The Rural Voice, 1982-03, Page 39PERTH COUNTY PORK PRODUCERS' NEWS
Record number hears
Dr. Bowman at Perth
annual meeting
The Perth County Pork Producers Annual Meeting was held on
Jan. 29, 1982 at the Stratford Fair Grounds. The executive should
be congratulated for picking a sunny day with good driving
conditions. The meeting was started at 1:30 P.M. following a
banquet. President John Groenestege welcomed a record number
of producers in attendance. In his report he outlined the activities
of the association and thanked the staff of the Stratford OMAF
office for the assistance given to the association during the past
year. The meeting approved the auditors' and the treasurer's
report. The Barbeque Committee Chairman, Gerald Matheson
reported the sale of 535,000. worth of pork chops. The chairmen of
the Producers Information Committee, Robert Stephen read a
brief with financial and economic proposals submitted by the
committee. The brief was printed in a previous issue of this
newsletter and has been sent to the Ministries of Agriculture and
the Members of Parliament for Perth.
Pork Producer Efficiency awards were given out again this year
for the producers with the highest average grades in three
different classes.
The recipients were: Jim Porter 100 - 500 pigs ay. grade 106.9
Leo Kroonen 500 -1000 pigs ay. grade 108.1
Alvin Dow over 1,000 pigs ay. grade 107.1
Board Representative Willi Keller reported on the activities of
the provincial board and its various committees.
Jim Rollings, Sales Manager of the OPPMB presented annual
statistics and explained present problems with marketing in
Quebec and their effects on the Ontairo Market. OPPMB sales of
4.029,049 for 1981 were down 3.5 per cent from 1980. However
carcass weights were slightly higher giving a per lb. decrease of
only / 9 per cent. Total Canadian red meat production was (La.
With pork slaughter down 0.6 per cent cattle slaughter was up 4.7
per cent and calf and sheep slaughter up 6.7 and 38.1 per cents
respectively. Jim feels optimistic about prices strengthening in
the coming months due to the predicted decrease in US
production. The poor outlook for the general economy both in
Canada and in the US however could be a major hold back for price
recovery as people in ' "dire straits" walk past the meat counter.
A major turn -up of prices will only take place when shorter
supplies come together with an improvement of the general
economy.
The general manager of the OPPMB, Helmut Loewen had to
answer to the perennial complaints over delayed pig cheques. He
said that delays are mainly caused by poor postal service or by
isolated problems with settlements received from packing plants,
missing tattoos or similar problems, which crop up mainly in times
of heavy runs. The board is presently experimenting with
electronic transfers of money directly to producers' bank
accounts, however the system is not working satisfactorily yet.
Banks do not all have uniform procedures.
The meeting passed two resolutions to be presented to the
Ontaio Pork
Honored at the annual meeting of the Perth Pork Producers
were from left tops in the county in the 100 to 500 hog class
Jim Porter, R.R. 1, Stratford with an index of 106.9, Mr. and
Mrs. Leo Kroonen, Dublin 500 to 1.000 hogs with an index of
108.1, Alvin Dow. R.R. 1, Staffa, 1,000 hogs and over with an
index of 107.1 and Perth Pork Producers president John
Groenestege who made the presentation.
annual meeting of the provincial board on March 17. The first
rommended the board for initiating •he Bowman Marketing Studv
giving individual producers information on the subject of
alternative marketing sytems and providing them with an
opportunity to submit their own ideas on this controversial matter.
The second resolution asked the board to promote a
recommendation contained in the brief of the information
committee, that would allow retiring farmers a tax break on
mortgage money made available to starting farmers at lower
interest rates.
The guest speaker at the meeting was Dr. Gordon Bowman,
chairman of the committee on "Implications of Alternative
Marketing Strategies for the Ontario Pork industry". A detailed
report on Dr. Bowman's presentation and producer reaction is
given in a separate report in this issue of the Rural Voice. Dr.
Bowman's report dampened the hopes of those proponents of
supply management, who thought introducing quotas would
provide a quick solution to today's financial problems. Producers
were told, that even with all provinces agreeing, the introduction
of supply management would take three to four years.
Regional public meetings on the report will be held on March 1.
at 1 p.m. in the Knights of Columbus Hall in Walkerton and on
March 2, in the Bingeman Park in Kitchener.
The directors of the Perth County association will discuss the
report at their meeting on March 4 in the Mitchell Town hall at
8:30 p.m. Producers are invited. Anybody wanting to make a
submission however should contact Secretary George Lupton.
R.R. 2, Stratford prior to the meeting.
THE RURAL VOICE/ MARCH 1982 PG. 37