The Rural Voice, 1985-09, Page 48R.R
Reaaged
Paled Daiwa
Walter & Mary Renwick
1, Clifford, Ontario Phone (519)367 2504
FOR SALE
Purebred rams & ewes
and commercial ewes from
our flock of 400 Purebred
breeding ewes
R.O.P. TESTED
"You name it -
we'll build it."
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• .2 tonnes to 19.9 tonnes
• 14 -gauge metal
• strong reinforcing ring
• non -leak auger boot -ring
• separate ladder and blow pipe
OTHER PRODUCTS
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built to specification
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ABRICATING NC
HIGHWAY 23 N., ATWOOD, ONT.
519-356-2802
46 THE RURAL VOICE
FARM NEWS
Record high
apple crop
predicted
For apple growers in the Georgian
Bay area, this year's harvest may
prove to be a record high or a record
low, depending on their location.
According to Ken Wilson, hor-
ticulturalist with the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food, the apple
harvest in Ontario is expected to be
about 9.5 -million bushels, which
would be a record crop in recent
history. But for a small number of
producers in the Clarksburg area
where a severe hailstorm swept
through late in June, this year's crop
will be almost a total loss — also a
record for them in recent history.
Mike Atkins, president of the
Southern Georgian Bay District Fruit
Growers' Association, is one of those
growers hardest hit. His orchard, Ap-
ple Hill Farms Limited, was hit not
once but twice with severe hail late in
June and early July.
"It is normal for apples to have
one or two spots of damage from hail
after a storm, but many of mine show
ten or twelve spots," Atkins says.
"The crop is completely hailed out,
good only for juice." Those apples
which are not of a quality for table
use are made into juice. Although this
means there is not a total loss, juice
apples sell for only about 25 per cent
of Grade A price.
"This represents a loss of $50,000
to $75,000 for me. I will be lucky if I
get back my expenses," Atkins says.
Because of the damage from hail, he
reduced the spraying program which
is normally required to obtain ideal
table apples. By reducing his chemical
costs, he cut his losses somewhat.
The reduction in chemical sales was
widespread enough to be noticed by
Lloyd Crawford, district manager of
the United Co-operatives of Ontario.
From his Elmwood office, Crawford
was unable to give an exact figure as
to the loss of sales as a result of the
hail damage, but it is enough to give
him cause for concern.
"As the apple industry and farm-
ing in general goes, so goes our
business," he says.
Ken Wilson notes that the number
of producers whose crops were wiped
out by the hail is small, about ten
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