The Rural Voice, 2004-07, Page 11National Farmers Union - Ontario NEWSLETTER
Ontario Office: R.R. 2, Godfrey, ON KOH 1TO - Phone: 613-273-5545
Email: nfuo@rideau.net Website: www.nfu.ca/on
NFU calls for emergency action to deal with beef crisis
Parliament should be reconvened as
soon as possible following the election
so that legislation can be introduced to
deal with the crisis in the beef sector.
says Don Mills, Chair of the National
Farmers • Union (NFU) Livestock
Committee.
In a letter issued June 11 to political
party leaders and agriculture critics,
Mills called for two commitments:
1. That an emergency session of the
House of Commons would be called as
soon as possible following the June 28
election; and
2. That legislation be introduced
setting a floor price for cattle.
The text of the letter reads as
follows:
As you are aware, the financial
crisis facing family farmers who raise
beef cattle in Canada has taken a
serious turn for the worse in the last
few weeks. Prices for fed cattle have
plummeted, and are likely to continue
in a free fall as cattle held over the
winter come onto the market at the
same time as the leading edge of the
seasonal calf run comes on stream.
Quite simply. farmers are losing
money on every animal they sell, but
they are forced to put their animals on
the market now because all indications
point to even lower prices in the near
future.
The situation facing family farmers
is desperate. The U.S. border is
unlikely to open over the summer. Even
when the border does re -open, there are
long-term systemic problems in the
beef sector that must be addressed, such
as corporate concentration and price
manipulation by packers.
The NFU is calling on you, should
your party form the government, to
pledge that you will immediately
reconvene Parliament in an emergency
session following the election. The
NFU is further urging you to pledge
that you will introduce legislation
during that emergency session that sets
a flbor price for beef cattle that the
packers will have to pay to farmers.
This floor price should be set at a
level that returns to farmers the same
NFU EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT SURVIVAL
OF SMALL POULTRY FLOCKS
The NFU has concerns about the policies of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario with
regard to small poultry flocks. Back in 1965 supply management was created to protect
family farms from the harsh reality of global markets, large processors and the resulting
massive corporate farms. Most NFU members strongly support the goals of supply
management. It seems, however, that the chicken board may have forgotten some of
those original goals of supply management. The board now has a policy that new
producers must purchase a minimum of about $800,000 worth of quota.
Until recently, many Ontario farmers understood that you could raise 300 meat birds
per year without the purchase of quota. Not true. According to the C.F.O., you are not
allowed to sell a single chicken for meat in Ontario without quota. Small meat bird flocks
must be consumed by the family that raised them on the same property where they are
grown, and the board has now reduced the allowable number from 300 to 102 birds.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, small producers are allowed to raise
up to 1,000 or 2,000 birds per year and sell them directly to consumers before having to
purchase quota.
NFU members are concerned about the sustainability of the chicken business in
Ontario when it is so difficult for new producers to start and for small, diversified producers
to exist. There is also concern about how the general public would view supply
management if they found out how the chicken board is treating small family farms. The
Perth -Oxford Local of NFU has recently called for a 2,000 -bird exemption for small chicken
producers provided that those birds are marketed directly to consumers and do not
interfere with the existing wholesale markets of CFO members. The NFU looks forward to
working with the chicken board to ensure the principles of supply management are
protected while allowing small and beginning poultry farmers to contribute to rural
economy.0
1
percentage of the retail value of beef
that they were receiving before BSE
was found in North America. This
ensures a level of fairness to all sectors
of the industry.
Family farmers have been pressing
for justice in the marketplace since the
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE) crisis began over a year ago.
Last March, the NFU wrote a letter to
Federal Agriculture Minister Bob
Speller urging the establishment of a
floor price mechanism. More recently.
the Ontario Cattlemen's Association
and the Canadian Catt'iemen's
Association have also joined the call
for a floor price.
Meanwhile. the large packing
companies have refused to comply with
a request from the House of Commons
Agriculture Committee to provide
forensic auditors with financial
information on alleged prol:iteering. and
have even been found .in contempt of
Parliament. Instead of re.,reating in the
face of public criticism., however. the
packers have been aggressively driving
down prices at the fa rm gate even
further.
Clearly. the time has come for
immediate action on this issue.
For more information contact Don
Mills. NFU Livestock. Committee Chair
519-225-2163.0
COM/NG EVENTS
NFU Get Together and Pig Roast,
July 10 starting at 3 p.m.
Mapleton's lc e Cream. #8548
Wellington Cty Rd. 7 (Elora Road),
south c f Teviotdale.
Call Don M ills 519-225-2163
for more information.
Bruce NFU Local BBQ and AGM,
Jule 25 at I p.m.
Baumberger's, #4755 Highway 21.
south of Port Elgin.
Call Mathilda at 368-5675
for snore information.
For information on local meetings contact the following:
Bruce Local - Mathilda Andres 519-368-5675 Grey Local - Bev Schenk 519 -799 -
Huron Local - Stephen Miller 519-236-4958 Perth Oxford Local - Ann Slater 51
584
-349-2448
JULY 2004 7