The Rural Voice, 1987-01, Page 6TREVOR HUNTER
Chartered Accountant
Providing a full range of flnandal services
to farmers and businessman In the areas
or income tax preparation, planning,
and accounting.
151 Garafraxa St. S.
Durham, Ontario
(Across from MacDonald's Bakery)
1-519-369-5663
McGUIRE
Welding & Farm Supply
manufacturers of:
HOG
SCALES
• Non Slip Flooring
• 3601b. Dual
Marked Scale
• Rear Gate Opens
From Front
BABY PIG
WEANER
SCALE
• 1801b.Weighing
Capacity
• Large Wheels
for Mobility
• Open Top Allows
Easy Access
Dealer
for
Hyde Park
Farm Supply
Quality Plus
Farm Supply
McGuire
Welding & Farm Supply
R.R. 1, Bomholm,Ont.
519-345-2613
o
Pbuc'son
wJ
IMPROVEMENT I
PLAN
4 THE RURAL VOICE
AN ANALOGY:
AGRICULTURE AND
CORPORATE STRUCTURE
In my previous column 1 talked of
the necessity for farmers, farm organi-
zations, and commodity groups to
work together for the common good.
It is therefore gratifying that at the
recent annual meeting of the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture a resolution
calling for a free vote on marketing
methods for the red meat industry was
passed. The Ontario Pork Producers'
Marketing Board and the Ontario
Cattlemen's Association executives
objected to what they felt was the
OFA's interference in the affairs of
commodity groups. But a little in-
ward, subjective thinking about the
past and future of the red meat industry
might make them understand the need
for the OFA resolution.
I believe that the following two
examples illustrate the need to work
towards one overall farm organization.
The first example is the British sys-
tem. I do not think that there is any
farmer more prosperous than the
British farmer. Under the British
system there is one organization and
all commodity groups come under this
organization. This unity gives the
farmer tremendous power in price
negotiations with the government
and multi -national corporations.
The British system is in direct con-
trast to our fragmented approach — we
have all our little lobbying groups and
farm organizations being played off
against the other, usually to the detri-
ment of the farmer.
The other example, of course, is
the corporations, national and multi-
national. So many are diversified and
operate through divisions, each with
its own day to day management, but
also responsible to the main board of
directors and the chairman and
president. Off -hand, I think of one
company operating on a world scale
that has many divisions: general
chemicals, explosives, paints, plastics.
Each division operates like one
commodity group, reporting to and
coming under the ultimate
management of the main board.
Here in southwestern Ontario we
are seeing the expansion of a corpor-
ation which has a turkey division,
milk division, elevator division, seed
and fertilizer division, and concrete
division. The power that this gives
this corporation is phenomenal.
We are constantly being told that
farming is a business and that it is
time we started to respond and act like
the powerful business we are.
We have recently been given a
great opportunity to respond to a com-
mon goal by the report of the task
force of the Ontario Institute of Agrol-
ogists. The OIA is the professional
association of those involved in agri-
culture who come from government,
banks, academia, agribusiness, and
farming. This professional mix gives
the institute a strong, neutral position
as its members are drawn from all
areas — they might be described as
"the godfathers" of the agricultural
industry. These are the people that
we, the farmers, have to convince to
work within the total industry, for
our good as well as their own.
The task force report, called
"Directions for a Sustainable Agri-
culture," should be recommended
reading for every farmer who believes
that with the right leadership and
policy there is a great future for the
family farm in Canada as we rebuild
our industry and develop new export
markets. What we must do is set our
goals in place, use the right methodol-
ogy, and stick to it. The way to
achieve these goals is set out in the
OIA report.
The spin-off effect on the Canadian
economy, if we were to implement the
task force's recommendations, would
be enormous. The agriculture and food
sector, after all, employs nearly one
and a half million people.0
Barnie Evans, P. Ag., owns a
beef farm near Embro, Ontario
and is well known for his work
on agricultural policy.