-18 Fiskars S1,895.
4 a 16 Oliver S 450.
3 a 12-16 Kongskllde $1,800.
4 a 14 Overum $ 795.
3 a 14 Case $ 250.
4 a 16 Allis semi -mount $1,695.
3 a 12-16 Kongskilde S1,100.
4:14 Overturn $ 750.
3 x 14 Kverneland $600.
5 x 12-18 Kongekilde $3,995.
3 x 16 Kverneland $1,695.
4 x 12-16 Kongsklade $2,800.
5 x 16 Massey 880 $3,995.
3 a 12 Trail Int $ 150.
5 i 12-16 Kongskilde hyd. trips [sharp] $3,975.
5 x 18 Massey 880 $3,375.
5 x 14 Case semi -mount $1,295.
4 a 121.H.C. trail $ 195.
* Miscellaneous*
1 Used Grain -O -Valor $3,195.
1 620 McKee Snow blower,
$ 750.
2 720 McKee 7 ft. double snoblowere $1,195.
Lucknow 7 ft., S/A snowblower S 775.
Whitmore Grinder -Mixer S2,495
7ft., single auger
ASK FOR BOB OR NEIL
McGAVIN
Farm Equipment Le.
WALTON
SHERRY+r EW HOLLAND
STEYR
THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 1981 PG 13