HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-01-25, Page 5Agriculture
MP says budget cuts to hit agriculture
BY AMY NEILANDS
CLINTON - With the impending
federal budget for 1995, Huron -
Bruce MP Paul Steckle said that
many cutbacks will be made,
including cuts in the agriculture
budget and that these are
"measures that should have been
taken years ago."
Steckle was in Clinton last Wed-
nesday to address the Central
Huron Christian Farmers As-
sociation at their winter meeting,
and he discussed the past year and
the upcoming year in agriculture.
"It won't come as a surprise to
anyone that our country is finan-
cially broke and has been broke
for some time," he said.
He added that the government
has been given one more oppor-
tunity to write the budget and if it
is not written correctly then they
may: not be writing one in 1996.
"The reality is we are out of
money."
But as he presented statistics on
the positive things in Canada, he
said that 91 per cent of people
living in Canada think it is the
greatest place to live because of
the opportunities the country of -
Lightning strikes
twice at Eckerts,
more triplets born
Don't tell Bob Eckert lightning
doesn't strike twice!
For the second time in a month
triplet calves have been born at Bob
Eckert Farms of Eckerlea Farms at
RR 1, Seaforth.
The children didn't get quite as
exited this time, Mrs. Ecker says.
The latest trio was bom early
Friday morning and is made up of
two bulls and a heifer, whereas the
triplet calves born Christmas week
were all heifers. In any case, all are
healthy, and the odds of this
happening are astronomical.
Edith Bell, who was at the Eckert
Farm picking up her daughter after
the latest births, says she and her
husband had a dairy farm for 50
years and the most they aver had
was twins.
After the Christmas triplets were
born Bob said it was the first time
in his 42 years he had ever seen
triplets off. a first calver, and local
veterinarian Dr. Brian Nuhn said he
had only seen one other set of
triplets in the area in 18 years, and
they died.
The mother of this latest set of
triplets is called Jessica.
Dad may be the secret in the
whole thing. His name is Syncro.
And it seems he is the father of
both sets of triplets.
Award recognizes
current affairs show
continued from front page
The award is great for 60
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class current affairs here and are
among the best in the world.
This is the fourth year in a row
that TVNZ has won medals in
the New York Festivals.
The 1995 competition was
entered by a record 450 leading
television production companies,
broadcasters and networks
through out the world.
Township names
farm safety rep
Glen Haney has been
appointed Tuckersmith Township
representative on the Huron
County Farm Safety Association.
Usborne &
Hibbert Mutual
Fire Insurance
Company
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S1
(Established in 1876)
Provides Full Insurance
Coverage for
Farm Properties
New Applications Are Welcomed
DIRECTORS & ADJUSTORS
Lary Gardiner, RR 2 Stalfa
Uoyd Morison, Mitchell
Lome Feeney, Mitchell
Jack Hodged, R R. 1 Kirkton
Joe Chaffe, R.R. 5 Mitchell
Michael O'Shea, R.R. 3 Granton
AGENTS
Wayne Maier, Exeter
John Moore, Dublin
Joseph tlniac, Mitchell
Head office, Exeter
345-2678
348-4589
3481853
229-6152
348-9705
225-2600
235-1915
345-2512
348-9012
235.0350
A refund from surplus was
declared for all policy holders who
gual/ry,
are on record and In good
standing as et December 31, 1994.
Paul Steckle, MP
fers as well as the many social
programs.
With the many cutbacks the
country has faced, Steckle said
that if this had happened 10 years
ago there would have been "an
uprising of the people. But today,
people realize what they have to
do and they accept it."
With 40 per cent of the
Canadian national debt controlled
and owned by forces outside of
the country, Steckle said that
certain ways to buy back the part
of the national debt that is
foreignly owned will be con-
sidered. Canadians need to feel
good about themselves and to
become more aware of their own
affairs, he said.
For the upcoming year, the
agriculture industry will see the
implementation of the GATT
agreement which will take effect
on July 1. Steckle said that there
will be a six year period to adjust
to the realities of the future of
tarrification.
He added that it was important
for the different sectors of agricul-
ture to build up a coalition with
the Americans. Steckle said that
this is especially true with the
dairy sector because it is much
more labor intensified and the
Americans wish they had a system
like the Canadian system.
"We are not without problems in
the various industries," said Steck-
le. "I feel that for the industries to
remain strong, we need to en-
courage them to take the initiative
to go out and try to make their
industry strong and to work
around their weaknesses that may
develop over the next six years.
He added that encouragement
needs to be found in the whole
agriculture sector. "You can't
expect the government to do it.
The government gives the en-
vironment to prosper in. We help
find the markets in the world."
Steckle also addressed the
problems facing the transportation
of western grain.
"It is a thorn in the flesh of
Ontarians; it's a thorn in the flesh
of westerners and it's a thorn in
the flesh of the ministry."
Problems such as cost and ef-
ficiency need to be dealt with, he
said. Several hearings were held
with the Ministry of Agriculture
and the Ministry of Transportation
to find ways to solve transpor-
tation problems. Recommen-
dations are being made and action
will be taken, said Steckle.
"The process was difficult, at
best the results will be even more
difficult to achieve," he said. "I
am still a farmer at heart, a rural
Canadian, a realist and I believe
we can achieve if there is a will to
do it."
A REAL RARITY - Mother Jessica (seated) was busy at Eckerlea Farms at RR I, Seaforth early Friday.
moming delivering triplets, two bulls and a heifer. It was the second set of triplets born at the same farm
in the last month, and the odds of this are longer than winning the Lotto 649.
Field rep leaves Huron Federation
The Huron County Federation of
Agriculture bid farewell to its 1 •
mer field representative on Th
day, Jan. 19.
About 75 people were on hand
for the meeting at the Ontario Min-
istry of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs (OMAFRA) facilities in
Clinton to say goodbye to outgoing
member services representative
Blaine Stephenson, who served in
that position for 121/2 years.
The field representative's role will
now be filled by Paul Nairn. The
31 -year-old Dublin man will serve
the Huron and Perth area for the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Nairn grew up on a mixed farm
in St. Marys and worked for 91/
years for a Ralston Purina dealer-
ship as a livestock feed consultant.
He served as president of the
Junior Farmers Association of
Ontario in 1991. He is a graduate
of the Associate Diploma in Agri-
culture Program at the University of
iuelph.
While acknowledging that he will
have 'big shoes to fill' Nairn says
he is looking forward to meeting
members of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture in Huron and Perth
to deal with member service con-
cerns.
He hopes to find what their needs
are and what they want the Huron
County Federation to be doing• on
their behalf. He also hopes to pro-
mote the OFA and the Huron
County Federation.
Stephenson says a highlight of his
position as field representative was
the farmers' rally at Parliament Hill
when 40,-000 far1n people peacefully
descended upon Ottawa to demon-
strate.
In his last year the field represen-
tative saw mandatory farm registra-
tion for the first nine as his job
changed from one where 75-80 per
cern of the work was centred
around membership issues and
dues.
"The OFA is moving into a new
era."
One of the challenges facing the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture is
finding good leaders.
"Many prospective leaders drift to
the commodity they're involved in,"
he said. "The challenge for us is to
find people who will look at the
general farm issues."
Stephenson left his OFA position
to join Hay Mutual Insurance in
Zurich.
He said he enjoyed his position
with the OFA and enjoyed meeting
many committed people. New
member services representative Paul
Nairn will do a good job in the
role, the former rep predicted.
TME HURON EXPOSITOR, January 25, 1905-5
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