HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-10-09, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1991.
Speaking I
of Farming
By Jim Fitzgerald
Farm
I_____ZZJ
If an announcement came on the radio tomorrow that General Motors,
Ford and Chrysler had decided to close up all their Canadian plants and
shift production to the United States, and import the autos needed for the
Canadian market from the U.S, there would be such howls of protest that it
wouldn't be safe to be a Canadian politician.
That's because we all have a fair idea of the devastation such an
announcement would have on this country's economy. There would be
massive layoffs in the car industry and its suppliers, followed by
subsequent bloating of unemployment rolls, and a collapse in consumer
spending because workers wouldn't have money to spend. That would lead
to an even bigger increase in personal and business bankruptcies, a heavy
draw on unemployment insurance, to be followed later by a huge jump in
welfare payouts when their UIC cheques ran out. That in turn would have
to be met with large increases in taxes to cover the welfare payments. As
the effects of such collapse rippled through the Canadian economy,
hundreds of other sectors would be adversely affected. For instance, real
estate values would plummet as unemployed families, unable to keep up
their payments, would be forced to dump their homes on the market at fire
sale prices. This in turn would threaten equity values, which in turn would
erode potential retirement incomes of our senior citizens and could even
affect the viability of some of our weaker banks and trust companies. Our
savings, our investments in Canadian companies, even our pension plans
\ ould be in jeopardy.
If course, Canadians would also howl at the large tax increases needed
upport health care, education and social services on shrinking revenues
would demand and eventually get tax cuts from embattled
t Yemments. It would certainly mean cuts to some services we now take
for granted. Even those smug union members — which now feel insulated
from the free market and inflation — such as doctors, teachers, and
university professors, would eventually have to take pay cuts, and
reductions in fringe benefits like pensions, etc. Those professions might
even face the unsaid "L" word— layoffs.
Seems kind of far out, doesn't it? Ridiculous? Maybe the meanderings of
a crazy man? And yet, that is precisely what could happen if Canadians
and their governments continue to travel down the free trade path and now
— in a new threat — give in to the Americans on the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) talks, presently being negotiated among 101
other countries in the world in Brussels, Belgium. Il would mean the loss
of a large part of our agriculture industry which puts $5 billion in Ontario
farmers' pockets each year, and stimulates the Ontario economy to the tune
of $20 billion a year. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that food
production is the second largest industry in the province and that its loss
could cause the devastation outlined above.
A "deal" is expected to be made this fall at GATT, and one of the items
on the table for negotiations is an item called "Article XI" which is little
understood by the general public. Basically, what it does is give a few
countries like Canada the ability to match production of certain farm
commodities, such as dairy and poultry products, with the domestic
demand. At the same time, it sets the prices the farmer will receive for
these products. It must be stressed emphatically at this point that farmers
have no control of the retail price, which can be considerably higher than
the farm gate price.
This system, called "supply management," has worked very well in the
last 25 years in Canada, both for the farmer and the consumer. It has given
us a stable, safe and nutritious supply of dairy and poultry products for
consumers at a reasonable price, while giving farm families a fair rate of
return based on a "cost of production formula." It has meant that there’s
been no excess production for taxpayers to buy up and dump on the world
market at Tire sale prices such as is the case now with American and
European fanners. It does allows a certain amount of those products to be
imported, in case there is a shortage here, but keeps Canada from being a
dumping ground for all other countries who can't get their act together.
And yet, supply management farmers are fearful that Prime Minister
Bnan Mulroney, through his Canadian trade negotiators, will buckle under
to American demands to end protection of our Canadian farmers under
Article XI. It would allow Americans to use Canada as a dumping ground
for their dairy and chicken products, and would, in effect, transfer billions
of dollars into the U.S.economy, killing off* thousands of farms, closing
hundreds of processing plants, and giving us the scenario described at the
beginning of this column.
Already we are seeing some of that devastation caused to our economy
and rural communities by the collapse of grain and oil seed prices, the
result of an unfair grain trading war in which Canadian farmers are caught
in the crossfire of subsidies between U.S. and European farmers.
We cannot allow it to happen to our dairy and poultry industries as well.
If you've never had a strong reason in the past to speak to your Member of
Parliament about the future of this country, surely now is the time. All this
talk about a new constitution will be meaningless if we don't have a strong
economy on which to base it.
We must stop the sell-off now! Contact your local MP and MPP now
and let him/her know how strongly you about the future of this nation.
DON’T MISS OUR FIRST
Sales at Brussels Livestock for
the week ending October 4 were:
slaughter cattle, 850; cows, 152;
veal calves, 207; lambs and goats,
75; Stockers, 1100; pigs, 100.
There was an active trade with
slaughter cattle selling $2 - $4
higher.
On Monday, September 30, the
Brussels Livestock held its first
Annual Show and Sale. There was
525 steers on offer and 100 heifers. .
The following is a partial listing of
the results.
Grand Champion carlot - Wm.
Bennett & Sons Farms Ltd., Gorrie:
ten Limousine steers averaging
1302 lbs. sold for $105.75 pur
chased by Norwich Packers.
Reserve Grand Champion carlot -
Carlyle Thomson, Parkhill: ten
Charolais steers averaging 1444
lbs. sold for $85.25 purchased by
St. Helens Meat Packers Ltd.
Grand Champion pen of 5 - Doug
Gear, Orton: five Charolais heifers
averaging 1220 lbs. sold for $90
purchased by St. Helens Meat
Packers Ltd. Reserve Grand Cham
pion pen of 5, Ken Bearss, St.
Marys: five Crossbreed steers aver
aging 1328 lbs. sold for $84.25
purchased by St. Helens Meat
Packers Ltd.
Angus, first, Gerald Geisel, Elmi
ra: five Angus steers averaging
1316 lbs. sold for $84.70 purchased
by St. Helens Meat Packers Ltd.
Hereford Carlot first, Martin
Metske, Lucknow: thirteen Here
ford steers averaging 1178 lbs. sold
for $80.85 purchased by Ryding
Regancy. Charolais and crossbreed
pen of 5, first. W. B. Pletch Co.
Ltd., Rockwood: five crossbreed
steers averaging 1242 lbs. sold for
$88.70 purchased by Star Brand
Packers. Dairy pen of 5, Leo Stock,
Stratford:five Holstein steers aver
aging 1452 lbs. sold for $74.40
purchased by Star Brand Packers.
Black Heifers, pen of 5, first, John
Barbour, Orangeville: five black
Heifers averaging 1160 lbs. sold for
$89.50 purchased by MG I Packers;
second, Carson Farms, Listowel,
five black steers averaging 1264
lbs. sold for $83.75 purchased by
Dominion Meats.
Simmental and other crosses,
first, Maple Ridge Farms, Brussels:
ten Simmental steers averaging
1296 lbs. sold for $81.90 purchased
by Star Brand Packers; second,
Dale Taylor, Creemore: twelve
steers averaging 1428 lbs. sold for
$80 purchased by Piave Meat Pack
ers Ltd.
There were 152 cows on offer
selling from $50.75 to $54.25 to
the high of $57.75. Two cows con
signed by Carl Wright, Hanover
averaging 1180 lbs. sold for an
average of $55.85 to the high of
$57.75.
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 18/91
Free Draws-Free Cake &
Coffee and
St. Svwiet
• GATES ^FEEDERS -ETC.
at Brussels Stockyards
OPEN: TUESDAY, THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS
[_W;20dlsTOunt_onJong_dlstanc«phOT^rde^”
669-4472 VIC ZIESKE
l
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
BRUSSELS 887-8951
SHAKE SHOPPE
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Brussels
Livestock
holds show
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* 6 months Beef Supplement Booking
* Computerized Beef Feeding Program
* Complete Line of Animal Health &
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SPECIAL OCTOBER 7,h - 25^
Beef 1 ■’FREE"
Mineral Special with purchase of 10
With today's beef feeding margin, it is now, more than ever
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on a balanced SHUR-GAIN feeding program.
"Before you buy, give us a try"
DAUPHIN
FEED&SUPPLY LTD
DUNGANNON WALTON
529-7951 1-800-665-5675 887-6023
NOMINATIONS
Notice to Municipal Electors
Township of East Wawanosh
TAKE NOTICE that persons may be nominated as candidates in
an election between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on nomination day, Friday,
October 11, 1991, but nothing in section 35 of the Municipal
Elections Act, R.S.0.1980, c. 308 prevents a person from filing a
nomination paper with the clerk during normal office hours
during the period from Tuesday, October 8, 1991 to Thursday,
October 10, 1991 inclusive immediately preceding nomination
day.
OFFICES FOR WHICH PERSON MAY BE NOMINATED
1 REEVE
4 COUNCILLORS
Electors are hereby required to take notice and govern
themselves accordingly, and further take notice that the manner
in which said nominations shall be filed Is set forth in section 36
of the Municipal Elections Act. Nomination forms and full
particulars of procedures to be followed may be obtained from
the undersigned.
NOMINATION FORMS for the HURON COUNTY BOARD OF
EDUCATION, HURON-PERTH ROMAN CATHOLIC SEPARATE
SCHOOL BOARD and TRUSTEES, POLICE VILLAGE OF
AUBURN may be picked up at the East Wawanosh Municipal
Office, but TAKE NOTICE following are the offices where such
Nomination Forms MUST BE FILED:
Huron County Board of Education: TOWNSHIP OF ASHFIELD
Huron-Perth Roman Catholic S.S. Board: TOWNSHIP OF
HOWICK
Trustees, Police Village of Auburn: TOWNSHIP OF WEST
WAWANOSH
Where more candidates are nominated and have made the
required declarations, for election to an office, than the number
required to fill the said office, notice of the time for the holding of
the poll, Including the advance polls, and notice of the last day
for making application for a certificate to vote by proxy will be
given Immediately.
AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that where the number of
candidates for an office who are nominated and have not
withdrawn at the end of nomination day is not sufficient to fill the
number of vacancies to which candidates may be elected,
subsection 40 (1) respecting acclamation applies to those
candidates. On Wednesday, October 16, 1991 following
nomination day, the clerk may, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., receive and certify additional nominations for the
remaining vacancies In the office In respect of which there was
an Insufficient number of candidates and the provisions of sub
sections 37 (4) and 39 (1) apply with necessary modifications.
Given under my hand this 27th day of September 1991.
Winona E. Thompson
Returning Officer