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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2004-02-11, Page 2:2-TH1 HURON EXPOSITOR, FEBRUARY 11, 2004 92 west wun.. St Se.wnL, ON NOK I W O CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS March 1st to March 12th APPOINTMENTS RESUME March 15th *************************************** * • Now Offering Tera Mai Reiki * * 1 Hour Reiki • 1 1/2 Hour Reiki & Massage Combo * 1 Hour or 1/2 Hour Massage * *************************************** BECKY CAMPBELL Registered Massage Therapist 527-2058 See You Soon In Our Fresh New Room News Public support key to political support for farmers, says Bonnett From Pogo 1 OFA, and other farming - related groups, have been meeting with government officials to hash out a plan to . aid farmers. He acknowledged the agricultural policy framework is flawed. "The affordability of new programs is a concern to those without money in the Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA)," he said. "As far as saying the system is perfect, we know it's not." Bonnett said the key to garnering more political support is through public support. He says the public needs to know its comfortable standard of Save like never before at Cardno's ir• invenlor Liquidation ALL FALL &WINTER FASHIONS MUST BE SOLD!!! 0% AFF *Shirts •Casual Pants *Sweaters *Selected Jeans Priced from as low as $15.99 In -stock items only. Hurry for best selection. SALE ENDS WHEN OUR STORE IS NAKED! CFiiZt7N0'S MEMS WEFiZ living, "has a lot to do with the bargain in the grocery basket." He noted, as an example of dwindling political support, the federal government invested $61.50, per capita, into agriculture in 1987 while that figure dropped to $33.12, per capita, in 2003. Paul Mistele, OFA's regional director for Elgin West, said the devaluation of the Canadian dollar is having a devastating effect on the hog industry. "There are going to be some people the industry. We know that right now," he said. Mistele said it is important to track trends as food is garnering more attention on the world stage due to mounting concerns about obesity in North America. "I feel obesity is going to be the next tobacco," he said. "We've all seen the battle that's been going on between tobacco and society for the past 10 years." A hog farmer, among only a handful present at the meeting, said the turnout for the OFA town hall -style event was small because farmers have become disillusioned with the political process. He said the OFA should lobby for a one -cent tax on agricultural products, which should be spun off to the industry in order to create necessary income stabilization programs as well as to invest in research and development. He refuted Bonnett's suggestion the industry must educate consumers. . "It's not my job to educate the consumer," he says. "We have got to start thinking outside of the box." Though the OFA president said the government would likely shun such a plan because of a public backlash, the farmer says the plan could indeed work. "No one wants to spend a billion on gun control and the Liberals got back in. Know what I'm saying?" he said. Wayne Black, a Dungannon -area cash crop farmer, said educating farmers is important, too. "Why not get the farmer educated on what the consumer really wants?" he asked, noting what the public says it will do and what it actually does are often two different things. Steve Webster, a heifer breeder, said his operation has been losing up to $30,000 a month thanks to closed borders. He fears many operations will go bankrupt if the United States decides not to open its borders until after its presidential election is held. The OFA president acknowledged there is no cut- and-dried answer to that question. "This is the biggest wild card there is," he said, adding, nonetheless, the U.S. will have to open up the border to Canadian beef if it wants Japan and Korea to re -open its borders to U.S. imports. Farmers would have kept more money if BSE support done differently, says Steckle From Pogo 1 starving farmers to death with no cash flow. "All of these federal programs are a false hope. We've got to see some direction from this government." Conservative MP Monte Solberg (Medicine Hat) expressed disappointment that there was no mention in the throne speech and called on the Liberals to come forward with additional funding. "Cattlemen never come with their hands out as a matter of pride," Solberg said. "(The beef industry) has been the single strongest leg of agriculture in Canada and now the final leg has been sawed The Corporation of the Municipality of Huron East NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c.25, as amended, s.34, the Council of the Corporation of the Municipalitx of Huron East proposes to enact by-laws as described below to stop up and close a road allowance between Centennial Road and Division Line, Tuckersmith Ward, and to stop up and close a road known as Bridge Road between Grieves Line and North Line, McKillop Ward. NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c.25, as amended, s. 47, the Council of the Municipality of Huron East proposes to enact a by-law to rename a road allowance known as Grieves Line to Bridge Road, McKillop Ward. The proposed by-laws and descriptions of the lands affected may be viewed at the Huron East Municipal office at the address below hereinafter noted. On Tuesday, February 17th, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Municipal Building, 72 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario, the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Huron East will consider the by-law's as described below for closure of the road allowances and also the proposed public road naming change. Any person wishing to be heard on this matter who claims that his or her land will be prejudicially affected by the said by-laws may apply to be heard. Dated at the Municipality of Huron East This 28th day of January, 2004. By-law 5-2004 proposes to stop up and close a portion of a road allowance located on Con. 5 LRS, and Con. 7 & 8 HRS. Please refer to diagram below. Lot 24 Lot iS Coo. S LRS 4 Read AOowmce suhject t" replied By -14w 5-2004 Tuckersmith Ward John R. McLachlan, Clerk -Administrator Municipality of Huron East 72 Main Street South Seaforth, Ontario. NOK 1 WO 519-527-0160 By-law 6-2004 proposes to stop up and close a portion of a road allowance known as Bridge Road. Please refer to diagram below. Lot 26 Cos. 5 By-law 7-2004 proposes to rename a public road known as Grieves Linc to Bridge Road. Please refer to diagram below. Road Allowance subject to proposed By-law 6-2004 Road Allowance subject to proposed Bylaw 72004 sot 26 Con. 4 t McKillop Ward 4p . rTC 4 `i-.ek.X7P4t out. "They can't sustain this any longer they can't wait (for funding)." Solberg said the time for committees to be struck is gone. What's needed now, more than ever, is financial assistance to save an entire industry. "It is getting real, real tough and this time we're going to have to ask for help from the government," Solberg said. "We pay our taxes and now we're asking for a little back." Speller pointed to the $520 million, already paid out in BSE support payments and an additional $120 million in support of the cull cattle program. He said another $600 million has also been made available through transfer payments. "We will be meeting with banks next week to assure them that the government is doing everything they can to open the borders," Speller said. "The government recognizes this as a problem and we will do everything we can." Speller, however, stopped short of offering new money to help cash-strapped farmers. Steckle, who expects to hear over the next two weeks whether he will be returning as chair of the standing committee on agriculture, said in hindsight the government probably would have handled the BSE crisis differently saying it would have made more sense to hold all funding until the end of the year. "At that point the prices would have been established in the market place based on a market value that the packers felt was appropriate rather than looking at government money as a way of paying a lower price for cattle," Steckle said. "I think farmers would have ended up with more money in their pocket but given the circumstances there was this urgency that we get this money to them quickly." Perhaps the only glimmer of good news for beef producers came last week when an international panel ruled that it's "probable" the United States imported other infected cattle from Canada but American officials should show leadership by discouraging "irrational trade barriers." The report appeared to endorse renewed cattle trade with Canada but said the United States is at risk for more BSE cases and needs more surveillance and an expanded feed ban. The panel also said the United States should set up a task force to coordinate efforts with Canada and characterized the BSE case as a North American problem. Steckle called the report promising and said it's only a matter of time before the border between both countries reopens. Food Freedom Day marked Feb. 7 By Sara Campbell Expositor Staff The Huron County Federation of Agriculture recently marked the day when Canadians have earned enough income to pay their grocery bills for the entire year. "It's certainly a day that I hope all consumers would appreciate that as Canadians we are able to buy our groceries at the lowest cost and the highest quality," said HCFA director Nick Whyte of Food Freedom Day on Saturday, Feb. 7. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture calculates that it takes 37 days, from Jan. 1, to acquire the income needed to cover annual food expenses (on a per capita basis). "It's amazing to see how few days, less than probably any other country, that we are able to pay our grocery bill for the year," said Whyte, adding that Food Freedom Day can be compared to Tax Freedom Day in July, According to 2002 data supplied from Statistics Canada, the income per capita was $28,558. Food expenditures per capita was $3,001. That means 10.51 per cent of the average Canadian's income is spent on food. According to statistics supplied by the federations, in Huron County 69 per cent of the labour force is tied to agriculture and every on- farm job creates- 3.53 jobs off the farm. Huron Federation of Agriculture Director Wayne Hamilton said that because the statistics are from 2002 the total income has dropped and food prices have changed. "Things have changed in the last couple of years," said Hamilton. "Gross income is going up but costs are going up even higher." However, Whyte said even with the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Alberta beef consumption has actually gone up. "I don't think those stats are too far off, not too much has changed," said Whyte. "Thc safety factor is still there, more so than before."