HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-08-05, Page 5Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - Page A5
Pork industry recording major losses nationwide
Donnlnlaue Milburn
signal -star staff
When Joe and Wilma Schotman packed
up the family 4x4 and headed down to
a rally in Stratford recently, they were
looking for solutions, and maybe even
some support.
The Goderich-area pork producers
have been having a hard time bringing
home the bacon in the last few months,
mostly due, they say, to the H 1 N 1 Flu
outbreak, initially dubbed "Swine Flu."
Now, already in the grips of a rocky
economy, this farming family is record-
ing losses of up to $1,000 a day.
It wasn't always like this for the Schot-
man family. They've operated a profit-
able hog nursery for the past 10 years
at their farm on Highway 8. Their 550 -
sow operation traditionally held its own,
with a netting of somewhere around $40
a head fornearly seven years.
Joe Schotman has spent the last three
months busily seeking out new clients
for his baby pigs. Once worth more than
$40 each, the last three months he says
he's lucky to be getting $6.
"Our break-even is between $28 and
$32, depends how high feed price is,
but the last couple of weeks, we've got
$6 per piglet," Joe said. We're losing
$7,000 this week... When we started
three months ago with that Swine Flu—
that hit us hard."
He's one of the lucky ones so far. More
than 3,300 hog producers have exited
the Canadian industry since 2006, just
before the troubles began, leaving 8,310
hog farms as of April 1, 2009.
The federal hog industry group, the
Canadian Pork Council, goes even fur-
ther, characterizing it as the "worst cir-
cumstances of the last 60 years" and a
situation that threatens "imminent cata-
strophic implosion."
The council is lobbying for Ottawa to
fork over emergency loans to help farm-
ers stay afloat and a buyout program to
help those who want to exit the strug-
gling industry. Without help, the coun-
cil forecasts "tremendous" economic
losses.
"I think we have the potential to lose
another 50 per cent of our industry,
ou c0R MEM
Bowes Publishers Limited
A Subsidiary of
Sun Media Corporation - A Quebecor Company
The Goderich Signal -Star, published every Wednesda , 52
times per year, at Goderich, Ontario is one of The
�9 Group of Community Newspapers. The
Signal -Star shad not be liable for failure to pubish an ad or for
typographical cost portion the M eubdcation except errroorr occurred. extent ofhe
Goderich Signal -Star reserves the right to reject or edit any
advertisement.
Subscription rate is ;42.00 per year plus GST The Goderich
Signal -Star is a member of The Canadian Newspaper
Association (CCNA), The Ontario Community Newspaper
Assoc on (OCNA), and the Ontario Press Coundl.
For any non deliveries or delvery axioms please cal 519-
524-2614.
Return ad undeliveredoopies, changes of address and sub-
saiption order to address
Publoadons Mad Agreement No. 40064683
PRAP Registration . 7602
eetum ab Canadian addresses b Circulation Dept.
P.O. Box 220, 120 Huckins St.,
Goderlch, Ont., MA 4B6 (519) 524-2614
email: sspacan
We a i nowledge the financial support of the Government -of
Canada through the Publications Assistance Program towards
our miring costs.
Canada
which translates to about 42,000 jobs
across Canada and probably some $7
billion in economic activity," Canadian
Pork Council president Jurgen Preugs-
chas has said in media reports.
The advent of the H 1 N 1 virus led to
the immediate ban of Canadian pork im-
ports in a number of the industry's mar-
kets, including Egypt.
And things aren't getting any better.
Wayne Black, president of the Hu-
ron County Federation of Agriculture,
reports the number of producers facing
foreclosure is on the rise. Indeed, there,
are mounting concerns for both the eco-
nomic and mental health of pork produc-
ers
Issues negatively impacting the in-
dustry include the United States' Coun-
try Of Origin Labeling rules, tightening
U.S. border regulations, and an overall
global recession.
See LOCAL, Page 26
Photo by Dominique Milburn
Joe Schotman, with 14 -year-old son Patrick, operates a hog farm outside of
Goderich. He says he's losing $1,000 a day in the floundering industry.
Panasonic idea
Lumix DMC-TS1
Waterproof • Shockproof
Gear up for active outdoor fun with a
rugged hybrid still/motion image that
makes it easy to capture beautiful
photos and HD movies. Waterproof,
shockproof and dustproof, this is one
tough little camera that you can take
wherever the action takes you.
Lumix DMC-FS7
2.7" LCD
10.1 MP
4x Optical Zoom
Dustproof
The Lumix FS Series is part of a new
and stylish sister -line of the highly -
acclaimed LUMIX FX -Series.
Combining easy operation with a
sleek and colourful look, these digital
still cameras allow both beginner and
advanced users to take beautiful
digital photos with a camera
that slips in a pocket.
!EJ Carman's
foto sourceTM
25
3.0" LCD
12.1MP
5x Optical Zoom
Perfect for travel, this 10.1 MP,
3.0" LCD compact, high zoom
camera makes it easy to shoot
beautiful photos and HD movies.
Shoot 25mm wide-angle scenes
to dynamic 300mm
telephoto shots
with the 12x Optical
Zoom.
Offer expires August 16, 2009.
112 The Square 519-524-7924
Goderich
Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 6:00, Friday 9:00 - 7:00, Saturday 9:00 - 5:30