The Rural Voice, 1992-04, Page 14Quality
Swine Co-op
Farmer Owned & Farmer Operated
by over 2,650 Members
Feeder Pigs
A Targe volume of uniform,
top quality, healthy feeder pigs
with a 24-hour livability
guarantee.
Sales of Breeding Stock
Performance tested Boars
and Gilts from health -
monitored herds.
Services
OMAF-accredited lab for
DM, CP, Ca, P testing.
Mycotoxin testing also
available.
Consultants
Health, nutrition, ventilation
and facility management.
Supplies
Swine -related health
and management products.
For full information on the
Quality Swine Program
and the proven Tele -Auction
Marketing System contact:
Don Ruttan - Brussels
519-887-9193
Geo. McGuire - Monkton
519-347-2442
QUALITY SWINE CO-OP
Box 53
SHEDDEN, ONTARIO
519-764-2300
In area code 519 call
1-800-265-4369
and 416 or 705
1-800-265-4389
10 THE RURAL VOICE
BEING COMPETITIVE
IN AGRI-BUSINESS
Robert Mercer is editor of the
Broadwater Market Letter, a weekly
commodity and policy advisory letter
from Goodwood, Ontario LOC 1AO.
If you get most of your news from
TV or daily papers you may be getting
the wrong impression of parts of
agriculture. Canada is competitive and
not everything is moving to the U.S.
At the end of February there were
two significant announcements that got
little press in the cast. First of all Ford
New Holland announced it will spend
510.6 million to shift production of two-
whecl-drive tractors from its factory in
Belgium to Winnipeg. Yes, this is
expanding rather than closing a farm
machinery manufacturer in Canada and
that is really good news.
The company says tractors destined
for the North American market will
begin rolling off the production line in
September. Many of the units will move
to the export market. This is the plant
that was purchased from Versatile and
has been making the larger and smaller
four wheel drive tractors.
On top of this good news came the
report from the Canadian Farm and
Industrial Equipment Institute that unit
sales of tractors were up 5.1 per cent this
January compared to January 1991. Any
increase in sales in this market is a major
achievement.
Another investment announcement
that slipped by was from Primo Foods
Ltd. of Woodbridge, Ont. The company
has just opened a second $4 million
pasta mill in Toronto that will mill
durum wheat for the production of
Italian -style pasta. The company says
flour production will double to 220
tonnes a day and allow it to export to the
U.S. Who says Canada is non-
competitive?
In grain exports this year Canada has
shipped 17,568,400 tonnes as of
February 23, compared to 13,949,600 a
year ago. If the pace keeps up, there is
every good reason to expect a record
volume of shipments from the west coast
ports to the export markets. East coast
movement has not been quite so brisk.
The price of grains and oilseeds may
not be as high as we would like, but
sales are being made under competitive
terms with credit and without. Corn
exports so far this year are 460,200
tonnes, and this compares to 71,900 last
year. Corn has been moving to off -shore
markets as well as by rail and truck to
the U.S. Ontario has had surplus corn,
while New York, Ohio and Michigan
have been basically feed grain deficient
this year. Also, Canada has again sold
canola to Mexico after a 5-6 year
exclusion from the market by Poland.
In the cattle market, Canada shipped
446,845 head of slaughter cattle and
220,186 head of feeders to the U.S. last
year. That's more cattle and calves than
in all the Maritime provinces.
Canada also exported 726,195 hogs
for slaughter, with over half corning
from Manitoba. Even with countervail
problems and inspection delays, Canada
has remained a viable and constant
supplier of cattle and hogs to U.S.
packers.
In one of the stranger deals in agri-
culture, Canada is the home for finish-
ing cattle born and bred in Hawaii. The
Parker Ranch, the largest U.S. ranch
under single ownership, located on the
island of Hawaii, is shipping calves to
Alberta again this year. Some 4,000
have been shipped as of February 19,
with 6,700 more to follow.
The calves will be backgrounded
until spring, go on to grass and be
finished next fall/winter. The Ranch is
again planning to maintain ownership of
the cattle. It is also reported that the
Ranch has applied for, and has been
approved for, participation in the
National Tripartite Stabilization Plan for
this year. The breeding herd is being
maintained at 20,000 cows, reflecting the
company's optimistic outlook on the
future for the cattle industry. Yes,
Canada does offer advantages over the
U.S. and yes, Canada in many ways is
competitive in agriculture and agri-
business.0