HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-04-19, Page 5News
.Farmers anticipate problems with
drastic changes to OMAFRA offices
By Carl Stavros
Clinton News -Record Staff
After battles with dry
weather and low commodity
prices, county farmers will
be faced with yet another
challenge as the delivery of
vital agricultural information
from the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs (OMAFRA) will
undergo drastic changes. say
area producers.
Throughout the month of
April, OMAFRA will be
eliminating its field offices
and Agricultural
Representatives in favor of
an enhanced internes site. a
agricultural hotline and
publication formats.
Although the ministry is on
record as stating that the
changes will help it provide
better service to. its clients.
members of the farming
community are not as
positive.
.Everett Ridder, a county
apple producer, stated that
the changes taking place in
the delivery of information
from OMAFRA will make it
more difficult for him to
access vital. unbiased data.dn
some cases, he explained.
farmers have a very small
window in which to receive
or verify vital data.
"When spraying _ for
insects, you have a' very
narrow time frame," Ridder
• stated, adding that the wind
. and weather conditions must
be exact to -achieve
maximum effectiveness. He -
also expressed his concern
that if information cannot be
• accessed immediately,.
waiting for a response may
take some time, summing up
that, "bureaucrats don't work
as fast as the weather-
(changes)."
eather(changes)."
In fact, Ridder stated that a
recent quest for data lead him"
to the deputy -minister -of,
agriculture's Office. His
query was finally answered
when he received a
photocopied portion of a
publication by mail.
The reality of. the
OMAFRA restructuring,
according to Ridder, is that
now farmers are going to
have to turn to sales people
for such information and
questioned their ability to
provide the "most effective
environmental"advice.
As an apple producer.
Ridder stat hat the closest
government I presentative
for him is 1 ondon and
.there is only one person
servicing the entire
southwestern region of
Ontario.
Some of the basic elements
of rural life. said Ridder,
have been overlooked in the
new structure OMAFRA has
developed. Many farmers, he
said, still use rotary phones
and arc still on party lines,
which will make it difficult
tb call in to the hotlines; let
alone use the internes. This
makes hiring consultants a,
veritable necessity, which
Ridder said will- again cost
the farmer more in expenses.
The changes not only place
additional challenges in
'information gathering on
farmers. but 'also place them
in what .he called a
disadvantaged position in.
comparison with the
agricultural producers south
of the border. While -the U.S:
equivalent•of,fteld offices are
being.expanded, Ridder said
the closures here will place
the American producers at an
advantage.
• However, in the' global
pork . market. Ontario
producers will now face an
even steeper -disadvantage,
said county pork producer
Dave -Linton.
-1`n an OMAFRA sponsored
project a few years ago,
Danish 'pork industry
representatives who toured
the county's .pork farms told
_of the - system. in . their
country.
"Even more advantage
would go to Denmark (than
the- U.S.)," explained Lit n..
"They have a wonderful
system there." It offers
Danish pork producers a
strong network of the world's
best information of pork
production, as they have
industry representatives..
touring the globe to seek out
the most effective produdtion
practices.
But Ontario producers will.
also have difficulty
competing with the rest of
Canada, according to Linton.
"Producers seem to have
more support in Quebec," he
stated:
•
But for Linton. they
OMAFRA's latest
restructuring bid is merely
another step in what he said
has been a shrinking
ministry. •
"For the past 10 years,
(successive) governments
have been eroding thc
ministry," Linton stated. He
added that he would not he
surprised if the ministry is
eventually eliminated all
together.
When asked where he
would now turn for vital
information. Linton pointed
!o the sales representatives
from whom he purchases his
materials. But it is not just
technical advice that the
ministry offered farmers, he
said. He and his wife,
Brenda, attended a seminar
presented by ministry
officials regarding power of
attorney, , a. business
management concern: •
."It was a real eye opener.".
he said, as they were
.informed that all business
operations •should be in both
names in case of death.
Linton explained that it was
essential that both names
appear on the' official
documents so that his wife
would assume ownership of
their entire operation should
-something happen to him.
Linton . agreed with a
comment from Pat Down,
president of 'the Huron
County ' Federation of
Agriculture that appeared in
an interview with the News -
Huron -Perth could lose WOSSAA
By Matt Shuffle
Goderich Signal Star Staff
Huron -Perth schools have
been part of the competitive
WOSSAA athletics
association for decade but
they could be removed if a
group of London -area
schools gets its way.
The Thames Valley Region
Athletic Association has
informed the Ontario
Federation of School Athletic
Associations (OFSAA) it
wants to be a separate region
within the . prov,incial.
structure. This. could force
the 12 secondary schools in
Huron-Perth•to join with
schools in another region.
"I can certainly sec why
they're doing it," said Terry
Johnston, of Seaforth, a
director on the Western
Ontario Secondary School
Athletics Association
.(WOSSAA).
Johnston said the Thames
Valley schools have no
problem with Huron and
Perth but have legitimate
reasons to seek a stand-alone
organization. Currently, more
than 40 London -area
secondary schools have to
have playoffs before they
even arrive at WOSSAA,
creating an expensive extra
tier of competition.
"There is certainly a lot of
merit from a financial
standpoint," said Johnston.
"It has nothing to do with
them not wanting us, or us
not being welcomed ... it's
just logistics."
Changes affecting Huron
and Perth would probably.
not take place for at least two
years, he said..
"I don't think it's
something that's going to be
done in a hurry."
A standing committee on
restructuring would look at
the issue.
"I think if .OFSAA is
looking at restructuring it
makes sense. to look at
London, to say ..:-youmight
as well be your own entity,"
said 'Johnston.
In one scenario. Huron and
Perth schoolscould he
accommodatedby splitting
the mammoth 64 -school
CWOSSA. conference
(second largest in Ontario),
which includes rural schools
not far from Huron -Perth.
Johnston said the change to
WOSSAA isn't necessarily a
bad thing as long as Huron
and Perth teams get adequate
chances to make OFSAA and
don't have to travel too far.
Although the 54 -school,
WOSSAA (Western Ontario
Secondary Schools Athletic
Association) region is
Ontario's third largest, the
competitive association
benefits Huron -Penh schools
because of the quality of the
competition, said Lou
Anjema, head of physical
• education at, Mitchell District
High School. •
"WOSSAA has always
been a very • strong
conference and has done
very well at OFSAA
championships," he said. "I
would like to see .us remain
under the .WOSSAA
umbrella."
Teams • in some
conferences (from A, AA or
AAA divisions)
automatically get a berth in
the OFSAA championships
while several competitive
teams in Western Ontario
have a hard fight to get there.
• Still, Anjema says he doesn't
want to see the Western
Ontario association gone.
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Record last week.' that young
farmers are the ones who will
be most adversely affected.
"We have not needed
OMAFRA as often as we
once did. but it is going to he
much, harder for the young
guys just -starting out. That's
what worries me the most."
he stated, adding that many
young farmers are tureen into
a serf -like role. when the
accept the 'contract barn'
Most young -farmers.
according to Linton. arc
coaxed into the contract barn •
situation as• the contractirrs
,possess the information that
the young fanner requires to
operate his . farm.
Unfortunately, the contracts
come with a high )nice.
"The. (cohtractor)"mike
the. majority .01 the Mom\
he said:
But Linton believes in,
future is not exempt Iron the
cuts at OMAFRA either. He
said that because he has leen
in the business• for 25 years.
he has personal contacts in
cx-OMAFRA people that he
:can still turn. to for
information. But as the\
move on. Linton is aware
that,hc.rnay eventually h
contact with them.
• "(The changes) arc going
to affect more of us (farmers)
as time goes on," fie said.
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THE HURON EXPOSITOR, April 19, 2000-5
Game On!
•
THIS WEEK...
Archie's Service Centre and UPI Inc. are
donating 1e each per litre of gasoline
sold between Apr. 14 - Apr. 21
stop in and fill up
UPCOMING....
"Fundraising Concert at Commercial on
Friday night, April 21 featuring Voodoo
Lounge, tribute to Rolling Stones, with
Seaforth's Brian Smith. Tickets at Town Hall
or Commercial. Free munchies, door prizes,
draws. Proceeds from tickets and draws to
Save Our School fund."
SOS SCRAMBLE, set for Saturday, May 13 at
3:30 !
To place your fundraising event here please.
call 527-0240
Huron '
xios� or
_011% EIECRt:11ER ‘E.W)RUi %RE%
"Your Community Newspaper"
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r
riatu
tail°nsto
CBill Campbell
Nominated for Barber
Shopper of renown!
, and also to Dave Campbell
and his quartet "intrigue", winners
of the Ontario District Competition,
held in Toronto
from
Whitney Ribey
Funeral Home & Staff
ra,
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S•
Success story #2112'
. 'ft's cleanest fields rue ever had The burn -
down .of sees was excellent. There was _
nothing to be found. On some of the non- .
labeled it did a good job too.
I'd ¢` jt,again, for sure
Success story #0081
"We had good control - the best control rve
had for a number of years. VPER' controlled
pretty well everything. Lamb's quarters.
it takes right out. I didn't see a ragweed.
It was excellent on ragweed"
Harry Mezenberg
Rodney. ON
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