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The Rural Voice, 1986-06, Page 93NEWSLETTER - Perth County Pork Producers Garry Van Loon, R.R. 2, Dublin, Ontario NOK 1E0 Freer Trade and the Pork Industry When I start to think about the tremendous changes in technology in the past 20 years or so, then I wonder what the results are. We eliminated some of the problems, but we also brought new ones along. Change alone is not the answer. The question is, what to change, and then how to change. At the present time, in my opinion, I would like to see no more expan- sion in the pork industry, until such time that unfair trade prac- tices by the U.S. and the EEC are eliminated. Looking ahead we have very serious problems. Pork producers have adopted 90 to 95 per cent of high technology available to them. The result was overproduction, by that I mean internationally. When we have overproduction interna- tionally it becomes an interna- tional political problem, and that is where we are right now. From the standpoint of either the livestock and the meat industry or trade, is the Canadian side generally better off in the fraction of one to 26 million or one to 260 million? This is the question we have to ask ourselves when we talk about freer trade with the U.S. and some other countries. Take one good example from the EEC coun- tries. When 12 countries, with dif- ferent backgrounds, different languages, and different standards of living, can get together and form farm policies so they all can benefit, then surely we Canadians and Americans can do the same. There will be problems once we start negotiating because we are not equal either but that will be overcome if we have the right peo- Ple representing us at the negotia- tibtts, which I think we will. No wonder people get confused. It is a political game right now and we better play along. The Americans have the same problems and they ask themselves the same questions as we do. I would like to ask those who are afraid of freer trade, what are they afraid of? That is why we have these negotiations. As a nation, it is time that we develop a national agricultural strate y. Canada exports approx- INrttq v 10 -billion dollars worth of Ul tH MURAL VOICE agricultural products annually on the world market with the U.S. taking about 75 per cent of the total. This clearly shows how im- portant international trade is for us. The Kennedy Round, the Tokyo Round, or the U.S. farm bill — none of these have solved or will solve our common agricultural problems. Now is the time and the opportunity to get together with the Americans and start to negotiate freer trade between our two countries. If we can achieve this, then we will also have a better chance at the upcoming GATT negotiations, as far as agricultural trade is concerned, to help improve agricultural trade practices. I don't think we had a strong voice in the past just alone. We as pork pro- ducers should support bilateral and multilateral negotiations. This goes for other farmers as well. We often used to say that we prefer to get our profit from the marketplace. If we want this, we have to get involved to help to structure an international trade policy, that will be fairer than in the past. The Americans have already given the president the power to negotiate freer trade with other countries. Fair competition is fun and we as pork producers are very good at it. A country as rich as Canada with so many natural resources, a good agri- cultural base and only 26 million people is one that will benefit the most from freer trade. Actually we don't have too many options in the future. I can think only of two: agricultural policies geared to fair international competition or, create a fence around us. In reply to Mr. Knoerr, presi- dent of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, who said that agriculture should be excluded from U.S. trade talks, I would like to say this: there will be winners and some losers in the beginning. The same thing happened in the EEC. That is why I think it is im- portant to have very knowledgable people representing the com- modities with good input to the provincial and federal level. Only then can we as Canadians negotiate with strength. If we don't even want to negotiate in this day and age, we are doomed to failure. For some there will be a slower transition period, and for some commodities it will work from the beginning, for example, with beef and hogs. Therefore Mr. Knoerr shouldn't worry about the com- modities that are not going to be on the negotiating table, not worry about the pork and the beef in- dustries, but worry only about those that have to go through a transition period in the beginning. In conclusion I also would like to say that now is the time for co- operation in order to confront the problems. If we only think about sur- vival programs, that will not last long, financially, we can't compete in the big league. Willy Keller R.R. 1, Mitchell Stabilization Information A stabilization information meeting sponsored by the Perth Pork Producers' Association will be held at the Coliseum Annex, Stratford Fairgrounds, June 4, 8 p.m. Speakers from both the pork producers' association and the stabilization commission will be addressing the audience. Pig Still Nameless The Perth County big pig has no name today, but that will soon change. The name will be chosen from close to 200 entries on June 4. The pork producers would like to extend a special thank you to Herman Koert who started a name -the -pig contest at St. Patricks School, Kinkora, and a thank you to Joan Murray and other teachers at St. Patrick's School in Dublin for encouraging their students to name the pig. Garry Van Loon who is gathering entries says there are more than 100 from these students. Invitation Perth Pork Producers invite other county pork producer associations to a golf tournament, July 16 at Science Hill near St. Marys. A trophy will be awarded to the winning foursome from out- side Perth County.