The Rural Voice, 1982-03, Page 9The Bowman report lays out the marketing choices
management system. Also he said it made
no provision for the next generation
"under supply management it's almost
impossible for them" to own a farm. "It's
not possible to buy a farm on the free
market," the first producer replied.
"Kids have to inherit from their parents."
Designing the legislation getting
provinces to agree (and perhaps trying to
bring beef into a supply management
agency) would take at least four years.
"It's not a short-term solution," Bowman
says.
But in the tradition of "the great
What the producers say:
Canadian compromise" Bowman told
Perth producers (who raise more hogs
than any county in the province) "Either
system could work, a managed free
system or a flexible managed system.
Read it over, talk it out, decide, then move
to the system of your choice."
After twelve quarters of low prices, some think it's time for a change
Although many people assume strong backing for the Bowman
report's supply management option from the north and a free
enterprise viewpoint further south, these stereotypes don't
necessarily stand up. All over there is a great deal of concern for
the industry, careful consideration of the report's fine print and
thoughtful answers to the question: what next?
"Something has to be done on it; we can't talk ourselves into a
circle," says farrow to finish operator John Lichti of Perth County.
"We need leadership from the industry somewhere." It is
interesting, Lichti says to contrast the Bowman report with the
beef industry's supply management study. "They didn't have
enough resources to come up with the range of facts and options
the pork study has ... the pork board deserves credit in getting the
report together... it's a real good start."
Paisley area farmer John Bryce who's in beef (800 head) as well
as pork (300 sows) favours supply management... "anything's
better than what we've got," for cattle as well as hogs, "but for
the mutinationals and the packers or the people?"
Who says 'who gets quota is Bryce's big concern "If big
corporate farms get it all, I'm not in favour." Controls on
production don't bother.him; his 'caution comes from what he's
heard about the chicken and turkey marketing boards - "the big
gets bigger, the little guy gets squeezed out."
Bryce points to the Ontaro Milk Marketing Board as a good
supply management system, "fairly successful, never really got
away from the hands of the farmers." But he doesn't like a high
price tag on quota. "How's the next generation going to pay for
it?"
Huron pork producers Andre Durand, a long-time supply
management supporter, says although high quota prices get all
the publicity, producers don't usually pay that much. "Or they
may because it doesn't make sense to produce beef and pork at a
loss and lots of farmers are doing it," he jokes.
Like Bryce, Murray Sewell of Grey County thinks getting all the
pork producing provinces in Canada in one pork supply
management system would be cumbersome. "It would be years
until it could be implemented; if you're going under, you'd be well
under before it came into being."
Instead of supply management Sewell would like to see the
present marketing system improved "espeically a proper
stabilization plan funded by producers and two levels of
government."
While supply management is the answer in the long run as far
as John Bryce is concerned, the immediate solution to pork's
problems is "instead of government assistance programs (they've
played havoc with the cattle industry), government direction." He
calls for a twelve per cent interest rate "the key to keeping the
farmer farming" and possibily a subsidy on fuel.
Bryce, the cautious supply management supporter, has another
concern. "I'm very alarmed that down the road we could end up
with 6,000 pork producers in Ontario ....that means 15,000 got
another job or quit." The small man is meant to be in this world
just as much as the big one, Bryce adds and claims as many big
operators as small ones are inefficient.
Andre Durand, probably Huron County's best known
proponent of supply management, says a change in system will
"put some stability into our farm businesses. I don't like all the
controls but if a man does a good job, he's guaranteed a certain
income out of that part of his business."
The cycles of the present system bother him. Say we have a year
of good pork prices, he explains. Crop prices go up too. Suddenly a
farmer says "we're not hurting too bad" and his sons build
another finishing barn. Multiply that all over the province and
you're into another period of pork over -production, says Durand.
"We have to stop that with production controls."
Another Huron producer, Martin De Bruyn, a provincial
weaner pig committeeman disagrees. He wants to go with
Bowman's suggested improvements to the present system.
"Farmers will have to become more businesslike than they've
ever been before." Everybody thinks they need bigger numbers
to make more money. "You' -e better to stay the same size or even
decrease your operation "and do a better management job."
Bowman says cutbacks will be necessary before pork is
profitable, either under the present system or under supply
management. "1 don't want to agree with that," Durand says, but
he adds at least those who have been against supply management
see cutbacks are needed either way.
THE RURAL VOICE/ MARCH 1982 PG. 7