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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Agriculture 98, 1998-03-18, Page 30CHECK IT OUT! March Discount Prices on • Safety Work Boots & Shoes • Rubber Boots • Reg: Work Boots & Shoes • Galoshes • Felt-lined Bush Boots • Work Pants • Coveralls • Socks, Sweaters & T-Shirts ALL AT CLEAR-OUT PRICES WINGHAM SALES ARENA North End of Wingham 357-2987 If you're sick of getting only a few channels we've got lots of selection for you - with our Canadian Dish Networks - ExpressVu and Star Choice. These dishes offer sharp digital pictures, pure sound, compact dishes & remote control. Now available at excellent prices. PLETCH ELECTRIC LIMITED 'ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. MOTOR SALES, REWINDS & SERVICE, POLES SALES, INSTALLATION & TRENCHING WINGHAM 357-1583 Oldfield Hardware has all your Agricultural Supplies • Alflex Ear Tags • Tattoos • Feeders • Ventilations • Galvanized pipe cut and threaded to length • Ritchie Watering Fountains • Pressure Systems for home and farm • Fencers & Fencing Systems • Purina Dog & Cat Food 0 OLDFIELD PRO HARDWARE & RADIO SHACK RadioShack. Brussels 887-6851 FRardwaie° PAGE A-10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1998. Agriculture '98 Rural Canada, ever growing, ever changing Paul Steckle, Huron-Bruce MP To an outsider it might seem that life in a rural setting is passive and unchanging. Those of us who have made our homes in one of Canada's 1,000 small farming communities know that this is simply not true. In reality, nearly one third of all Canadians hang their hat in the many small towns, townships and villages of rural Canada. In addi- tion to that, each year numerous urban dwellers flock here in search of our highly coveted way of life. These numbers are undoubtedly responsible for the enduring vitality of this important and truly Canadian way of life. As a result of the innovative and dynamic population, rural Canada has continuously been on the forefront of technological advances derived from research and development. Statistical information has continuously demonstrated that the liveliness of the industry is directly rooted in the fact that it is ever growing, changing-and evolving. In round numbers, the rural sector of our population is directly responsible for the creation and maintenance of 15 per cent of all of the nation's jobs. This number includes over 555,000 jobs employing Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24. Since 1993, the dollar-value of Canadian Agri- Food exports has jumped by more than 40 per cent to reach the record high of $18.8 billion in 1996, (causing a trade surplus of $5.6 billion). These numbers roughly translate into an overall contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, (GDP), of almost nine per cent. As we prepare to enter into the next millennium the opportunities are abundant. However, so are the challenges. In the past few years, rural Canada has undergone significant restructuring as global economic forces have weakened the market for raw resources, and advances in technology have eliminated jobs. The positive side of this change is that communities have been forced to do a self- evaluation and develop new ways to gain control over their own destiny. Governments must understand that the problems facing the industry cannot be rectified with a "one size fits all approach." Rural Canada is not a collection of communities that are patterned after one another. It is a mix of many diverse economies with vastly different geography, resources, and people. To appropriately address the industry's problems governments will be required to implement new solutions and responses. In the September Speech from the Throne, the government plotted a course based upon partnerships with rural community stakeholders, other levels of government and industry leaders. In short, the chosen approach is one of a "hand up rather than a hand out." Canada has entered into a new era of trade. Changes at the international level, (WTO and NAFTA), have presented new markets to explore and develop. We must be aggressive if we are to achieve our goals. We must also be cost effective, efficient and practical. The primary producers have first-hand knowledge of the industry and consequently they remain the government's best information resource. The consultation process must continue as the realization of our goals relies solidly on co-operation, assertive negotiation and continued, accelerated and expanded support of research and develop-ment. To that end, the federal government is reinventing its role. It is also the responsibility of the industry to redefine its priorities. The strategic reorganization of our programming must be consistent, cost-effective and long-term. Patchwork programming will not suffice. The elimination of costly duplication, inefficient program- ming and impractical regulatory bodies must be a priority if the industry is to survive and flourish. There is no quick fix. Community and industry development takes years, not months. Restructuring happens as a result of many small changes rather than by one big one. Through a series of programs and services the federal government will act as the catalyst to make these small changes happen. Government policy must be modernized and altered so as to assure that it will be less obstructive to the business of farming. Since 1995 the govern- ment has revoked more than 320 regulatory requirements in an effort to facilitate this objective. It must be noted that a lighter regulatory burden is only one component in the overall strategy. The proportion of rural Canadians employed in small business ventures is really double that of urban Canadians. For these small but essential engines of the economy, access to capital is an ever increasing problem. That is why the federal government has identified this as a priority issue. Through loan programs, investment funds or new mandates for the Farm Credit Corporation and the Business Development of Canada, rural entrepreneurs will find that financing options are more abundant than ever before. Community Futures Development Corporations provide enhanced access to capital, through loan programs and investment funds. To further facilitate the aforementioned objectives we have committed to help rural communities acquire and use new technology through the Community Access Program. An extra $50 million in capital has been made available-to the Farm Credit Corporation to leverage up to $500 million more, from corporate sources, to help small business in rural Canada stay competitive and create jobs. We are also working to equip rural Canadians with the new skills and resources that they will need to stay competitive in the new globally based economy. The Office of the Learning Technologies, CanWorkNet and the Electronic Job Bank all offer rural Canadians valuable career information and access to technology-based learning and skills development. Times are changing and both government and individuals are changing with them. Through new and innovative approaches the agricultural sector can continue to build upon past successes. Huron- Bruce is in a position to be a leader in this restructuring effort and is poised to become a tremendous beneficiary of the harvesting of benefits. There is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel and it is up to each one of us to move toward it. As your Member of Parliament, I am keenly interested in receiving your input and opinions on how to best initiate change. As stated above, our farmers are the front line and it is essential that I am aware of your ideas so that I might relay them to my caucus colleagues. My offices in Goderich and Ottawa remain at your complete disposal and, I would urge you to utilize them. With your continued intervention, I am certain that we will achieve the desired outcome on the many issues that face Huron-Bruce and indeed all of rural Canada. 'Rural Canada not a collection of communities patterned after one another.' What's in store? CONTINUED FROM A-9 to be a "great year", wife Barb agrees that Hall's assessment may be completely accurate. In Febru- ary, she said, "Some of our crop is already gone. We were cutting wood in January and the sap was running then." Barb said the sugar content has been good, however at three or four per cent. Anything less than two per cent is watery. However, she said colder nighttime temperatures would be a help. On the other hand, expecting the unexpected each season has become the norm. "We haven't had a normal year since we started making maple syrup 15 years ago," said Barb. "We don't have the win- ters we used to when I was growing up with snow, cold nights and sunny days. There is always some- thing now that makes the season different from the one before." Bill Robinson of Robinson's Maple Syrup Products takes weath- er's unpredictablity the only way one can, a day at a time. "I'm not sure what the effects will be. The run started earlier than normal, but who knows how it's going to end up." If Huron can thank El Nino for its mild winter, is there anything else in store? Jay Campbell, a London meteo- rologist made this prediction when speaking to a group of people out- side Grand Bend last month. The early growing season in May and June will Campbell said, be warm with little rain. Come August look for colder temperatures and increased precipitation as El Nino's effects reverse.