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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-07-13, Page 7LOOKING FOR ANSWERS - Minister of:Agriculture and Food Jack Rid- dell had to deal with pointedquestions about drought when he visited the Livestock" hit hard Not only the crops arc•wither- ing and dying in the unseasonal hcatwave., Livestock producers are losing ,larger numbers of their.aninmals than usual as the heat takes its toll: . Dave Smith of Atwood Pet Foods said that he has been kept busy. with the collection of dead stock since the hc:rtwavc.struck. At this time of year he says he normally ships five or six loads of pigs a week• for rendering. ' Last wcck he shipped 1-1. "it's more or less thc heat," said Smith, noting that sows and pigs are poorly equipped to sur- vive in high temperatures. Cattle and horses, hc said, arc faring b. ttcr. "The odd one is dying of heat- stroke, but the pigs have been really bad." • --Whilo-the-drought may threat - "en supplies Of feed for later months, Smith saidr•it is not likely to cause starvation. The producers will simply ship the animals before the feed runs out. Another grim effect of thc hot weather. is how it prevents sick animals from making a normal recovery: "Bec"muse of the heat, for any cow that • is: sick it's hard for. them to get over it," said Smith. "It just adds to the whole situa- tion." farm of Rick OeBrabandere Thursday as part of a crop tour in Southern On- tario. Riddell remains optimistic KIRKTON -Ontario Agriculture and Food minister Jack Riddell ex- pressed optimism after inspecting the fields of arca farmer Rick. De Brabandcre Thursday as partt-of a province -wide crop tour. .. "We could all be surprised if we get a rain in the next two weeks," Riddell told a crowd of farmers and reporters. "Crops have a way of re- sponding." Examining one of Dc Braban- dcre's fields, Riddell Said the corn looked healthy in comparison to crops in other counties. The mini- ster found no trace of the blue -grey leaves which indicate severe dam- age. However, corn crops on either side of the De Brabandcre farm were tiny and stunted in comparison. The agriculture minister said hc .would pressure his federal counter- part, John Wise, to implement the same relief for Ontario farmers that western cattle producers arc receiv- ing, but he .refused to put a dollar figure on potential provincial relief. It's still too early to talk .about that," Riddell said. "We're still un= sure what our losses will be so there's no point developing a pro- gram if you don't know what's need- ed." The federal government has esta- blished an aid package of 576.5 mil- lion for the west. That sum is to be matched by the three prairie prov- inces. Asked about the Ontario Corn Producers Association's estimate that S20 million in. income is lost every. day the drought continues, Riddell questioned the figures. "I don't know where they came up with those figures," Riddell said. "I still think it's too early to .assess the damage." • Riddell promised to put the is- sues spawned by .drought on the • table at the federal -provincial meet- ing of agricultural ministers held just -prior to publication this week. "Maybe it's -time that we started to think • more -about conserving this land,- rather than pushing it for all that it can yield," Riddell said, echoing the concerns of De Braban- dere who called for _government in- centives for soil conservation. CRACKS FORMING IN A CORN FIELD Times -Advocate, July 13, 1988 Page 7 Price increases considered to be premature EXETER - While drought condi- tions arc driving crop prices up- wards, some feel the market trends 'nay be premature, given . that weather conditions could change to give average crop yields. 1 he prices are very weather- rctated,' said Bill Strong of Ag. Com in Exctcr, adding that the prices may have little to do with what farmers may really be har- , vesting -this year, drought and all. The traditional rules of specula- tion still hold true this season, to sell crops on rumor, but buy them on fact. Strong says 'a good rain will put some crops back .on track and will likely drive prices back down. "I think the bean crop -is still quite salvageable. I'm not so sure about the corn," he said. One trend Strong has noticed is a decrease in forward sales under these drought conditions. Few farmers are prepared to contract de- -livery of their crops while there is still little forecast •of..rain on the horiion. • "You have. to be cautious," agreed Strong. - • Brian I -fall at the ministry of ag- riculture and food office in Clinton predicated that the cereal. crops arc most." likely to suffer from the _drought. "Yields arc probably going to be down 50 percent," said Hall. Wheat is likely to be harvested a good two. weeks early with its pre- mature and incomplete ripening. Hall also predicted that even with rain in the next week, corn yields will be down an average of 33 per- cent. The critical stage for corn is when it begins tasselling over the next few days, and without rain, the kernels will not form properly and crop yields will fall even lower. t lall doesn't feel the soybeans are •in danger just yet, although weed control problems have arisen over poor dilution of herbicides, rcquir- tag the use of more expensive post - emergent sprays. .• "The soybeans have been standing up surprisingly well," said Hall, "the white beans too." However, when Hall speaks of the necessity of rain, he means a steady "A storm passing through with a couple of inches of rain isn't going to do it." . downpour over a oay or two.• . "-A storm passing through with a. couple of inches of rain isn't going to do it, he said: Hall also predicts a shortage of hay and straw before winter. While the first crop of hay for the season grew Well, the second •crop is not doing nearly as well. Hall says this has the potential to change the en- tire livestock market with .its present cheap cattle prices and ex pensive grains. According to Hall, there is either the potential for an average crop or a serious situation,' depending on rainfall in the next few days. "It's right on the border right. now," he said. Greenhouse effect no longer scier ice �� fiction Three years ago, a farmer tilling moist soil between lush rows of beans somewhere in Huron Count}• might have laughed at scientists' . prediction of the greenhouse effect. Today, -mopping his brow as he looks over acres • of burnt, thirsty crops, he - might be more .inclined to listen. All of a sudden, It has become easier- to picture south western Ontario as a dry, windswept desert. The condi- tions we are' experiencing may only be. temporary, but, as many scientists - now belle'e, they could also .be the beginning of a global condition known as the "greenhouse effect". The greenhouse effect refers to a global warming trend. With the gradual build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- carbon dioxide levels are 25 percent higher than they were just 150 years ago -- heat -from the sun is trapped in the earth's atmosphere. Carbon di- oxide prevents infra -red radiation from escaping Into space. As the planet grows warmer, polar ice -caps melt, rills - Ing ocean levels. While coastal cities are gradually flooded, inland areas are dried. out due to evaporation caused by rising temperatures. ilere In lluron County, the water level In Lake Huron will gradually drop until. - shipping is made ' difficult. Our fields will become arid. Our crops will have to change, - or at least he adapted to the new climate. Is such a scenario the stuff of science fiction? Henry Ilengeveld doesn't think so. Ile is -an authority on the greenhouse effect at E.nvironmenl •Canada. Hengeveld re- cently told the Toronto Star that if the levels of carbon dioxide continue to rise at their current pace, the planet could warm 1.5 to 4.5 degrees- within 30 to 50 years. Those figures are startling in this light: our last ice - age was caused by a cooling trend of only five degrees Celsius. Smallest spark can make a field Grass fires a byproduct • of hot, dry conditions I=XLIE R - Arca fire departments are concerned the dry weather has caused a rash of grass fires which are easily touched off by the small- est spark. "i ho1Se people use their common sense•and not be burning in this kind of'weather," said Exctcr fire chief Gang Middleton, whose de- partment has responded to more than one fire touched off in dehy- drated grass and crops.` ' Middleton said his department is not ready to issue a warning about emergency water shortages be- cause, as far as he knows, a good supply of water is still available for fighting fires, both in town and surrounding areas. According to Middleton, several• of his firefighters have witnessed motorists throwing cigarette butts out of car windows: carelessness which could cause loss of lift and crops in these dry conditions. ••: Mensal, fire chief Butch Hoffman is 'moping media awareness will help prevent grass fires through dropped cigarette butts, but the calls kccp coming in. "We've had numerous grass fires," said Roffman, noting his de- partment had responded to four ictus within a wcck and a half. Hoffman said that while arca creeks can still supply water for ru- ral fires, Hensall 'scorning close to declaring total watering restric- tions to preserve water supplies for fire protection.. In cases of dire emergency, the reservoirs of Gener- al Homes and General Coach in' Ilcnsall can be put into use. Lucan assistant fire chief John. Riddell said that his department has been called out to only one grass fire this season, although surround- ing areas have dealt with several. Pickup crash ignites field " I.W'c'vc been very fortunate," said Riddell, "touch wood." He also credits the village's total watering restriction for keeping an adequate supply of water in the tower. Oth- erwise, he said the department has had little to be worried about. "Maybe the people are getting a little more_conscious that if they - chuck a cigarette butt out the win- dow it could cause a major catas- trophe," Riddcll,concluded. an inferno 4, St41 f • dew tt 1+ f► - fisc!,. it %`�►�: + ,p.,—. ii.� -C •'IP- i �4f'*'i 40. 1 1 - RASS FIRES - The Exeter Fire Department has had their fair share of trom spreading further into the wheat field by. discing a swath around the grass fire calls in the past few weeks. This Usborne Township blaze was fire. Wheat farmers are encouraged to have the double disc ready in case caused by hydro lines downed by a pickup truck. The fire was privented the smallest roadside spark threatens a field.. 1