The Huron Expositor, 1996-09-04, Page 22 -TME HURON EXPOSITOR, Soptomboe 4, 1990
Huron wheat crop a `disaster'
BY BLAKE PATTERSON
SSP News Staff
This year's wheat crop
is a disaster, pure and sim-
ple. ' •
According to Goderich
Elevator manager Eric
Kirk, the amount of wheat
arriving at the local facili:
ty is down drastically from
last year at this time, and
thc wheat that docs arrive,
is of poor quality.
"It's devastating." said-
- Kirk. "All thc "wheat
received so far has been
graded as feed wheat
(rather than mill grade)."
The poor quality of the
wheat means farmers will
receive about $205 per ton
of wheat they grow, down
$45 -from the expected
$250 return forcach ton of
a healthy wheat crop.
But what is most devas-
tating to the farmers is the -
fact fewer tons (regardless
of their quality) are being
produced.
Jim Whitelaw, the mar-
keting manager at the
Ontario Wheat .Board in
Chatham, said the loss,
farmers face is substantial.
Whitelaw said the
wheat industry was look-
ing forward to a record
year for production. A
record number of fields
had peen seeded and over
one million tons o1' wheat
was the expected yield. .
. That optimism, howev-
er, was .shortlived. As
Whitelaw explained, a
series. of natural mishaps
reduced yields to Tess than
. half,the expected record
- amounts.
Early thaws and re -
freezes known as 'spring
kill' reduced the expected
crop yield to' 800,000 tons,
and when rains kept the
wheat wet during the
flowering stage, fusarium
infection further reduced
the crop to 550,000 tons. .
"And of that 550,000
tons," said - Whitelaw,
"three fifths is expected to
be feed quality."
According to Whitelaw,
about half the farmers in
thc province -have crop
insurance and will weather
the storm. The other half,
however, -face a total Toss
of about $300 per acre.
"Three. hundred dollars
doesn't seem like a lot,".
said Whitelaw, "hut if you
multiply it by 50 or 70
'acres, it's substantial."
The fusarium infection
has affected most produc-
ers, however, farmers in
this area have been more
fortunate• than those in
Middlesex, Lampton and
Lake Eric counties.
The. Wheat Board says
yields there ranged from
20 to 55 bushels/acre, a 20
(0.70 per cent yield reduc-
tion, with anything above
35 hein.g considered an
excellent yield. .
Heather Boyes, assis-
tant manager at W.G.
Thompson and Sons Ltd:
Port Alpert location, says
about 65 per cent of this
year's yield has been grad-
ed
radcd fccd grade or worse.
Feed grade has one to
five per cent fusarium
mold. To .meet Grade 2,
'Boyes said the wheat must
have one per cent or Tess.
Board back to school
BY AMY NEILANDS
CLINTON - The Huron
County. Board of Education
' has moved their offices into
Central Huron Secondary
School in Clinton in time for
the new school year.
"Things arc going quite
�wcll,
says.- Director. of
Education Paul . Carroll,
standing in- his new office
filled with piles of poxes yet
. tube unpacked. "The staff has
worked hard and things have
come off without. a hitch."
The old education centre,
that . now stands empty on
Albert Street. was purchased
Area health units
in the spring by Doug Mason
Building Products Ltd. for a
price of $93,390 and.will be
converted into an apartment
building.
Thc hoard's relocation to
Clinton's high school is
expected to save an estimated
$l(10,000 a year in operating
costs and major repairs on the
old building. " -"This will be
another pig bill offourplatc,"
says Carroll.
Final figures have,not been
totalled,. the education direc-
tor adds, and during thc move
"unexpected savings" that
will further offset moving and
renovating costs were found.
"It's nice to be 'in the
school," says Carroll. "We
forin committee win be -working closer to the
kids making us mere aware of
why we arc here."
This county's representa-
tives on the steering commit-
tee set up to direct the merger
between the Pcrth and Huron
County Health Units are act-
ing director Beth Wilck, sec-
retary -treasurer Lynn Murray
and board members Ron
Murray, Bill Carnochan and
Jack Coleman.
At last month's meetings
both boards of health
approved a formal letter of
understanding for mcrging,
expected to be completed in a
year. by September 1997.
Eight Ontario health units arc • August 28 Ex -Files:
currently involved in merg-
ers.'
The arca steering commit-
tee has its first meeting
scheduled for this month.
Pcrth representatives arc
.Medical Officer of Health Dr.
Susan Tamhlyn, business
administrator Randy Brown,
and hoard members Kathy
Rae, Annabel) Thomson and
Bob McTavish.
Spotted Mistakes:
I) Page 4 - ';another job
well cone" instead of "well
done" - Elizabeth Van
Maancn
2) Page 4 - "tommorrows"
instead of "tomorrows" -
Ethel Walker
3)• Page 10 - "Nesbit"
instead of "Nesbitt" - Mark
Voc: k
Providing for the Individual Needs of
R C d :;i, Seniors• in a Friendly &
P
ru1
ISfQ[Y�M
Caring Atmosphere
• 24 Hour supervision • Planned activities
• Housekeeping A laundry services included
• Meals enjoyed in dining room setting
• Vacation Relief • Convalescent Care
• Central Location to Stopping b Churches
519-527-1440
1_; (/ un•/ Street, Seafortli, Ont.
J
"We rarely see it," said
Boyes. "Prom what I've
read on the disease, it's
really bad - in about one in
15 years." Boyes, who has
been grading wheat for
about eight years, says
she's never experiencedit
this bad. .
She said she's seen
fusarium other years. "...
maybe getting up to one or
one and a half per cent,
but we got so much good
wheat in here it.wasn't an
issue," she. said. "You
•could let the odd load fall
through the -cracks because
it wouldn't contaminate a
whole hint"
"Seed supplies will he
tight," said Boyes. "The
degree of fusarium infec-
tion next year will pretty
well hinge on the weather
we get at flowering."
At the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
- office in Clinton,
Agriculture Rep Bob
Humphries said concern
about this year's crop.is
generating quite a few
calls.
H.umphrics said most
.questions are technical in
nature because farmers are
uncertain about what to do
with their crop. They want
to know if a whcat -crop
infected .with fusarium
mold can he fed- to live-
stock and.they want, to
know if the wheat can still
be used to seed next year's
fields.
As for consumers, how-
ever, Humphries said peo-
Corrections
•A' local businessman's
name was spelled wrong in
thc Aug. 14 edition of this
paper. The 'Huron . Expositor
regrets the error. The correct
spelling is Harry DenHaan.
Also in that edition, in the
story- on rates in Bell
Canada's proposal for
enhanced service - the pro-
posed new rate is $14.60 per
month, up $2.50 from its cur-
rent $12.10. The figure
$14.20 was inadvertently
used twice. in the same sen-
tence.
GRAY
ouH
INSURANCE BROKERS
Allan Carter, Broker
• Home • Auto
• Commercial
• Farm
522=0399 Seaforth
1-800-265-0959 Strathroy
Prices
Fan
Manor Hall' Premium '
'29.95
MI
IXIER111
••• All,
0
Manor Halla Premium
$32.95
Great Rebates On Manor Hall Paints
For a limited time, set a 84.00 mail•in
manufacturer's. rebate.
Available Aug. 26 -Sept 26. 1,96 only.
DUBLIN DESIGN
yeti Wert Tea WNW Te Penn Wit Anything tom'
fhowroom Hours:
Monday-F*day 900 am -6 00 pm,
Saturday 1000 am -8 00 p m
•hoeWFaa: (515) Ms-rSO
ple have no need to worry.
Ontario mills have a zero
tolerance policy regarding
fusarium, and as such, no
infected wheat is ever
used to produce food.
Most of the mill -grade
wheat in this area goes to
making pastry for the pro-
duction of biscuits and
soda crackers.
Fusarium facts
*Fusarium head plight is a
fungal disease which may
occur during wet weather
in the summer. The dis
ease infects wheat but can
also affect parley, rye and
oats.'
*Thc fungus involved,
Fusarium: graminearum,
produces dcoxynivalcnol
(DON) or vomitoxin. •
*DON concentrations -in
processed grain products
are subject 10 strict con-
trols so there is no risk to
h'tman. health. '
t'ON may. cause feed
refusal and decrease.per-
formancc in animals that
have' consumed feed -con-
taining toxin levels that
exceed limits specified by
Agriculture and Agri -Food
Canada.. There arc no
residues of DON in milk,
meat or.eggs.
-*The Health Protection
Branch of Health Canada
is responsible for inspcc-
�tion of all processed grain
products. Canadian grain
is protected by quality
standards enforced by the
Canadian Grains
Commission.
-*Guidance on acceptable
DON concentrations in.
food is provided because:
- eating a lot (one third
to one half of your diet) of
contaminated flour or
grain can cause acute,
temporary nausea and
vomiting;
- longterm exposure
may make people more
susceptible to infectious
disease. -
(from Wheat Board com-
munication)
WORSHIP SERVICES RESUME
CAVAN UNITED CHURCH
WINTHROP
NORTHSIDE UNITED CHURCH
SEAFORTH
Sunday September .8th
Cavan 9:30 a.m. (intergenerational) Northside 11:00 a.m. iuitergeneraounali
Adult Bible Study 9:30 a.m. •
Sunday School Sunday School Registration 1030 a.m.
Congregational Meeting 12:00 (for both.congregations)
Teo approve the appointment of Jane Kuepfer as
supply minister for Seaforth Pastoral Charge.
Pot Luck Lunch to follow
Everyone invited -
4
FARMING 15
IN. OUR SLOOP
BEEP!
At MetLife, we understand the needs and
challenges of farmers. -
For generations. we have provided life
insurance and retirement savings programs for
farmers like you. -
Whether it's insuring inter -generational
transfers of the family farm. life insurance to
protect debtor mortgage obligations,
key -person insurance, registered retirement
savings. annuities or registered retirement
income funds, your MetLife representative can
plant the seeds of a solid financial program, for
you and your family.
Call your MetLife representative today.
Then, watch your financial plan grow.
p RUDY J. JANSEN
a. R.R. #2, QUBLIN
-- 345-2956
° OR 271-2041
MetLife
((Formerly Shinen's Men's & Ladies' Wear)
optiN
Tuesday, Sept. 3rd
9:30 am - 5:30 pm
See the latest ladies' & Men's fall Fashions
Sept. 3rd until Sept. 14th
PA,11
rts.7.
• *We will deduct,the amount equivalent
to the P.S.T. & G.S.T. off the regular retail price
l
FREE GIFTS TO ALL VISITORS
DOOR PRIZES
IST PRIZE '100 GIFT CERTIFICATE
2\ 1) PRIZE '50 GIFT CERTIFICATE
3RD i'RIZE '25 GIFT CERTIFICATE
527-0278
30 MAIN ST., SEAFORTH