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The Rural Voice, 2002-05, Page 32RNA 19 to 65 HP Four Wheel Drive Compact Tractor BOYD FARM SUPPLY RR 6 Owen Sound 519-376-5880 •� 28 THE RURAL VOICE index dropped 25 per cent and is just now fighting its way back, he said. The power of a good safety net program to create growth was seen in McEwan's study of the effects of Quebec's ASRA program. Back in the late 1980s, Quebec and Ontario hog production was equal but now Quebec is producing more than six million hogs a year compared to Ontario's production of under five million hogs last year. Though the ASRA program would be countervailable under international trade rules, Quebec has no live hog exports so there's nothing' to penalize. Packer capacity has grown so much in Quebec that the province imports"pigs for slaughter. ASRA attempts to set a floor price for pigs based on a comprehensive cost of production formula. Producers partially fund the program through a deduction by the marketing board. Payments are made three times a year. Over the 13 years of its existence, ASRA has put $930 million into thepockets of Quebec producers. However, McEwan noted, Quebec has a very different pork industry than Ontario. There is much more vertical integration than in Ontario with 20 companies producing 50 per cent of the pork. Marty Rops, manager of the Stratford branch of St. Willibrord Community Credit Union also reinforced the view that independent producers are financially sound saying the five or six rural branches of the credit union have $75 million in loans to pork producers, 90 per cent of that to independent producers. Rops said he had great concerns for production loops when they first arrived in the mid-90s, worrying about the stability of contracts when the production company could pull out -of the contract in 30-60 days. Some of those fears were eliminated with the way most loops stuck by producers during the price collapse of 1998, he said. Though he now has several clients who are contract producers, Rops says he still prefers independent hog producers. Independent producers are better able to take advantage of price increases, he said. Owner -operators are also more CONCRETE CONCRETE CONCRETE E.C. KING CONTRACTING P.O. Box 457 Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 5P7 Tel. 519-376-6140 Fax 519-371-2783 Serving the farming community for over 50 years. Phone one of our professionals and place your concrete order for your specialized project. Brad Underwood - Owen Sound - 519-376-8155 Brad Angel - Port Elgin - 519-83275706 Art McNally - Clarksburg - 519-599-3140 Al Speirs - Durham - 519-369-2100 Brian Turgeon - Collingwood - 705-444-2224 Stone Slingers and dump trucks available for your aggregate supply. We only use M.T.O. approved aggregates to ensure quality. Concrete lab and certified technicians available at your request. •� 28 THE RURAL VOICE index dropped 25 per cent and is just now fighting its way back, he said. The power of a good safety net program to create growth was seen in McEwan's study of the effects of Quebec's ASRA program. Back in the late 1980s, Quebec and Ontario hog production was equal but now Quebec is producing more than six million hogs a year compared to Ontario's production of under five million hogs last year. Though the ASRA program would be countervailable under international trade rules, Quebec has no live hog exports so there's nothing' to penalize. Packer capacity has grown so much in Quebec that the province imports"pigs for slaughter. ASRA attempts to set a floor price for pigs based on a comprehensive cost of production formula. Producers partially fund the program through a deduction by the marketing board. Payments are made three times a year. Over the 13 years of its existence, ASRA has put $930 million into thepockets of Quebec producers. However, McEwan noted, Quebec has a very different pork industry than Ontario. There is much more vertical integration than in Ontario with 20 companies producing 50 per cent of the pork. Marty Rops, manager of the Stratford branch of St. Willibrord Community Credit Union also reinforced the view that independent producers are financially sound saying the five or six rural branches of the credit union have $75 million in loans to pork producers, 90 per cent of that to independent producers. Rops said he had great concerns for production loops when they first arrived in the mid-90s, worrying about the stability of contracts when the production company could pull out -of the contract in 30-60 days. Some of those fears were eliminated with the way most loops stuck by producers during the price collapse of 1998, he said. Though he now has several clients who are contract producers, Rops says he still prefers independent hog producers. Independent producers are better able to take advantage of price increases, he said. Owner -operators are also more