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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1989-04-05, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1989. 500 cattlemen attend Beef vote info meeting More than 500 beef producers crowded into every corner of Brus sels, Morris and Grey Community Centre Monday night to hear the two sides of the upcoming Beef Commission vote debated. The meeting was one of a number held by the Ontario Mini stry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) across the province to give farmers a chance to hear the arguments for and against the proposal to establish an Ontario Beef Cattle Marketing Commis sion. All cattlemen in the province will have a chance to vote before April 14 in a write-in ballot. Bob Kerr, a feed-lot owner with 750 head of cattle from Kent county argued against the commission on behalf of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA). Don Hill, a Grey County cow-calf operator argued in support of the commis sion on behalf of the Beef Produ cers for Change. Mr. Kerr, speaking first, said both sides agreed on some basic goals for the cattle industry such as improving profitability, expanding the market, improving the market ing system and having a democra tic industry. But, he argued, the proposed Commission would not help achieve any of these goals. Using a graph, he showed that Ontario Cattle trade close to the Farm Moderate demand Friday at Brussels Livestock sale import ceiling (cost of importing U.S. cattle into Canada once ex change rate is considered). Even if the new Commission could drive up prices, he said, it would simply bring more U.S. beef into Ontario. Even if supply management was brought in, he said, under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) imports can only be restricted to historic levels. Under supply management beef supplies would have to be cut drastically to drive up the price, he argued. And, he said, western Canadian producers simply will not accept supply management and will be able to ship into Ontario. The commission can’t deliver high er prices, he said. He said the Commission would greatly cut the options cattlemen had for marketing. Presently 30 per cent of slaughter cattle sold are sold through private deals between producers and packers. This, he warned, would be outlawed by the commission. He also said that dairy farmers selling calves for vealers would have to sell through an agent, not just to their neighbours. He worried about the democratic structure of the proposed commis sion, noting that it will have only 18 commissioners compared to the 49 directors the OCA has. For the first two years all 18 will be appointed by the government and after that beef producers will get a chance to elect 13 of the commissioners while the other five would be appointed by the government to represent various parts of the industry and consumers. (Under the set up Huron would share one commission er with Perth while Bruce and Grey would have one commissioner each based on the cattle population in each county). V Mr. Kerr warned too that ap proving the commission might jeopardize the future of the tripar tite support program. “The government will expect us to get profit from the market place,” he said and government funding through tripartite which had helped create a ‘‘level playing field” with other provinces, would be lost. While supporters of the commis sion say there will be exemptions for sale of some kinds of cattle he argued that the only examples given. in the document setting up the vote were disabled cattle and small aba toirs that cou Id not be serviced by local auction facilities. There is no reasonable alternative except to vote “no”, he said. Mr. Hill said he had been involved with OCA for many years and the Ontario Beef Producers for Change almost since its founding. The Beef Producers for Change has its goals to get a cost of production for farmers selling beef. He point ed out that most farmers present belonged to one or more ot the 24-26 marketing agencies set up under the authority of the Farm Products Marketing Act and that only beef wasn’t covered by some marketing system. Yet, he said, every beef producer is in effect licensed because that’s the only way the OCA can collect the compulsory checkoff used to fund its activities. Supply management, he said, is a system that gets all the money for the producer out of the market place without depending on the fickle government treasury to pro vide for farmers’ incomes. The aim of the Commission is to stop packers from vertical integra tion of the system by owning herds of cattle, he argued. If packers own cattle they can manipulate prices by not buying cattle when the price is high and filling their needs with their own cattle. Once the price drops they can buy at a price they’d prefer. In order to stop this private treaty selling must be abolished, he said. This is the one option of /-------------Y*<CO-OP\ Your Way To Grow April/89 Flyer J CORRECTION Flyer should have stated: “Watch your local newspaper for an additional 7% + 5% off regular catalogue pricing on other “Turf-Trac” models.” Co-op’s 75th Anniversary pricing offer on all Lawn and Garden Tractors, effective until May 20, 1989. SELL-A-BRATE WITH US selling that would be lost under the new commission, he said. He said that if cattlemen voted yes to the first question on the ballot which would approve setting up the commission and then voted yes to the second question on the ballot which would authorize the Commission to work towards a national beef cattle marketing plan with authority to manage supply and determine price, it still did not mean supply management was around the corner. It could be like the pork board where 30 years later supply management hasn’t come in, he said. ‘‘Forget about supply management because it is not obtainable on this vote,” he said. Following the debate more than an hour was spent answering questions. The market at Brussels Livestock Inc. met a moderate demand on all classes of slaughter cattle with choice steers and heifers selling $1.00 to $2.00 lower. There were 752 slaughter cattle, 97 stockers, 221 pigs and 42 lambs and goats on offer. Choice steers sold from $90 to $93 w’th sales to $1.01. Good steers were $87 to $90. Six steers consign ed by Tom Detzler Jr. of Mildmay averaging 1277 sold for $94.22 Four steers consigned by Emer son Mitchell of RR 3, Walton, averaging 1265 lbs., sold for an average price of $93.34. Twenty eight steers consigned by Maple Emblem Farms of RR 1, Dungann on averaging 1270 lbs., sold for an average price of $93.27. Twelve steers consigned by Bari'y Hein- millerofRR2, Palmerston, averag ing 1273 lbs., sold for an average price of $92.89. Seventeen steers consigned by Lome Eadie of RR 3, Holyrood, averaging $92.76 sold for an aver age price of $92.76. One steer consigned by Terry Kidd of RR 6, Dundalk, averaging 1190 lbs. sold for an average price of $92.75. Four steers consigned by Ikendale Farms of RR 4, Walkerton, averag ing 1240 lbs. sold for an average price of $92.50. Ten steers consign ed by Stanley Kidd of RR 6, Dundalk averaging 1304 sold for an average price of $92.36. Eighteen steers consigned by Glen Johnston of RR 2, Bluevale averaging 1288 lbs. sold for an average price of $91.93. Six steers consigned by Ross Batten of RR 2, Monkton averaging 1258 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.80. Five steers and heifers consigned by Glen Lamb of RR 4, Goderich averaging 1240 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.71. Three steers and heifers consign ed by Ken Pike of RR 3, Palmerston averaging 1160 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.54. Eighteen steers and heifers consigned by Murray Johnston of RR 2, Bluevale averaging 1318 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.13. Twelve steers consigned by Tom and Roger Moore of RR 4, Goderich, averag ing 1188 lbs., sold for an average price of $90.67. Fourteen steers consigned by Murray Shiell of RR 3, Wingham averaging 1246 lbs., sold for an average price of $90.66. One heifer consigned by Wilkun Acres of Cargill averaging 1010 lbs., sold for an average price of $93.25. Eight heifers consigned by Ross Hurst of RR 2, Atwood averaging 1151 lbs., sold for an average price of $92.20. Nine heifers consigned by Don Fraser of RR 2, Blyth averaging 1078 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.67. Five heifers consigned by Gerald Grubb of RR 5, Mildmay averaging 980 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.64. Twenty-nine heifers consigned by George Blake of RR 2, Brussels averaging 1141 lbs., sold for an average price of $91.13. One heifer consigned by Lome McKinnon of RR 2, Dublin averag ing 1060 lbs., sold for an average price of $90.75. Four heifers con signed by Gordon Dougherty of RR 3. Goderich averaging 1095 lbs. sold for an average price of $90.42. Three heifers consigned by John Schurterof RR 3, Walkerton avera ging 1050 lbs., sold for an average price of $90.18. Slaughter cows, D-l and D-2, sold from $52 to $55 with sales to $57; D-3 and D-4, $48 to $52; canners and cutters, $45 to $48; bulls, $71 to $79.25. Weaner pigs, under 40 lbs., sold from $54.75 to $64.75 with an average price of $59.25; 41-50 lbs., $62.25to$72, with an average price of $67.25; 51 - 60 lbs., $54 to $58 with an average price of $55.50; 61 - 70 lbs., $60.75 to $64.75 with an average price of $63.25; 71 lbs. and over, $31.50 to $59.25 with an average price of $48.25. 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