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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-01-19, Page 9THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19,1994. PAGE 9. Brussels Livestock report Fed steers and heifers selling on strong trade Sales at Brussels Livestock for the week ending Jan. 14 were: fed cattle, 858; cows, 244; veal calves, 156; sheep and goats, 35; Stockers, 487; and pigs, light run. The market at Brussels Livestock saw fed steers and heifers selling on a strong active trade, with cows selling steady. There were 573 steers on offer selling from $95 to $100 to the high of $114. Twenty-five steers consigned by William Bennet and Sons Farms Ltd., Gorrie, averaging 1392 lbs. sold for an average of $107.51 with sales to $114. Four steers consigned by Scott Geisel, West Montrose, averaging 1458 lbs. sold for an average of $107.93 with sales to $111. Forty-eight steers consigned by Mac Willits, Wingham, averaging 1381 lbs. sold for an average of $97.06 with sales to $111. Thirty- three steers consigned by Cunning­ ham Farms, Lucan, averaging 1537 Atwood, averaging 1147 lbs. sold Workshops help farmers’ bottom line Forty dollars and two days can improve a fanner's financial bottom line. Ontario farmers attending the Credit Management and Negotiation Skills Workshops, sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, see the benefits of small investments that bring returns for years to come. The workshops are part of the Agricultural Investment Strategy, a collection of programs introduced over the last year and a half, designed to help farmers help themselves to become better financial managers. "Young farmers make very major decisions early in life, often without background, experience or training," says Ralph Winslade, manager of financial programs, Ministry of Agriculture and Food. "We can't provide the experience here, other than working with case studies and examples, but we can provide the training." Winslade says that workshop participants will acquire a better understanding of the security instruments they will have to sign when borrowing money. Security instruments such as mortgages, general security agreements and security over personal property are Ag. minister fills committee Members of the new Minister's Advisory Committee on Rural Development have been appointed by Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food Elmer Buchanan. The committee members are already working at reviewing existing rural development issues and initiatives and making recommendations. "OMAF's role in rural develop­ ment is to act as a catalyst, bringing groups together and helping them to use the available rural develop­ ment tools," said Buchanan, who is chair of the committee. "The committee will help"us obtain and review rural development ideas from different perspectives." The creation of the Advisory Committee was announced last year after the Rural Development Secretariat was established. It concerns itself with rural development issues and acts as a sounding-board to the Minister of Agriculture and Food on topics including: identification of provin­ cial, regional and local rural development issues; recommenda­ tion of priorities for policy and program development; evaluation of the progress of rural development initiatives; and provision of a link among rural lbs. sold for an average of $95.92 with sales to $107. Thirty-seven steers consigned by Gerald Geisel, Elmira, averaging 1451 lbs. sold for an average of $96.30 with sales to $105. Thirteen steers consigned by Howard Martin, Brussels, averaging 1316 lbs. sold for an average of $96.33 with sales to $104. Seventeen steers consigned by Ian Johnston, Bluevale, averaging 1345 lbs. sold for an average of $96.46 with sales to $104. Twenty- nine steers consigned by Maple Ridge Farms, Brussels, averaging 1286 lbs. sold for an average of $97.66 with sales to $101.25. Three steers consigned by Paul Aidwinkle, Varna, averaging 1303 lbs. sold for an average of $99.74 with sales to $103. There were 267 heifers on offer selling from $95 to $100 to the high of $106.50. Twenty-one heifers consigned by Hugh Love, for an average of $91.77 with sales explained in detail as well as liens assignments and guarantees. Farm families also have an opportunity to review the sources and cost of agricultural credit, as well as opportunities to improve their negotiating skills when borrowing money. To bring all this together, the program co-ordinating committee is drawing on the expertise of individuals such as Murray Brownridge, a Halton area dairy farmer. "It's becoming more important all the time," he says. "Our levels of borrowing are getting higher every year, and the agreements that we are quite often asked to sign are more complicated than they used to be. I think that credit itself is becoming a much more useful tool, and it's a tool that we need to have a better understanding of if we are to use it properly." Commercial lawyer Ted Oldfield, whose clientele is made up of about two-thirds farmers, has also been involved in planning the workshops. "One of the goals I have of participating in the workshops is to get people who are seeing trouble on the horizon to deal with it now development networks. "The Advisory Committee on Rural Development is a diversified and experienced group of people from across the province who provide recommendations on all aspects of rural community development and create a strong link between communities and the ministry," said Buchanan. Appointed members are: William Brant, dairy producer, Hastings; Charlotte Clay-Ireland, printer and publisher, reeve and representative of the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association, Bewdley; Reg Cressman, representative of the Canadian Co-operatives Association, Waterloo; Elbert Van Donkersgoed, research and policy director of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, Guelph; Diane Duncan, business owner, Almonte; Margaret Eberle, representative of the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario, Kent; Pierre Glaude, secretary of the Union des cultivateurs franco- ontariens and director of Agricom, Clarence Creek; Susan Maxwell, office manager of an animal hospital, Bancroft; Lynn McDonald, professor of sociology, Guelph; Al Payne, president of the to $103.50. Thirty heifers consigned by Wayne O'Brien, Centralia, averaging 1338 lbs. sold for an average of $89.01 with sales to $106.50. Fourteen heifers consigned by Randy Pentland, Goderich, averaging 1048 lbs. sold for an average of $96.80 with sales to $102. Six heifers consigned by Ralph Baker, Petrolia, averaging 1136 lbs. sold for an average of $96.79 with sales to $101.25. Two heifers consigned by Ken Brown, Shelburne, averaging 1030 lbs. sold for $101.25. Two heifers consigned by Dean Aldwinkle, Varna, averaging 1150 lbs. sold for an average of $99.10 with sales to $99.75. Six heifers consigned by Dale Gammie, Lucknow, averaging 1128 lbs. sold for an average of $96.41 with sales to $98. Four heifers consigned by Ann Kerr, Palmerston, averaging 1133 lbs. sold for an average of $95.61 with sales to $97. as opposed to waiting until it's too late. I have consistently found that the successful debt restructures are the ones that get help early on, as opposed to the farmers who wait until the loans have been demanded and there's simply no room left to go out and negotiate," he says. Those who attend the seminars will find a wealth of practical advice from their peers. For example, Kingston area workshop participants were advised by Ben Green, a dairy farmer, to always pay their term accounts within 30 days, to avoid running up an overdraft on an operating loan, to keep good financial records and to analyze their farm business at least once a year. Bob Humphries, agricultural representatives for Huron County, says that there is a wide interest in the seminars in this area. "I'm very pleased with the response we’ve had since we announced the workshops in the fall. The first two seminars in Huron were sold out, we had larger groups than expected and we even scheduled an additional workshop for March," he says. Mr. Humphries also notes that the participants' reaction is positive. 4-H Council, purebred sheep producer and administrative manager, Jerseyville; Gerald Poechman, organic farmer, Bruce; Gladys Schmidt, owner of Southshore Development Group, Cannington; Barry Robinson, formerly Ontario co-ordinator and national executive of the National Farmers' Union, Beachburg; Dona Stewardson, cash crop and replacement cattle producer and Ontario Federation of Agriculture representative, Thedford; Murray Stewart, representative of the Foundation for Rural Living, Bolton. "In working together, these community leaders are bringing tremendous insight and creativity to the Rural Development Secretariats' directions in rural community development. They also have great outreach capabilities that will allow them to obtain input from all sectors," said Buchanan. "I am delighted to work with them on strengthening Ontario's rural fabric." Regular tune-ups will reduce emissions and save gasoline. There were 244 cows on offer selling from $54 to $65 to the high of $87.50. Five cows consigned by John Van Roy, Goderich, averaging 1124 lbs. sold for an average of $65.98 with sales to $80. One cow consigned by Dave MacDonald, Lucknow, weighing 960 lbs. sold for $76. Two cows consigned by Doug Kennedy, Teeswater, averaging 1405 lbs. sold for an average of $70.95 with sales to $74. There were 156 veal on offer selling from $93.50 to $110 to the high of $123.50. Four veal consigned by Isaac Stutzman, Lucknow, averaging 665 lbs. sold for an average of $115.04 with sales to $123.50. Four veal consigned by Spring Crest Farms, Wellesley, averaging 763 lbs. sold for an average of $106.75 with sales to $114.50. Three veal consigned by Arnold Lamb, Goderich, averaging 750 lbs. sold for an average of $109 One of them, "Rowena Wallace, of Seaforth, operates a dairy farm with her husband Bill and has attended with him the first day of the workshop. "I found it very interesting," she says. "One particular point was an illustration used to demonstrate how to find out who offers the best deal on a loan. In this example we had a dealer and a banker, who offered different packages. We sat down and did the calculation. Although at first glance the dealer appeared to offer the best deal, it was in fact the banker who had the most interesting offer. This sure encourages you to sit down and pencil through your operation." As with much of the Agricultural Investment Strategy, these workshops were developed in consultation with farmers, to ensure that the information is not only accessible, but also that it is relevant. Fifty-five Workshop locations have been chosen throughout the province and others will be added as required by local demand. For more information on workshops dates and locations, farmers can contact their local OMAF office. Reducing and recycling will make our landfill sites last longer. BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd. UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 9 a.m. Finished Cattle & Cows THURSDAYS 9:00 a.m. Dropped Calves Veals followed by Goats Sheep & Lambs FRIDAYS 10:00 a.m. Stocker Cattle 1:00 p.m. Pigs BRUSSELS 887-6461 with sales to $114.50. Five veal consigned by Roy Atkinson, Palmerston, averaging 640 lbs. sold for an average of $107.94 with sales to $118. Lambs, under 80 lbs. sold, $143 to $182; and over 80 lbs., $114 to $143. Twelve lambs consigned by Hank VanDieten, Seaforth, averaging 62 lbs. sold for an average of $161.70 with sales to $182. Stockers: steers, 400 - 499 lbs. sold $115 to $137; 500 - 599 lbs., $101 to $141; 600 - 699 lbs., $103 to $124; 700 - 799 lbs., $94.50 to $123; and 800 lbs. and over, $98 to $110. Heifers, 300 - 399 lbs., sold $125 to $136; 400 - 499 lbs., $111 to $125.50; 500 - 599 lbs., $100 to $123; 600 - 699 lbs., $92 to $113.75; and 700 lbs. and over, $79 to $105.50. U.K. accepts Canadian BSE cattle Agriculture and Agri-Food Cana­ da has issued a press release stating that the United Kingdom has agreed to accept the importation of all Canadian cattle under suspicion of carrying Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). To be eligible for shipment, the cattle must meet UK import requirements that certify they are free from diseases other than BSE. Agriculture and Agri-Food Cana­ da will take control of all animals by Jan. 31 in accordance with the departments control measures. This gives owners of cattle iden­ tified as posing a BSE risk an alter­ native to destroying their animals and allows for the preservation of the genetic material. For more information, contact Dr. Ken Currie in Guelph at 519- 837-9400.