HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-03-16, Page 28Page 12 -Farm Progress '94 CI
Former minister of agriculture on the speaking circuit
by Patrick Raftis
A familiar voice, powerful and
confident, echoes through the
cavernous confines of a local com-
munity centre. The topic is agricul-
ture. The speaker is Jack Riddell.
And suddenly, it feels like time has
stood still since the mid-1980s.
However, things have changed in
agriculture and today the high-
ly -respected provincial agriculture
minister from the past, is talking
about the face of farming in the
future.
Riddell, who has taken on a busy
slate of speaking engagements,
since leaving active politics, after
acting as Minister of Agriculture
under the David Peterson -led
Liberal government, is optimistic
about the future. for Canadian
farmers.
However, farmers should prepare
to change their ways to take ad-
vantage or new opportunities in the
global marketplace.
Riddell said Canadian agriculture,
and Ontario farmers in particular
arc in a good position to take ad-
vantages of improved access to
foreign markets through the recent
GATT and NAFTA deals.
The North American Free Trade
Agreement between Canada the
United States and Mexico has
created a $10 trillion trading block
with 360 million potential con-
sumers, Riddell told a crowd of
about 60 Zurich area farmers at a
"Planting for Profit day hosted by
C.G. Farm Supply Ltd., of Zurich
February 17.
"Who can stand up and deny us
access to that market, when we're
capable of doing it," said Riddell.
Riddell said Canada will enhance
its competitive position in the
global marketplace if the agricul-
tural sector reacts positively to
coming changes.
"I dearly want to go out and
speak to those young people who
are saying to their Dads that there's
no future in farming, no way to
make a living at it here in Ontario
Canada."
According to. Riddell, who
travelled extensively. during . his
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tenure as Agriculture minister
during successive liberal
governments in the '80s, no other
area of the world has some of the
competitive advantages available to
Ontario's agriculture sector, such as
climate, infrastructure, human
resources and, particularly, quality
of livestock.
"That's where we've got the
upper hand. We've got the quality
of livestock and we'll be there to
sell to Mexico the kind of livestock
they need," he said.
"Perhaps I'm too much of an
optimist by nature, but I see GATT
and NAFTA as nothing but
positives for Canada and I'll argue
that with anyone." •
As it turned out, he had to,
because few of the local farmers in
attendance seemed to share Rid -
dell's optimism for prospects under
NAFTA.
One member of the audience
pointed to problems experienced in
the Chatham area, where Campbell
Soup closed a processing operation
opening the door for imports of
Mexican tomatoes.
"How can we compete with a
country where they can hire labor
for $4 a day? You couldn't hire
tomato pickers for $4 an hour in
Ontario?"
"We can't afford to export al a
loss," another local farmer told
Riddell.
"I can't agree with you on that
kind of • negative thinking," said
Riddell.
In addition to the expanded
Norther American market, Riddell
said Ontario farmers can take ad-
vantage of new access to vast Asian
and Japanese markets for agricul-
tural exports, if their will to adapt
to the demands of these markets.
The Japanese, for example, look
for uniformity. Riddell said
Japanese restaurants want "every
pork chop to be the same. thickness,
weight and quality."
"That's what they want in Japan
and we can provide it if we're
willing to do it."
Canada has always been an ex -
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porting nation, said Riddell.
"Half of all our farm cash receipts
come from exports."
He said the new GATT deal will
allow Canadian farmers to compete
under fairer conditions, with the
creation of a new • "world trade
court," which will prevent the
United States from applying
unilateral trade measures which run
contrary to GATT. GATT rules.
supersede the NAFTA agreement,
he explained.
The introduction and staged
reduction of import tariffs, in place
of import quotas, will give
Canada's supply -managed agricul-
ture sectors some breathing room,
but Riddell said even heavily sup-
ply -managed sectors such as dairy
and poultry really have "very little
to fear," from global competition.
In fact, he says it's essential.
"Anybody who thinks we can put
a boundary around Canada, or
around Ontario and expect to get
our fair share (is) right out to
lunch," he said.
Processors, as well as producers
would do well , to prepare to com-
pete in the global marketplace said
Riddell.
"Value-added exports. That's
where we've fallen down in this
country. We've been to willing to
sell our primary resources without.
adding any value and buying back •
finished products."
Riddell predicts farmers who take
up the challenge of the global.
marketplace will "prove to the
world we can compete, when the
rules are fair and enforced and
GATT does this."
Deer killed by
dogs wasn't a
pretty sight
by Mark Cripps
"It wasn'ta pretty sight."
That's how Wingham Ministry of
Natural Resources conservation
officer Bob Pegg described the a
recent discover of a deer that had
been attacked and killed by dogs.
"I have to remind land owners to
keep their dogs under control," said
Pegg. "It's an offence under the
Fish and Game Act to allow dogs
to roam at large during the closed.
season for deer."
Pegg said that a conservation
officer can charge anowner. if a
dog is found at large.
"If we find one running deer, we
can shoot it," said Pegg. •
He added that the situation is
particularly bad at this time of year
due to the weakened condition of
the deer.
"The deer have a harder time
running through the crusted snow,"
said Pegg."They break through that
layer, while dogs just run on top of
it."
He said female deer may abort
their fawns if chased by a dog. •
To date, the. Wingham MNR has
received six complaints, and have
already destroyed sonic wild dogs ,
that were living in the bush.