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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2007-08-29, Page 9The Huron Expositor • August 29, 2007 Page 9 News Huron pork producer SEAFORTH AGAICULTUL RASOCIETY PRESENTS tentative with praise for SEAFORTH funding for Canadian pigs Jordan Baker aimmain Canada's pork industry got a leg - up from Agri -Food Canada last week when Agriculture and Agri- Foad Canada (AAFC) announced it would contribute $76 mil- lion over four years to address disease threats among the nation's pig farmers. Keith Robbins, Ontario Pork director of communications and consumer marketing, says farmers have lost 25 to 30 per cent of their pigs annually. He says diseases come in d t an o.bacgoou. "It's like when kids go.- back k to school. They're exposed to all those other kids again, and they all come back home with colds. Then it happens again around Christmas time.". The money will be divided, going into four areas: herd inoculation, research, bio -security best manage- ment practices and finding long- term risk management solutions. "Money will end up in farmers' hands," says Robbins, stating farm- ers will be directly compensated for inoculation. • He says bio -security is a big con- cern that will be addressed making farms more secure. "We don't want to introduce new viruses." Diseases the AAFC are looking to protect against include Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases and Porcine Reproduction and Respiratory Syndrome. Bruce Bergsma, executive director with the Huron County Federation of Agriculture (HCFA) and repre- senting pork producers at the HCFA board, mentions some pig farmers in the area have disease problems amongst their pigs. He says county farmers are nei- ther worse nor better off than other farmers in the country. "It's the same no matter where you go." Robbins says pig farmers have been struggling recently. "It goes in a cycle. We usually have a few good years and a few bad, but it's normally up and down. We've had mostly bad years." He says the price for a pig is less than the cost of production. "You lose every time you ship a pig." He says farmers are trying to minimize } costs per pig but feed prices are high, and adds, every time the Canadian dol- lar goes up, pigs south of the border get cheaper. Bergsma says packers are asking pork producers to cut back. He ref- erences a letter he received asking him to cut back his number of pigs going to the plant by 10 per cent. "They're saying, 'We can't make ends meet.' Well how the hell can we make ends meet if we can't ship our pigs?" Bergsma is tentative to praise the dollars the AAFC is putting forth to aid the country's pork producers. "It's Canada wide, I just don't know if it'll help," he says. "How good is the industry right now? I can't tell you." Having farmed for nearly 35 years Bergsma says it's "not the same as what it used to be." 'It's Canada: . wide, I just don't know if it'll help,'-- HFCA director Bruce Bergsma Don't Miss Our "BABY SHOW" Saturday, September 8 M 12:30 p.m. at the Apiplex Classes for Babies: 1. 0-6 months 2. 6-12 months 3. 12-18 months Prizes for all babies entered! Novelty classes i.e. most smiles, curliest hair, etc. Please call to register before Fri.. Sept. 7 at noon No registrations Sat. Sept. 8. Cao Fair Orece 11 aa. - 5 pa. at 5111427-1321 r ii l'.. Seaforth Agricultural Society FALL FAIlt PET SHow Sat., Sept. 8, 2007 at 10:30am Located at the Agri-Plex in the centre of the horse track. Bring your favourite pet and register in one of the following categories: e1.. L_ SBL'TiON Ct • Pet beat dressed A�CP'EL w Halloween • Most Unusual • Dressed to ow& your owner • Softest pet • Shortest legs 'mow can • Largest Cat • Mo Unusual Cas IX/Oe • Dig with the best tti tis ANON kit • Registration shuts at 10am • All entrants mist be 14tin or Younger • One pet pet child please • No entry fee required Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday SEPT. 6, 7, 8, & 9 Bring your friends! Bring your family! • Parade • Rides • Displays • Competitions and more! ma y, WSEPT. 6 • Exhibits registration 9-12pm • Homecraft • School • Grain • Judging of exhibits & Perth -Huron Jersey Show 12pm itFriday, SEPT. 7 • Huron County 4-H CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW 10:OOam • PARADE 10:30am THEME: BEEF IT UP! • HEAVY HORSE SHOW 12 noon • Children's entertainment: THE MAGIC OF DANIEL STEEP 12:30pm • SHEEP JUDGING 1:OOpm • PEDAL PULL REGISTRATION 1:OOpm • PEDAL PULL 1:30pm • Children's entertainment: THE MAGIC OF DANIEL STEEP 2:30pm • AMBASSADOR'S DINNER $20 pp 5:30pm at the Agri Plex (Advanced tickets only before Sept. 6 from office) • AMBASSADOR OF THE FAIR 7:30pm • Pork Carcass & Pie AUCTION 8:30pm (proceeds to Optimist Club) Thurs.. Fri.. & Sat.: FREE to admission with donation to local food bank or support for the fair im Sunday: adults $5 Be children 12 & under $21 A T r LVERY DAY000 • Comtnercial Exhibits • Homecraft Exhibits Do ald's Far • • Livestock Old • School Exhibits • Entertainment • Penny Sale • MidwaY • Food Rooth I 11I 1 1 Saturday, SEPT. 8 • CALF CLUB SHOW 10:OOam • PET SHOW 10:30am • CALF CLUB AUCTION SALE 11:OOam • JUDGING of Limousin, Hereford, Charolais 12:00 noon • STAN JACKSON Mark of Excellence Hereford Show 12;00 noon • BABY SHOW 12:30pm • PDAL PULL REGISTRATION 1pm • MINIATURE HORSE SHOW 1pm • PEDAL PULL 1:30pm • JUNIOR AMBASSADOR Competition & Local Talent Entertainment 1:30pm • AMBASSADOR CONTESTANTS pie eating contest 1:30pm • BIKE DRAW 4:OOpm • PENNY SALE DRAW 4:OOpm • EXHIBITOR'S STEAK BBQ $16pp 4:30-6pm (Advanced tick- ets only before Sept. 6 from office) • BX93 Video Dance AgriPlex - 9pm AGE OF MAJORITY ItAdmission: adults $5, children 12 & under $2 Midway in operation "Ride All Day" deal available • NEW LAWN MOWER TRACTOR PULL 2pm Entries call 519-527-2272 or 519-527-0797 or Ag. office Sunday, SEPT. 9 *Anyone Requiring COMMERCIAL SPACE Inside or Outside the Alex Cali 527-1321 or Fax 5274983. Fair Tags, Enby Forms a Meer Mists available at the Fair Office noon -bpm or Denser Commercial PrirlMrs.