The Citizen, 1996-03-20, Page 26a
U
70
63
56
49
42
35
28
21
14
BARLEY
FIELD CROP PROD.,
HURON CTY., 1994
FODDER
CORN
Category
Yield bus./ac except
ESI YIELD $ VALUE-'000,000 fodder corn-tons/ac.
0
MIXED
GRAIN
OATS
FIELD CROP PROD.,
HURON CTY., 1994
SOYA WINTER WHITE HAY
COFN BEANS WHEAT BEANS
Category Yield bus./ac. except
0 YIELD $ VALUE '000,000 white beans-cwt/ac.
hay-tons/ac. and
V
a
130
117
104
91
78
65
52
39
26
13
0
GRAIN
Fertilizers
• Terra-Gator® with air spreader
and impregnator
• Standard mixes & custom
formulations
• Micro nutrients
• Bulk delivery unit
• Spreaders readily available
Chemicals
Protect all your crops against
insects & weeds
• 2 Spra-coupes available for
P.P.I., pre or post spraying
1 new unit for 1996
GET READY FOR SPRING
We will customize a fertilizer and chemical
program specific to your requirements.
SEEDS
• Corn
• Soy beans
• White beans
• Grass seed
• Canola
• Barley & Oats
• Wheat
DEALER FOR
HA\
SPEARE Seeds
Phone 523-9624 or stop in for all your spring planting supplies
HOWSON & HOWSON LTD.
Feed, Seed, Chemicals, Fertilizer,
Grain Elevators, Custom Applications
WINGHAM BLYTH
357-2700 523-9624 1-800-663-3653
NORTHRUP KING
PAGE A-2. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1996.
Agriculture 1996
Huron's agricultural industry,
1 of Ontario's most productive
By Janice Becker
Known as largely a rural county,
Huron is one of the most
productive in a province which has
the largest, most diversified agri-
food business in the country.
Ontario farmers produce 25 per
cent of the Canadian output in
terms of cash receipts and have
invested $40.7 billion in farmland,
buildings, machinery and
equipment, says a report from the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
The agri-food industry
contributed 5.8 per cent of the
provincial gross domestic product
in 1993, with primary agriculture
accounting for 1.3 per cent of the
total.
Among Ontario agricultural
counties, Huron rates in the top
five in 10 categories ranging from
dollar value of soybeans
production to total head of cattle.
Crop output
In ranking the production of
Huron County with the other top
producers in Ontario, dry white
beans is the crop which far
outshines any other, according to
1994 statistics from the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs.
With a total dollar value in 1994,
of $19,140,000, Huron County's
output was 43 per cent of the
provincial total. (See graphs)
The county ranked second in the
production of both fodder corn and
barley, assuming 7.5 per cent and
8.4 per cent, respectively.
The ranking for fodder corn
stood when compared to counties
in Southern Ontario which
received $2.10 more p.m- ton than
Western Ontario farmers. Aside
from Kent, Lambton and Oxford
Counties, Huron had the highest
yield per acre and the most area
planted.
Barley yields for Huron ranked
high among the top producers.
Though accounting for less acreage
than other Huron County crops,
oats rates first in yield per acre,
across the province. With 12,200
acres in production for fodder and
grain, the bushels per acre yield is
70. The dollar value of production
places Huron second behind Bruce
County.
The winter wheat crop is also a
generator of high output. Planting
less acreage than only Lambton
and Middlesex Counties, Huron
achieves one of the highest yields
at 69.5 bushels per acre with a total
cash value of $8,896,000 or 11.2
per cent of
Nprovincial
production.
With a slightly
lower yield per
acre in grain
corn, increased
acres harvested
enables Huron to
supply 9.3 per
cent of the crop.
Middlesex and
Kent Counties top the rankings due
to both higher acreage and yields
though balanced somewhat by
eight cents per bushel less.
With the lowest number of acres
planted amongst the top five
soybeans producers, Huron County
ranks third in yield per acre. It is
also the only county in Western
Ontario to compete with southern
Ontario counties in terms of output
and acreage.
In the mixed grain category,
Huron is on par with Waterloo
County, producing 5.4 per cent of
the provincial cash receipts.
Western Ontario counties has by
far the most acres planted in mixed
grains, with Huron accounting for
almost 12 per cent for the 10
counties. Though fifth in the
ratings, Huron achieves a dollar
value of $2,241,000 and the
highest yields per acre across the
province at 68 bushels.
Livestock production
It is not just the cash crops in
which Huron excels. Producers are
equally proficient in various areas
of livestock production.
Huron ranks only .2 percentage
points behind Perth County for the
total number of pigs, with the two
counties accounting for 27 per cent
of Ontario's pork production.
Huron Coun:y has 428,000 pigs.
Outproduced only by Niagara
Continued on A-3