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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1996 PAGE 23.
Brussels Livestock report
Better quality veal brings prices up $3 to $4
Sales at Brussels Livestock for
the week ending Feb. 1 were: fed
cattle, 369; cows, 125; veal calves,
198; sheep and goats, light run and
stockers, 692.
Fed steers and heifers sold under
pressure at prices $2 lower. The
cows sold actively at prices $2 to
$4 higher. A better quality offering
of veal calves traded $3 to $4
higher, with pressure on the heavy
and plain calves. On Friday calves
sold steady with the yearlings
selling $2 to $3 lower.
There were 247 fed steers on
offer selling from $80 to $84 to the
high of $95.50.
A RWF steer consigned by
Cunningham Farms, Lucan,
weighing 1,440 lbs. sold for $95.50
and was purchased by Norwich
By Amy Neilands
Huron County farm leaders
gathered in Clinton last week to
discuss the future of the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
Faced with a proposed 35 per
cent cut to the OMAFRA budget,
leaders from the county's farm
groups met at the OMAFRA office
to discuss courses of action to take
against further cuts to agriculture.
After facing a 25 per cent reduc-
tion to the OMAFRA budget in
1991, the Progressive Conserva-
tive election promise was no
further cuts to the ministry.
Steve Thompson, president of the
Huron County Federation of
Agriculture (HCFA), presented a
breakdown of the present $451.6
million budget: 34.8 per cent of the
budget is made up of the Farm Tax
Rebate Program, 32 per cent is
made up of transfer payments from
GRIP, NISA and crop insurance
and 33 per cent is made up of direct
operating of the ministry.
"We could eliminate any one
program completely and we would
still be short 35 per cent," said
Thompson, adding that unfortun-
ately the one-third that will be cut
will likely be the "people out in the
field doing things; the people who
deal with you, who work with
you."
"We're here to find out what
OMAFRA can do without," he
said. "Can there be a cutback of 35
per cent and still provide a
meaningful level of service? Cuts
of this magnitude cause me
personally a great deal of concern.
Especially when we hear the
government say one thing and
mean another."
The groups present listed a
number of OMAFRA services they
use. They ranged from the use of
the building for meetings to
secretarial work such as
photocopying by the staff. The
possibility of a user-pay system
was presented for such services as
the use of the building, staff and
equipment.
500,000,000 - Half a billion dollars
is spent by Ontario snowmobilers
each season.
Packers, with their total offering of
35 steers averaging 1,458 lbs.
selling for the overall price of
$81.81. Fourteen steers consigned
by Howard Martin, Brussels,
averaging 1,407 lbs. sold for an
overall price of $82.87 to the top of
$88.75. Twelve steers consigned by
Gerald Rathwell, Brucefield,
averaging. 1,431 lbs. sold for an
average price of $76.73 to the high
of $85.25.
Thirteen steers consigned by
Schmidt Brook Farms, Woodstock,
averaging 1,448 lbs. sold for an
average price of $80.61 with sales
to $84.75. Thirty-eight steers
consigned by Mac Willits, Wing-
ham, averaging 1,472 lbs. sold for
the overall price of $79.37 to the
top of $84.50. Thirty-two steers
Great concern was voiced by the
Huron County 4-H program. Added
up throughout the year, the club
depends on OMAFRA for 1,000
hours of work. 4-H uses the
facilities, equipment, and a large
amount of secretarial work from
OMAFRA. The total cost of
running the Huron County program
is $27,000 and with $1,400 coming
from fundraising from the program,
representatives from 4-H were
concerned about the future of the
club without OMAFRA.
"We should keep OMAFRA at
any cost," a representative from the
wheat producers stated, adding that
any reduction in the budget would
not make OMAFRA useful to
anyone.
"If we're looking at a 35 per cent
reduction, OMAFRA will be of no
use to anybody," it was noted by a
participant. "We have to justify its
existence at the level of funding
now. We must go to them with real
numbers. That's our first step; to
get the numbers."
"We shouldn't be accepting any
cuts to agriculture," said Jeanne
Kirkby, adding that agriculture is
the number two industry in
Ontario. "It's like killing the goose
that lays the golden egg...But we
have very little time to accomplish
anything before this hits us," she
consigned by Norm Stewart, Mount
Forest, averaging 1,538 lbs. sold
for an average price of $79.25 with
sales to $83.25.
Eight Charolais steers consigned
by Bill Van Dyke, Lucknow,
averaging 1,401 lbs. sold for an
overall price of $79.29 to the high
of $82. Seven steers consigned by
Noah Weppler, Ayton, averaging
1,535 lbs. sold for an average price
of $76.64 with sales to $82.
There were 116 fed heifers on
offer selling from $80 to $84 to the
high of $90. Two red heifers
consigned by Dave Bender,
Palmerston, averaging 1,115 lbs.
sold for $90 and were purchased by
Dominion Meat Packers. Fourteen
heifers consigned by Mux-Lea
Farms, Woodstock, averaging
1,293 lbs. sold for an average price
of $81.43 to the high of $87.
A Limousin heifer consigned by
John Miller, Ayton, weighing 1,345
lbs. sold for $85.75. Eight heifers
consigned by Ahren Bros. Farms,
Mitchell, averaging 1,283 lbs. sold
for the overall price of $80.92 to
the top of $84.rA black heifer
consigned by Ross Henry,
Goderich, weighing 1,260 lbs. sold
added as the cuts are expected to
come by the end of March.
"We need these tools to carry
on," another participant said of the
agriculture ministry. "We need
these photocopiers. If we start
eroding from the bottom up there
will be nothing to stand on."
The consensus at the meeting
was for the different farm groups to
band together as one voice and
present their opposition to the
government. "If we speak with one
voice and if everybody works
together, we can accomplish
something," stated Kirkby.
"When we fall on tough times the
government is there to help us,"
said Tom Pollard. "Now the
government is having a tough time
and we can help them; let's come to
their rescue," he added, stating that
this is the chance for their groups to
aid the government financially.
"Ontario agriculture has already
taken its share of hits," said Bill
Wallace, past president of the
HCFA. Wallace suggested that the
government look at other ministries
for cuts before coming back for
more cuts to agriculture.
After debating the issue, the
group decided to gather the facts
and figures on agriculture in both
Huron County and Ontario and
present that information to Huron
for $83.25.
There were 125 cows on offer
selling from $32 to $52 to the high
of $62.25. A Limousin cow
consigned by John Winger,
Palmerston, weighing 1,355 lbs.
sold for $62.25. A Holstein cow
consigned by Terpstra Farms,
Brussels, weighing 1,450 lbs. sold
for $57.50. A Simmental cow
consigned by Francis Moran,
Williamsford, weighing 1,560 lbs.
sold for $56.60. A Holstein cow
consigned by Arnold Lamb,
Goderich, weighing 1,415 lbs. sold
for $55.50.
A light run of bulls sold from $55
to $62.
There were 198 veal on offer
selling - Holstein, $62 to $72;
Beef, $72 to $92 with sales to $93;
Heavy and Plain, $50 to $58. A
white veal consigned by Ducharme
Farms Ltd., Zurich, weighing 740
lbs. sold for $93. A veal consigned
by Don Smith, Mount Forest,
weighing 640 lbs. sold for $86.
Seven veal consigned by Pioneer
Creek Farms, Ayton, averaging 585
lbs. sold for an average price of
$79.39 to the high of $85..
Steers, 400 - 499 lbs., sold
MPP Helen Johns.
"We must show the importance
of Huron County in agriculture,"
said Kirkby. "We are one of the
biggest producers of agricultural
products in Ontario. We must give
Helen Johns the ammunition to
take back (to the govern-
ment)...Helen Johns is just one
voice. But if we speak loud enough,
more than Helen Johns will hear
us."
$62.50 to $109; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$64.50 to $87.50; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$63.50 to $83; 700 - 799 lbs., $70
to $80.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $67.50 to
$94.50; and 900 lbs. and over, $78
to $81.
Heifers, 300 - 399 lbs., sold
$51.50 to $85.50; 400 - 499 lbs.,
$53 to $95; 500 - 599 lbs., $61 to
$81; 600 - 699 lbs., $58.50 to
$73.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $52.50 to
$71.50; and 800 lbs. and over,
$68.50 to $79. arm
Farm leaders discuss OMAFRA future