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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-02-03, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR. February 3, 1999 Other commodities are susceptible to same crisis as pork. BY DAVE scoi' - Lakeshore Advance Editor Other commodities are. susceptible to the same crisis the pork .industry is 'now • facing. Ontario Federation 'of Agriculture (O.FA) president • . Ed. Segsworth was in Huron and Perth Counties last week • addressing concerns of pork producers in their recent crisis of a falling market. Segsworth held a • news conference Wednesday morning at•"the Triple A :restaurant in Exeteralong with OFA vice president. Ton -Bonnett and Huron Federation Of Agriculture (HFA) president Pat Down. On January" 20. 400 pork ' producers gathered at- the South Huron Recreation Centre to hear Ken Palen of Kenpal Farm. Products of Centralia. talk about pork producers • investing . in independent processors as:a plan to make the pork industry more stable and profitable: It gives -the farmer a • say 'in :his destiny - what's going to take place with production," said Segsworth"about-the idea: The OFA president. has.' commented publicly .in an:. •open- Metter to. the editor in Ontario newspapers .that the • association ation is not going to tell" producers how to market their. commodity. "Farmers know. their industry in•detail. and -what alternatives are -available; •to them. The commodity groups must decide among themselves which approach is • the hest. long-term interests of their_ members.'' stated Segsworth to the letter. Once the.pork producers make a• decision about what i -s hest -for . /• OFA vice president Ron Bonnett, Pat Down=Huron FA president and OFA president Ed Segsworth•look over lengthy forms for the provincial relief program. SCOTT PHOTO them. the OFA will stand. behind their decision. -he says. As well. the. OFA has been lobbying_ for policies. relief programs nd other assistance: programs- from ,t -he governmentfs)..: "We'll see what can. he done politically. Politicians move. slow: in any crisis. you want to -get things running quickly._: WeII try -to speed them up," said Segsworth. - If the producers invest in• shares of the proccsiors. it will "increase their business and -increase the use of.Ontario • pork." say-snce OFA president. . ."Why not -process it here tin Ont.irio1!.i1:wt11 create all kinds.of fobs and revitalize rural Ontario." he says. • When- asked -If the recent crisis in the flunk industry. might -he a.provlhcial election • • issue, Segsworth said it might. be. But there are long term behalf of the producers to make things work.. "To market the product is foreign to some- producers. They are excellent at what they do - producing," says the OFA president. Bonnett said Ontario is at the point the west was a couple of years ago. "Most producers are aware of how vulnerable they are.'. Down said producers are . realizing there's strength in numbers. Competition drives prices down. For example. there's 5.000 producers • competing for one buyer.. "The. Dutch auction system is not working any more..There's not. enough buyers," she said. The HFA- president -suggested looking at global markets. . Bonnett ` said "careful focussing on global markets if you're not making any money. Profit is not a dirty work." "No one dreamt we would be hit with these pig prices:" said Down.' • • Segsworth criticized the provincial government for quickly announcing $40 - million in relief and then "they spent time telling us' how they're not going to hand it out. They've announced it's there.. Let's get it out to farmers."- said the :OFA president. He' said a trial of the relief program was tried.out using some actual figures': from.. farmers. The forms did not • include a negative margin. "It's like you're in 30 feet of water and they only give you 20 feet of rope," said Bonnett. .When people realize how little they're going to: get. that's when they are going to scream and holler." said Segsworth. goals ,that go beyond the election. "U's not a short term solution. it's "a long term solution - once it gets going."• • Segsworth says • other industries can be susceptible to the unexpected crisis that hit pork..like the beef industry and grain and oil seeds. • • Down made the. comment that industries pjotecte.d by quota (egg: dairy, poultry).are safer from the .kind •of market crash pork 'producers experienced. • "it's making people look at. how commodities -are marketed. The cattle and hog. industry is looking at it as .a whole. how. processing..; distrthution,and retailing is • being handled." said Segsworth.: "It's in the •hands of too .few people. • They 'want to handle. it in - 'mega' process." he says. it will take some change on "We want a disaster program - but it has to -he effective." said the OFA vice-president. Bonnett doesn't see it as a bailout, but as industry support. - "The government does support other industry. It's easy to give handouts to a few .hig corporations quietly." said the HFA president. ' "We think the agricultural sector should be invested in," said Bonnett. Segsworth was asked.how to get a federal disaster plan -past the western provinces and into -effect. "If the disaster- is -anywhere, that's where the money needs to go." He said there should he disaster relief for what happened to pork pr&iucers and- also for things like drought and ice -storms. "The feds _need to get on it. The Ontario government did jump on. board fast hut needed better thought process;," said. Bonnett.. Will young farmers hail out? -There's concern about the number of young pork producers this crisis is affecting. "is this going to sour them. turn them off?..Arc we going to lose a generation of fanners? We can't afford to lose them. The"average age of. farmers is 55. It's sad when we're not revitalizing -our industry. On' the other hand. some older pork producers have lost .almost everything. "People have seen their retirement fund- go.out the window. their life - savings- disappear in a matter of months'." said Bonnett. There's a.criticism that pork producers should have-heen putting away money for bad times. "You can't fault a young• person for that. They ,are paying down their capital... said Down. Crisis counselling available A hot line has been set and a stress councillor hired to deal with the crisis. "People are concerned how they're going .u) get through this and that their equity is disappearing," said. Segss ortb. "it's stressful • on a family. There isn't money, • to put food on the table." . Since the hot line was set up before Christmas there's `�e •n ' around. 800 calk. •'It' a few months iron anger to let's sole " doesn't happen .i, the OFA vice presideru "It's in the hest interest of the - - producers. government and consumers to support the pork industry in. Canada." said Segsworth. "11 could happen to . any . industry .and any ' corrrmo diiy." • • -New hog harns In answer to criticism shout all the new hog_s harns _ springing up in the past year or • two. Segsworth said Each industry re -tools itself. We're. not shipping any more hogs'.~ now than -in the mid-1980s. The new barns are replacing-: • the old. it's like cash crops. when the industry is strong. you buy -a new _combine:" said -the OFA president. "That's ..- .Why; the consumer is still paying. 13. Der: cent of •.his .incoritc on rood'hecausc the.. farmer _reinvests in -the.. economy." said Bonnett. "The consumer in ...Canada is. spending -less of -their' disposable' income on ftirid• • than any other country in the world:!' said Segsworth.'In. - ;some • European countries. consumers pay 25 or 26 per. cent of their income on food. • • WIN! .1A/IN.- ■ ■ WIN. WIN. WIN.) This Valentine's shop these Seaforth Area Businesses. enter your name or your sweetheart's name at any or all of these participating businesses andyou could WIN one of the prizes provided by each store. One Winner per store. Ballots available at each location. Winners will be announced in Wed. February 10 Huron Expositor. - $25 Gift Certificate from ANNA'S , �: BLESS SHOP`E SEAFORTH WIN! X20 GIFT CERTIFICATE SPARKY'S PLACE, FAMILY DINING rani' i' sr7•1ssa% 1 WIN! SPA MANICURE JACKIE'S •IR &AESTHETICS 8 , St., Sear 7-179G°l WIN! 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