The Rural Voice, 1989-05, Page 20 (2)CAN-CONTM
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18 THE RURAL VOICE
LETTER TO U.S. PORK PRODUCERS
The Perth County Pork Producers Association has a well-earned reputation as an
active group. One of its innovative steps was inviting the Delaware County Pork
Producers in the U.S. to become a sister organization. This year in February, two
Iowa pork producers, Lynn Woellert and Jerry Becker, visited Perth County. In
the following letter, also sent to an American farm publication, Perth County
president Clare Schlegel discusses the results of this rapprochement.
In 1984, the Perth County Pork
Producers Association invited the
Delaware County Pork Producers in
Iowa to become a sister organization.
This relationship was established to
(1) give us an international friendship,
(2) give us a better understanding of
how the American farmer thinks and
feels, (3) enlarge our understanding of
pork technology, market forces, and
advertising, and (4) to compare
government programs.
During the early stages, our
relationship grew through letter and
telephone conversations with then
Delaware County president Lynn
Woellert. In September of 1987 our
organizations held a telephone confer-
ence. We could see that comparing
corn and hog prices, crop yields, and
marketing strategies was worthwhile.
At the time we were both experiencing
profitable pork production.
Our counties are similar in many
respects. In Perth County we produce
600,000 to 650,000 hogs a year, repre-
senting approximately one -ninth of the
Ontario production. We have about
1,350 active hog farmers, the average
size of operation being 60 to 100
sows. We are the largest hog -produc-
ing county in the province and we are
considered to be the leader in terms of
county activities and energy.
In February every year there is a
county farm show. Pork day present-
ed a golden opportunity to invite rep-
resentatives from our sister organiza-
tion. We were delighted when Lynn
Woellert agreed that someone would
come to speak to us about the Ameri-
can perspective.
It would be easy to avoid those
areas where our organizations have
differences. Canadian hog imports
have been an annoying, burdensome
problem for you. We on the other side
of the border felt you were discrim-
inating unfairly against us through
countervail. We still feel that you get
government funding but in a different
way than we do. We were pleased
that Lynn and Jerry saw our stabiliza-
tion plan as an insurance program, not
just a govemment handout. We know
pork farming in the '80s has not been
very profitable in Iowa or Ontario.
We compared marketing strategies
and prices. The Ontario market is
determined by and is usually a little
lower than the Iowa market. Your
grade and yield system is somewhat
similar to our grade index system.
Your "other white meat" campaign
compares to our "new lean meat"
campaign. Our efforts in these areas
complement each other, helping pork
producers in both countries.
Conservation of soil in our country
is becoming the concern of the 1990s.
You are leading the way in this area.
Chisel plowing, no till, and minimum
till are used less here. It is encourag-
ing to see that you are requiring indi-
vidual farmers to incorporate a land
stewardship plan in their practices.
It was comforting to find you as
concerned about vertical integration a
we are. We thought most Americans
felt "bigger is better." Lynn and Jerry
thought a well-run family farm could
compete favourably with the corporate
giants.
You have a dynamic Porkette
organization. The pig mud -wrestling
competition at your county fair was an
interesting new possibility for us. The
rotational crossbreeding system many
of you employ is different from the
predominant York/Landrace sow by a
Hamp/Duroc boar system of Ontario.
Jokingly, we chided Jerry and Lynn:
"When will you see the light?"
We have fond memories of the few
days spent together. Now, the farmer
in Iowa raising hogs is met with com-
passion in our thoughts. He deserves
to operate profitably. Just like our-
selves, you have hopes and dreams,
happy and sad times, farms and famil-
ies, churches and communities. Truly
our large world has become smaller
and better because Delaware pork
producers Lynn Woellert and Jerry
Becker visited Ontario pork producers.
Thank you.0