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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-03-17, Page 36Ponder the problems farmers face By Paul Klopp MPP, Huron As we prepare for the coming season we should ponder the problems which farmers face and what we can do about them. As a farmer I know and appreciate the feeling that comes with the preparations for spring. The optimism which is part of farming has been tempered by the long years of low commodity prices. The recent meeting of farmers in Lucknow showed the frustration with the present situation. No one is happy with the way agriculture has been going. There are cries for more and more government money to help farmers. At Lucknow I mentioned "Farming the System" by Barry K. Wilson. It is not a book on how to improve profit or productivity but a look at how politicians and producers shape Canadian agriculture policy. We must look at how government and farmers work together. If farmers got a decent price for what they produce then there would be no need for government intervention. Governments throughout the world are involved in decisions that affect agriculture. Their decisions are as critical as the weather. The GATT round of tariff talks and the debate over free trade with the USA and NAFTA agreement will determine what type of future farming has in Ontario. The December issue of the English magazine The Economist looked at farming throughout the world and how subsidies distort agriculture. It should be noted that the magazine's bias is for the so-called free market and it has been an apologist for the failed Thacterite political agenda. The unemployment rate in England is the highest since the great depression. In an ideal world situation it would be great if every country dropped their subsidies at the same time and we would end up with the free market which is supposed to solve our ills. The problem is that the two big players — Europe and the. USA will not take the first step and they can't even agree on what is a subsidy. Supply management and the Canadian Wheat Board came into existence because farmers have always been faced with the marketing problems of many producers and few buyers. Canada's answer of supply management was noted in the Saskatoon Sun Times' response to the Economist's article. The Sun Times says that subsidies have distorted world markets so thoroughly that they no longer serve the market function of establishing a balance between supply and demand. The Sun Times continues by stating: "This may come as a shock to some free trade philosophers, but central planning as practiced by Canada's national supply-management farm system does a far better job today than present trade when it comes to matching supply and demand. Milk prices in Canada are strictly controlled and calculated to reflect production costs, including some return to farmers for their investment and labour." We have some who say markets don't need `controls'. The free market is what they want and what they say you need. Yet, at the first sign of trouble they want society to lend a hand. I do not disagree with society helping their fellow human beings. But you or I should not expect subsidies without some kind of control. The world markets' present problems clearly illustrate this. Other forms of government intervention have not worked because the government never placed the "help" on a certain amount of production. This has caused problems in other countries and in turn hurt commodity prices for items sold world wide. When government uses public payments to help farmers (or anyone else), without making that support dependent on a certain amount of production or making sure there is a market for that product then the market will fail. As noted this happened throughout the world but not under supply managed sectors. The question I would then ask is how do we ever get a fair price out of the marketplace, without society's assistance, if our farm support programs only encourage us to increase the supply of commodities? The debate over how our farm products are marketed is as important as selecting the inputs we look at when it's seeding time. As important as taking soil samples, it may be even more important to look at how the Free Trade deal affected agriculture prices and how the proposed NAFTA deal will affect our prices in the future. Installed and balanced at no extra charge - Road Hazard included FG-4043 2600 H.U. - 82 Day Funk. Hybrids: Born to perform IFG-4034 2600 H.U. - 82 Day G-4120 2725 H.U. - 86 Day VG-4070 2775 H.U. - 87 Day Key Features: Key Features: 111 Outstanding Yield Potential n Consistent yield II Easy-shelling ears n Large ears II Quality grain • Fast dry-down • Very good standability • Very good standability Key Features: • High yields • Excellent roots • Very fast dry-down • Easy to shell Key Features: II Excellent stalks • Very good spring vigour • Very good test weight Have you ordered your HiStick* yet? G-4023 2700 H.U. - 85 Day Key Features: II Superior standability II Season long stay-green plant health • Consistent yield performance II Positive response to higher populations HiStick*: The high performance Rhizobium Inoculant for Soybeans See your local Funks dealer today DALE BACHERT, Brussels 887-6793 KEITH BLACK, Belgrave 357-1092 BRUSSELS ICI, Brussels 887-6273 BILL COULTES, Wingham 357-1908 JOHN A. VAN BEERS, Blyth 523-4431 EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNTS March 31 - 5% VOLUME DISCOUNTS Funk Seeds CIBA-GEIGY CANADA LTD. R.R. #3, Cottam Ontario NOR 1 B0 1-800-265-1302 FUNK'S J & J's Mobile Was & Sandblasting "High Pressure Hot Water Wash" Wet & Dry Sandblasting • Home • Farm • Industrial FREE ESTIMATES "Fleet Service Available" Box 61 Auburn, Ontario Auburn (519) 526-7140 Goderich (519) 524-4701 A16. FARMING '93, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1993. Farm ' 93 Trust a tire you can count on . . . P155 80 R-13 $52.00 P165 80 R-13 $54.00 P175 80 R-13 $55.00 P185 80 R-13 $57.00 P185 75 R-14 $68.00 P195 75 R-14 $69.00 P205 75 R-14 $72.00 P215 75 R-14 $74.00 — P205 75 R-15 $73.00 P215 75 R-15 $76.00 P225 75 R-15 $78.00 P235 75 R-15 $79.00_, Willi&Kurz Scwice "Specializing in on-the-Farm Service" _.ucknow 528-2103} Special Reserve funds to MCF Continued from A 11 they have something else to offer. "Although we are small as far as the big picture is concerned; we're not going to give E.D. Smith a run for his money; we have always said we want to give back to the com- munity, " said Dave. Therefore, the next line, Glen Farms Special Reserve, is being introduced at the annual Maitland Conservation Foundation banquet in April. Part of the proceeds of every jar of the liquered fruit preserves, Vegetable Antipasto, Red Pepper and Orange Jelly and Sunflower Oil with Pars- ley and Lemon Pepper, will be donated to the MCF to help fund the Wawanosh Nature Centre, a 400 acre facility designated to edu- cate students on nature. This new line will increase the Glen Farms product list by 10 items, said Dave. "We want to get into fundraising and show people how to make money," said Dave. "We believe in the cottage industry. If you can cre- ate and what you create has high value added, you can give some back." Computers invaluable Continued from A7 monthly report on farrowing rate. There are also reports on parity dis- tribution and service efficiency with the touch of a key. "With the computer, information can be broken down into smaller and smaller groups. It makes it more valuable," said Mr. Patch.