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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2009-10-14, Page 6!s6 The Huro•n • October 4, 2009 Dan Schwab' 4111111.111111110 Too little, too late. That's the opinion of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture regarding the federal government's announcement last week about a $75 million Hog Farm Transition Program, made available to pork producers starting Oct. 8 through a partnership with the Canadian Pork • Council. The assistance program is aimed at allowing pork producers to tran- sition out of the industry, to reduce the national breeding herd and bring supply back in line with demand. Producers will be provided with $85 per market hog, retroactively to April 1, 2009. Applications are based on a tender- ing process, where producers will bid for the amount of funding they re- quire to take their barns out of oper- ation for a minimum of three years. But the $75 million allotted to the program is only a drop in the bucket, considering the crisis facing pork producers nationwide, says Wayne Black, president of the HCFA. "In six months in 2009, the top three pork producing counties in Canada — News i�w!' �wwww9 Huron, Perth and Oxford — are set to lose .$60 million," Black says. "How far 'is $75 million going to go when spread across all of Canada?" An array of challenges, from bad publicity surrounding the misnamed "Swine Flu" to the Country of Origin Labeling legislation discouraging ex- ports south of the border, to the re- cent global economic downturn has created a perfect storm for pork pro- ducers, prompting Black to admit it's hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. He says once the national hog herd is reduced and the local industry thins out, it's going to have far reach- ing ramifications on the economy, af- fecting feed suppliers, equipment re- tailers and other businesses. "In 2006, Huron County's pork in- dustry represent- ed 24 per cent of farm gate sales, equally $150 mil- lion," he says. "The non -farmer has to realize to shut down pork producers is going You are invited to attend ANGLICAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Parish of The Holy Spirit Sunday, October 18" Worship&School at 930 am Vicar of Dibley movie a night Fri. Oct 16th at 7 pm Parish Coundl meets Sat. Oct 17 St Nick's Crafter's bees at 9:30 am Office hours and IfAoming Prayer with Rev. Koine FrIEveryone we dooms BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982 Sunday Schaoyol • All Ages • 9:45 am Youth Gro p & B&G1 Club Wednesday 7 pm Pastor Mark Kennedy EVERYONE WELCOME NORTHSIDE UNITED Welcomes you 145th Anniversary Service Sunday October 18th at 11 am Guest Minister: Rev. Wilbert Schwindt Special Music Colleen Schwindt, Kara Stoll Potluck to follow Nursery & Sunday School 519-527-2635 Ideunited these area churches ST. JAMES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 519-345-2972 Sunday Mass 11 am ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN Saturday Mass 5 pm Sunday Mass 9 am FR. CHRIS GILLESPIE EGMONDVILLE UNITED CHURCH Pastor Stew Hildebrand Worship Oct.18"h 11 am Adult & Youth Sunday School at l0 am • Elevator & Ear Buds Available Come Worship with us and share Christian Fellowship Turkey Supper Wed. Oct, 28th FIRST PRESB RI N CHURCH 59 Goderlch St. W. Seaforth 519.527- 0170 Sunday Oct 18'",11:15 am - Rev. Bill Venderstelt Comma Saha Potluck supper 17 Oct 25 Oct 25 No morning sevice -nSeaf th 3 pm - Final Worship Service for St Andrews, Clinton with Rev. Ted Nelson - Lunch to follow Is invited to attend. to have impacts far and wide. You can tell the frustration is mounting." Black adds that the program is sending a negative message to young farmers looking to start a career in the hog industry. Last week, the Federal government also announced that pork producers can start applying for government - backed loans to develop long-term business plans in a partnership with financial institutions such as Farm Credit Canada, to be negotiated on a farm -by -farm basis based on viable business plans. But Black says many pork produc- ers are already over-extended with loans and mortgages and the idea of paying back another loan may turn b■■, vM,v ■ ■■ them off the program. There is a maximum of 15 years on the loan term but producers will be encouraged not to exceed 10 years. The loans are not interest-free and will carry commercial interest rates. Black is concerned about how pro- ducers will be able to pay off the loans after 10 years. "My concern is, does the indus- try need to go out and borrow more money to limp it's way out of this?" he says. "Even if they cut a cheque to pork producers, given the severity of the crisis, the (benefit) is going to be slim," he says. There are approximately 300 pork producers in Huron County. Corn crops still two weeks behind as farmers deal with rain, wet and cold Dan Schwab 4111111111.111111111110 Farmers have a reason to be concerned as corn crops across Huron County continue to be about two weeks behind schedule in reaching maturity, says Peter Johnson, a crops special- ist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "The rain is not helping any crop," Johnson says. "We need summer to return for at least three weeks. Maybe a month." Johnson says farmers would've liked to have finished the silage harvest by now, but there is still "an awful lot" to be harvested yet, a delay caused by the wet ground preventing machin- ery from entering fields. He says while there is a relatively small amount of frost damage among the local. corn crop compared to other areas of Southwest- ern Ontario, frost has affected isolated fields across the region and killed some corn crops. Johnson says even if the county doesn't expe- rience warm weather, dry weather will suffice at this point. Concern began to grow about corn crops not reaching maturity before the frost hits as early as mid -summer andhil itcontinues w e co t nues to wor- ry farmers, Johnson says the outlook has im- proved. "We're way better off today than a month ago," he says. "But fields are still at risk. Corn is not a very rosy picture at this point." Johnson says a normal season would see the grain corn harvest be- gin around Oct. 15. "This year, I'd be surprised if it came before Nov 1," he says. Soy bean crops are faring better than corn in terms of maturity, since September was a warm, dry month. Still, the crop is about five to seven days behind schedule, with some isolated frost damage. There is still a "tremendous" amount of edible beans to be harvest- ed and Johnson says the crop is more susceptible . to go off -quality if they mature and the weather continues to be wet. This impacts the planting of winter wheat significantly, because it can only go into the ground after the bean harvest. As long as the weather remains wet, farmers are at a standstill, he says. "The longer it takes to harvest beans, the yield potential for winter wheat goes down," he says. "Every day it rains, we're looking at a small- er winter wheat crop." Johnson says that ideally, winter wheat should've been in the ground by Oct. 10. ban Coudry Federation aNWM+s: ANNuAL/RrG1oNAL MEETING Thursday, October 22, 2009 al the Sealant) Agriplex, Seaforth ON • Dinner starts at /:00 prrl Uslag the Internet on yorr Form — ANDPM Ci\MPBEI1., farms.com perishable fond Item + (oilo11e4 for the Huron to:xay rood Bonk of tt F role Tye genercxitifrt 1