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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-08-31, Page 27ABOU CROPS AND HERBICIDES - A large number of area farmers are shown here listening to Centralia College head of agronomy Jim O'Toole talk abut crops and herbicides at Wednesday's Crops Update Day at the CCAT Reserch Farm. AWARD - Clayton Switzer, deputy minister of agriculture, presents Jane Davidson with a plaque marking: the posthumous awarding of an OMAF Centennial medal to the late Malcolm Davidson. The presentation was made during CCAT's. annual Crop Update Day held at the research farm on August 24. HOME GROWN CROPS - Ai Wednesday's Crops Update Day at Cen- ralia College , Jackie Schottroff and Anne McGregor display somo of the crops grown on the CCAT Research Farm, TALKING ABOUT HERBICIDES - During Wednesday's Crops Update Day at Centralia College area farmers Tom Triebner at the left and Rene Van Bruwaene at the right talk with CCAT's head of agronomy Jim O'Toole. CROPS UPDATE REGISTRATION - Dan Denys signs in with Rose Van Millenburg and Carol Twaddle at Wednesday's Crops Update Day a. the Centralia College Research Farm. M. Davidson selected for posthumous OMAF award CENTRALIA .- Though Mal- colm Davidson is "gone, he is not forgotten. The Brucefield farmer, killed in a tragic traffic accident 18 years ago, was nominated by three separate organizations as a deserv- ing recipient of one of the 100 Centennial Awards being given out across Ontario to mark the agricul- ture ministry's century_ of exis- tence. The award was presented to Dav- idson's widow Jane Davidson by - deputy minister of agriculture Clay Switzer during -the `noonhour at CCAT's annual crop update . day held on the college's research farm on August 24. . Switzer first gave a brief sum- mary of Davidson's. history, and his contributions to agriculture. Davidson, he said, led a colourful interesting life. Before coming to _Canada, he had earned his BA and his MA in agriculture from Cam- bridge, and had served part of his two-year national Service as a Brit- ish paratrooper in Egypt during the Suez Canal crisis. Davidson took further courses at OAC, Guelph, while running a beef herd and a farrow to finish op- , oration and growing corn on 600 acres in Huron County. "Hc is best remembered for his re- markable foresight, He was a *thinker'", Swiithr said, noting that Davidson was one of the members of a farm income inquiry that pro- duced a report called "Challenge of Abundance", predicting in "1970 that farm surpluses would become a ma- jor agricultural issue. Davidson took a strong leadership role in the OFA and other farm or- ganizations. He was a proponent of marketing boards, and one of the in- itiators of CanFarm, the system to put farm records on computer. His advice was sought by the Canadian F of A and by various provincial and federal ministries. Davidson was planning to go with his family to live in India for a time as an agricultural advisor when he was hit and killed by a car while rushing from one field to an- other across the road. He was 36. Switzer concluded by saying Dav- idson embodied the principle that "one man of conviction and leader- ship can make a difference". Times -Advocate, August 31, 1988 Page 15A Crop update at CCAT farm CENTRALIA-"lite latest infor- mation on corn and soybean crops, and a special posthumous presentation of an OMAF Centen- nial Medal, were the highlights of the 1988 .annual CCAT- Crop Up- date Day held on the College's re - 'search farm southwekt of Exeter and attended by about 260 people: • Sheila Anderson, market analyst with the Ontario Bean Producers Marketing Board, reported that the Michig..i crop is very late this year, and growers there will need a lot of luck to harvest all the crop. Substantially lower acreage and slightly lower yield -11 bags to the acre - are predicted. Harvesting has begun in the Minnesota -North Dakota region, with yields running from four to seven bags as compared witjt last year's 17. That area experienced a hot, dry summer with temperatures climbing over th 100 mark daily. The Ontario. Board expects an av- erage yield of 13 bags province - wide. The yield has been excellent in Perth County, lower in Ilderton; "not bad" around St, --Thomas, and "best as usual" around Mitchell- Seaforth. Michigan is expected to produce 2.4 million bags, taking 11 bags, an acre from 220,000 acres. Acreage in the Minn-Dak sector is up from 170,000 last year to 180,000 currently, and will likely produce 1.6 million bags at nine bags s per acre. Ontario acreage dropped 55,000 acres this year to 105,000. A yield of 13 baps per acre should produce 1.3 million bags, about half the record 1987 crop. An estimated US carryover of about one million bags brings the 1988 North American total to 6.4 million bags, a considerable drop from last year's 10 million. The OBPMB reports'a 200,000 - bag advance sale at $32 and $34, and is currently off the market wait- ing to see what happens south of the border. Bruce Doidge, head of the eco- nomic section of Ridgetown Col- lege, said the decline in average yield of corn from 119.4 bu/ac in 87/88 to this year's estimate of 78.5 is the largest one-year decline since 1901. The estimated production of 4.479 billion bushels, the lowest since. the 83-84 drought, is likely to be revised, as some crops are better than originally thought. If this drought follows the pattern of a few years ago, there will likely be a rapid expansion in production in 1989, followed by record produc- tion and carry-over a year after that, Doidge said. Other factors to take into account are stabilizing of feed usage, herd re- building, the USDA's recent bonus offer showing -a willingness to Maintain its export market share, • and reduction of US set-aside re- ._ quirements from 27 percent of- acreage to 21.5 or less. With stabilizing demand and re- duced supply, corn in reserves will have to be used next year. This means the US national average cash price might have to rise to the re- lease price of $2.94 by late spring or early summer. This is about 25¢ Canadian above current levels. Doidge said the question producers must ask themselves is "Can I af- ford to store my corn and carry it until next May or June foran extra 25¢ a bushel?" The average soybean yield of 28 bu/ac for a probable 1.4 billion bu is the lowest in 15 years. Recent rains have aided pod -filling, but es- timates are for less than one -month - supply for carryout, and 6 percent is less than pipeline requirements. This suggests rapid production ex- pansion next year. The USDA has recently changed its rules to allow soybean planting on program crop set-aside acreage. In addition, Brazil is expected to increase plantings by 20 percent. • If the : weather cooperates, 1989 should see a big crop. Doidge said _ , the market will be very nervous, but once prospects are more clear, a sharp tumble in price could be in store by next mid-June or July. C.G. Farm Supply Ltd. TILLAGE -PLOWING DEMONSTRATION Date: Thursday, September 8' 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Location: 1 k South of Zurich on County Road 2 Come see and drive the New Line of White Tractors also featuring: * White 435 Disk Chisel * Kewanee Coulter Chisel * Kongskilde Plows * Zetor - Tractors Everyone welcome .... Refreshments L. G. Farm Supply Limited 22 Main Street, Zurich 236-4934 WHITE BEANS We're ready when you deliver. W.G. Thompson & Sons Ltd. know that when it comes to delivering beans you want the quickest and most efficient service possible. So bring your white beans to Thompsons. 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