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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-03-09, Page 88 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, March 9 2005 News 8,000 farmers converge on Queen's Park From Page 1 The Ontario Wheat Producers have met with Premier Dalton McGuinty and Steve Peters, minister of agriculture. He added they listened to the wheat producers concerns but did not actually hear. "Many will not grow crops. We need action now. We need an immediate infusion of $300 million." Jerry Prentice, a Niagara area cash -cropper, who noted there's not much cash in cropping right now, said crop prices are half what they were last year and Ontario croppers can'tcompete when Quebec and American crops benefit from government subsidies. Martin Lang, a cash crop producer from Glengarry County, said he lost $56,000 last year and now he can't pay bills. To add insult to injury, he noted he had an above average production year. The Ontario government has to help its farmers in order to give them an even playing -field with Quebec and the U.S. Bill Top, president of the Ontario Deer and Elk Association, said Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) spin doctors are waging war on deer and elk fanners. He added the McGuinty government is trying to take eaforth Community Medical Centre 28 Centennial Drive, Seaforth NOK 1 WO 519-527-1770 q/l/E. oma Dr. Helen Frye Clinic Hours : Monday 8:30 - 5 p.m. Tuesday 8:30 - 5 p.m. evening walk-in 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday 8:30 - 5 p.m. Friday 8:30 - 5 p.m. Joining our team : Dr. Heather Percival Dr. Dan Rooyakkers Dr. William Milne Dr. Anne Laviolette Dr. Shawn Edwards Seaforth Community Medical Centre welcomes new patients Please call to book an appointment 519-527-1770 their farms away. "We need to be governed by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), not the MNR. The MOA is doing nothing about it," said Top, asking, "How can a non-ag ministry dictate (what happens in an agricultural industry)." According to Top, McGuinty said he promised to make agriculture the strongest ministry in the cabinet. "Mr. McGuinty, keep your promise. The time for action is now, not six months ago." Chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Len Troupe said farmers need help to secure their future and their children's future. "A country can't feed itself if it cannot sustain itself." In cities, it is possible to buy groceries online in seven minutes, noted Larry Skinner, chair of Ontario Pork. He added he got the surprise of a lifetime, when after giving a ride to a lawyer from Toronto, he found out she did not know that farms actually existed. "It's time for the Ontario government to recognize Ontario farmers," he said, adding it also has to make consumers more aware of the contribution agriculture makes to the province. Noting the need for financial assistance in the agriculture sector, Skinner said, "Now is not the time for a handout, but a hand up. We need more than sympathetic words. We need action." Skinner said immediate financial aid is needed, as well as a long-term plan prepared with producer, processor and government input. Ontario Flue -Cured tobacco Growers' Marketing Board chair Fred Neukamm noted that his parents moved to Canada to escape from war - ravaged Europe. They worked on a tobacco farm and eventually saved up to buy their own farm. Neukamm added he and his wife saved up to buy the same farm from his parents. "I think we'll be the last farmers in the family." According to Neukamm, MAJOR VOLUME PURCHASE FROM G.M. - EXCLUSIVE TO MCGEE MOTORS LIMITED W 2 —a eia CC 1- O W W v O f - W H x W of O oc N a o�c a. W 1 O OC 0 W J N 0 W W 1— W N —J ca W 1, 55 2005 JIMMYS ORDERED! 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At right, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Steve Peters, is questioned by the media. the Ontario government has openly declared war on tobacco, to which they are addicted, financially anyway. He added a tobacco farmer only gets two per cent from all tobacco sales, while the government gets 40 per cent. Tobacco farmers need a long-term strategy to help them exit the tobacco industry, he said, adding farmers can't go on without government support and they will unite to fight for all agriculture and rural communities. Addressing MPPs he said, "We call on you to fight with us, not against us." Despite a crowd of more than 8,000 people, Paul Storey, of Vincent Farm Equipment Ltd., said Monday that there wasn't enough coverage on the news that night or in the newspapers the next day. "If there was coverage, it generally didn't cut to the issues." Storey said he felt the biggest issue was subsidizing. While the world markets all have similar prices, grain prices in Michigan and Quebec are subsidized. "I'm equally as frustrated with the premier," said Storey adding, when sending e-mails to Huron Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell's, Peters' and McGuinty's offices, at least Mitchell's office replies. McGuinty's office has returned an e-mail saying it doesn't respond to e-mails, said Storey, adding they .only respond by Canada Post. While the OFA was holding the rally in Queen's Park, McGuinty was in Oshawa giving $435 million to General Motors (GM), said Storey, adding, "Oils and grain seeds only asked for $300 million. It's looking poor on McGuinty's behalf - giving $435 million to GM, when farmers are standing in Queen's Park." Storey said Peters tried to blame the federal government for not sharing tax dollars with the provinces. "It's just a cop out," he said, adding Quebec 'and other provinces seem to be able to get enough funding to their farmers. "We need the help of thF press to not let him get awa with that," he noted, adding there has to be enough pressure on the government to make them stop passing the buck. On Monday, Brian McGavin, of McGavin Farm Equipment, said he was upset with McGuinty and his priorities. He noted that McGuinty took many reporters to GM to make the $435 million funding announcement for the auto industry. McGavin said he was impressed with the MPPs that got out amongst the farmers in the rally and started asking for ideas on solutions. Soy bean growers, for example, could plant $10 worth of soy beans and only get $6. for the same amount at harvest. The problem with soy is the Chicago Trade, which sells on speculation, not on supply and demand. McGavin said farmers are going into the mills with their crop, opening their wallets and saying, "give me what you want to." "There's no control on what you're going to get. It's tough to budget," he said. When asked, he added sales are off and many farmers aren't able to pay accounts receivable. "It's hard to come down hard on them. Banks are coming down on them." In some cases, McGavin noted consumers are a problem. If a bag of apples from, say, China were to sell for three cents cheaper than a bag of apples from Ontario, he said the consumer would probably buy the apples from China. If the governments gave a percentage of the money they gave the auto industry to the agriculture industry, McGavin said, "Even that would be good." According to Todd Hoggart, of Huron Tractor. he's never been a part of something on the magnitude of the farm rally in Queen's Park before. On Monday, he said a sequrity guard told a couple of Huron County farmers, briefly escaping the cold that the rally was the biggest crowd in Queen's Park since the pope visited. "I liked ,how the farmers • treated it. It wasn't radical." While he was pleased to see many news outlets in attendance at the rally, he said he was told there wasn't much coverage of the event that night (his bus didn't return to Huron County until later that evening). Hoggart noted there was probably more coverage on the increase in milk prices farmers were asking for than on the rally. He added the farmers were only asking for a pittance of a few cents for the price of milk. Whether the price of milk is $3.97 or $3.99, he said few people would notice the difference. One Dublin -area farmer • said he was pleased with the turnout and support. "I have good hopes the government will come through with some of the demands," said Gerry O'Reilly, a hog farmer. O'Reilly, who also grows corn, soy and winter wheat, said crops are hurting. While there has been a little increase in crop prices lately, he added the prices are still lower than it costs to produce. After the rally. Peters met briefly with the media before departing for a plane to Ottawa. He said the Ontario government has adopted the agriculture framework policy, which is a long-term investment that will provide $1.7 billion to farmers. He noted it is important to farmers to get their fair share and added the federal government took $23 billion more from Ontario than it needed. "We need to make sure Ontario gets its fair share," said Peters. "For all government, silence means consent," shared McGavin. The quote Was from a Canadian Federation Of Independent Businesses card. McGavin added. "The future of agriculture is too important to be left to politicians."