The Rural Voice, 1988-09, Page 81RIPLEY
ELEVATORS
a division of
Thompson Feed & Supply
receiving
CORN
SOYBEANS
Buyers of
Corn &
Soybeans
Elevator 519-395-5959
Mill 519-395-5955
Res. 519-395-5550
Manager
Don Thompson
519-395-3147
Ripley
TIRES
•
I fa
SALES & SERVICE
TAURAS
20.8R X 38
8 ply
$875.00 c & c
Whil supplies last
40
ON FARM SERVICE
Willits
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Lucknow
519-528-2103
4 THE RURAL VOICE
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FREE TRADE: WAINMAN COLUMN "RIGHT ON"
Gord Wainman's views as ex-
pressed in the August edition of The
Rural Voice are "right on."
Canada's grape growers are
already experiencing Free Trade, with
massive vineyard removals scheduled
prior to another crop.
"The Yankee Traders" negotiated
a sweetheart deal for their California
wine industry and just to be sure that
all bases were covered, they also
signed a complaint against Canada's
Liquor Control Board Pricing Policies
in support of the EEC.
By the way, the U.S. currently
exports more than 75,000 tons of
fresh grapes, 5,000 to 6,000 tons of
grapes in the form of bulk wine, and
3,000,000 gallons of finished wine to
Canada per year.0
Jim Rainforth
Secretary
Ontario Grape Growers'
Marketing Board
SHEEP PRODUCERS PROTEST CUTBACK
Following is a copy of a petition
that was circulated at the lamb barbe-
cue held in August by District 2 of the
Ontario Sheep Marketing Association.
The letter was then sent on to Mr.
Riddell. Your readers might be inter-
ested in its contents.
Lisa M. Berry
Holland Centre
To the Honourable Mr. Riddell,
As members of the Ontario
Sheep Marketing Agency, we would
like to express our anger and baffle-
ment at the premature termination of
the contracts of the two Red Meat
Advisors assigned to assist sheep
producers under the Red Meat Plan.
It is our understanding that the under-
lying reason for this is an apparent
budget shortfall in the Ministry of
Health. Are the other ministries
now being expected to "cough up"
the difference?
We protest the shifting of funds
away from government support of
agriculture particularly given the sad
state of the industry over the past six
years. Further, we especially protest
the removal of support staff from the
sheep sector as there is already in-
adequate funding and liaison. Given
the increases in both personal income
tax and sales tax implemented in the
last budget, this cutback in service to
the agriculture sector raises a serious
question about this government's
commitment to agriculture in this
province.
The postion of the Sheep Red
Meat Advisor is crucial both as a
liaison between government and
industry and for technical support
services to producers.
We request that you reconsider
the decision to withdraw support from
this, our sector of the industry, and
that serious consideration be given to
prolonging these contracts beyond the
five-year commitment already made
by government. Given the number of
sheep producers in Ontario and the
size of this province, one person; i.e.
the Provincial Sheep Specialist, can-
not possibly be expected to provide
adequate services to more than a small
fraction of the producers.0