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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1982-08-05, Page 12Page 12 Times -Advocate, August 5,1982 Nine of the most senior food industry executives in Canada are out to scuttle the present system of farm marketing boards. Well, perhaps scuttle is too harsh a word. They want some major changes. They want a moratorium on any more supply management marketing boards, boards that have national jurisdiction and can tell a farmer exactly how much he can produce They want no board to have control over inter -provincial trade or imports. They want the present system of income stabiliza- tion to be scrapped and a na- tional or universal plan which will guarantee farmers 100 percent of their cash costs. Most important, they want the national farm products marketing council to be efootlntlse rrow'Z �r 0 Mel lotto's am rop'eu.ted bV Bob Twu,. Etdals Rd Dimes Ont We 2C replaced with a quasi-judicial body with sweeping powers similar to the Canadian Radio -Television and Telecommunications System or the Canadian Transport Commission. This powerful body would have representation from all levels of the food system from farmers to consumers. It is interesting to note who com- prised this task force with alt these suggestions. They were executives from the Grocery Products Manufacturers of Canada, the Retail Council of Canada, Burns Foods Ltd., General Mills of Canada Inc., Kraft Ltd. and Canada Packers Ltd. One might well ask if this task force included any. farmers or consumers? I doubt it. And how many of those big firms and going broke at the rate farmers are going broke? How many of those ex- ecutives have bee{ in a barn in the last decade? How many have ever had manure on their boots? Also on the task force was David Clark, president of Thomas J. Lipton Inc. Mr. Clark said the package sug- gested by the task force would "cost a fraction of the $1 -billion to $2 -billion that ex- isting supply management marketing boards cost the Canadian economy in 1979.- 1 would like to know where Mr. Clark got his figures. It may be revealed in the report of the task force but I have not seen a- copy of it. All I know, as Will -Rogers once said, is what I read in the newspapers. Proof positive that supply management cost the Cana- dian economy as much as;2 PET GROOMERS — Getting their -pet in a steak condition for Saturday's pet show at Friedsburg Days in Dashwood were Tim Chalmers,' Greg Landry, Jill Chalmers and Jeff Landry. T -A photo billion should be included in that report. I suspect the figure is nothing but another guesstimate in a long line of guesses. These multi -national food companies - some who par- ticipated in the report - would love to see the present system of marketing food products abolished. The marketing boards hamper their methods of taking a piece of the profit on food all along the line, from transporting to packaging RS- retailing. dretailing. But the farmer on- ly gets one kick at the cat at the farm gate. . Which isn't to say that the report of the task force should be discarded. Farmers have an obligation to listen to the flak that is being generated. Some of the suggestions sound excellent such as the quasi-judicial body to "police" marketing boards. The present National Farm Products Marketing Council can only recommend. But if such a body is formed, it should include more representation from the agricultural sector than any other, a majority of farmers. In tough times when farmers are busy keeping afloat, the methods of marketing already establish- ed are coming under constant attack from many sources. Some of those attacks may be justified. Many are not. It was interesting to note that Mr. Clark made it a point to say that marketing boards should remain in existence: "We cannot do*away with them. They are solidly en- trenched - it's apolitical reali- ty. If we just wiped them out, the dislocation would be enor- mous. Instead, there are cer- tain reforms that could take place." It is- heartening to hear these words. Farmers should take note and suggest a few reforms that could be made in the food chain after the pro- ducts leave the farm gate. Tit for tat and all that. f 'MILOMNIA CONTRACTORS Ltd. Kirkton, Ontario and Stud Farm • BUILDINGS John Mills 229-6704 • Roofing and Siding • Renovations of all kinds • Phone 229-6704 .re.tll111 I a_ •; I �) ���u �1111111�11bi i Terra Steel Buildings Fens—Rssir atiel—CesaMrcisl Light Industry Build Yourself Or Hire Us Osborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company (Established in 1876) Provides Full Insurance Coverage for Town Dwellings as well as Farm Properties DIRECTORS AND ADJUSTERS Jack Harrigan Robert Gardiner Lloyd Morrison Lorne Feeney Ray McCurdy Robert Chaffs, AGENTS • Ross Hodgert Woodham John Moore Dublin Joseph Uniac , Mitchell Mrs. Elaine Skinner Exeter Wally Burton R.R.3, Luton R.R.2, Staffa R.R.1, St. Marys R.R.2, Dublin' R.R.1, Kirkton R.R. # 5, Mitchell 229-6643 345-2512 348.9012 235-1553 235-0350 VARIETY OF PETS — Participating in Saturday's pet show at Friedsburg Days in Dashwood were Rob Hoff- man with his rabbit and chicken and Kim Kipfer's dog. Middlesex glowers detail coaching clinic The Middlesex County Plowmen's Association is giv- ing future plowmen an oppor- tunity to learn the fundamen- tals of match plowing and would-be competitors in the International Plowing Match a chance to achieve required entry points during the Coaching Class and Annual County Plowing Match being held on Saturday, August 28. Location of the event is the farm of Barry Bloomfield in London Township on the townline between London and Lobo Townships, approx- imately 11,4 miles north of County Road 16. The Coaching Class starts at 10 a.m. and competitive plowing will start at 12:30 p.m. In addition to the regular plowing classes, special events include the "Queen of the Furrow" competition open to girls ages 16 to 24, sponsored by a farm or com- munity organization. Entries in this class must be received by the secretary by August 20. The successful competitor will represent the County at the 1983 I.P.M. at Ottawa -Carleton. To enable contestants under 20 to compete at plow- ing and at the same time to help out on the family farm, a home plowing event is scheduled for later in the fall. Entries in this class are re- quired by October 1st with plowing of plots of at least a three acre size to be done by October 14th and judging to take place on October 15. And for those who don't find plowing a challenge, a horse shoe pitching contest will be another event at the August 28th match with the two highest Middlesex County competitors being asked to represent the County at the 1982 International Plowing Match. THE DUSTY FARMER — Jamie Hoffman appeared as the dusty farmer in Saturday's Friedsburg Day parade in Dashwood. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food huron farm and home news Have you ever had to remove stains from concrete? Sometimes it's needed to prepare a surface for pain- ting, or just to improve the appearance. One of the most common stains is oil on floors or driveways. If you remove the oil quickly, there won't be much danger of staining. You should soak the oil up im- mediately with an absorbent cloth or paper towel: Avoid wiping, as it spreads the stain and drives it into the con- crete. Cover the spot with a dry, powdered, absorbent, in- ert material such as portland cement and leave it for one day. Repeat this procedure until no more oil is absorbed. If this doesn't work, you'll have to use Plan "B". Scrub the stained area with a strong soap, scouring powder, or trisodium phosphate. Then make a poultice with a solu- tion of one part trisodium phosphate in six parts water. Apply this to the stain and allow it to dry. Remove the dried paste and scrub the sur- face with clear water. Voila! No more stain. Ron Fleming Agricultural Engineer Meajure grain harylst losses No matter what combine you . use, or how new it may be, there will be some loss. The questions are: How much loss is too much? What is an acceptable loss? How do you ' measure that loss? Sticking your hand under the sieve, and catching a handful of straw and chaff and examining it doesn't give you a good check on the loss. Nor does scrambling in the straw behind the machine. Either way, the chances are you are wasting your time. - In a survey of 47 farmers who sampled losses this way, only nine were prepared to estimate the loss when asked. Of these, only two were within 50% of the actual measured loss. In four cases, the loss was double the estimate and, in one case, eight times greater. So, don't guess. But if you see grain lying on the ground behind the combine, don't panic either. For two reasons: grain losses may not be as high as they might seem and the lost grain may not be passing through the combine at all. Losses may not be as high as they,seem. For instance, in a bushel of wheat, there are about 1,000,000 kernels. In a bushel of oats, there are about 500,000 kernels. If you check losses by cat- ching the discharge at the back of the combine in your hand and happen to catch 10 kernels in half a minute, some Have you enough insurance to protect your home and contents against loss or damage by fire, thieves or vandals? the 0 cooper toys 1 VICES INSI R NC Protect your home and the things you own with a plan from The Co- • operators. For information call your local office. Verna Gingerich 235-1109 Residence Business LIFE • HOME • AUTO • BUSINESS • TRAVEL people would say that too much grain was going out with the straw and chaff. Is it? Counting 10 hours a day and 26 days a month, it - would take over three months to catch a bushel of wheat, at this rate. In order to lose five bushels in a day of 10 hours, there would have to be 140 kernels escape every second, or 8,400 every minute. It takes about 25 kernels of spring wheat, 20 kernels of durum, it kernels of oats and - 12 kernels of barley per square foot to make a loss of one bushel an acre. Lost grain may not be pass- ing through the combine. M.E. Dodds, well-known researcher on grain harvesting at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, found that grain losses due to natural cause, reel and cutter bar losses, and pickup losses can ..nn.. Frnm nnn to nnn_anrt_a_ Fair list available The first agricultural fair held in Ontario hack in 1792, brought friends and neighbours together for a community gathering and a little friendly competition. Today, interest in agricultural fairs extends past the county boundaries to attract visitors from towns and cities hundreds• of kilometres away. The traditions behind the agricultural fairs are the same today as they were the first day Upper Canada's governor John GraVes Sim- coe opened the fair at Niagara -on -the -Lake in a clearing' along the Niagara River. Neighbours still com- pete in the show rings and craft competitions, and the sense of community is as strong as it ever was. The popularity of agricultural fairs . has flourished with Ontario's population. Now, more than 230 agricultural societies in towns and villages throughout the province sponsor . fairs each year. Although many agricultural fairs are held during the harvest period in the fall, an increasing number of communities are schedul- ing fairs in the summer. Now, . visitors can enjoy fairs from. May right through until November's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.. A coorful brochure listing all Ontario fairs and flower shows is available from the Communications Branch, On- tario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Legislative Buildings, Toronto, Ontario. M7A 2B2. half bushels an acre. None of this grain goes through the combine. Grain losses during harvest occur four ways: Natural losses, Reel and Cutter Bar loss, Pickup losses and Threshing and separating loss. For further information contact: Sam Bradshaw, Engineering Technician. Reprinted from "The Grain ...s...- �...,.,.. McCann Rodi-Mix Inc. DASHWOOD. ONTARIO ALL TYPES OF CONCRETE WORK REDI-MIX CONCRETE i FORMWORK PRECAST PRODUCTS DEALER Phone Office 237-3647 Lloyd 236-4619 MANGERS STEPS SLATS s CURBS Hv-TY READY MIX LTD. Ready Mix Concrete Complete concrete forming concrete finishing Exeter 235-0833 Forest and Clinton of 1' EAVESTRO UGH "' "' SIDING Ask About Our SAVINGS. • Steico Shutters • Aluminum Storm Doors i Windows • Aluminum Awnings • The energy window roll shutters oystem • Renovations General Construction FREE ESTIMATES JIM BEAKER CONSTRUCTION DASHWOOD 237-3526 NUTRITE kto _''� SILAGE _10 NUTRITE ADDITIVE NUTRITE This UREA -BASED MINERAL 'PACKAGE is formulated to boost the .� protein of corn silage 3% and balance F out the mineral content to fit the animal's needs. Except for vitamins, it makes a COM- " PLETE FEED out of your silage at a frac- tion. of the cost of most other systems. YOU CAN SAVE SO .10/HEAD/DAY or better. FLEXIBILITY: can be applied at either ensilage or feeding time. SPEED RATE OF GAIN, REDUCE HEATING, EXTEND BUNK LIFE, REDUCE MINERAL COSTS, EASY TO HANDLE...the benefits go on an on. Now with SEVERAL FORMULATIONS, we can plug one into your feeding program. The number of users in growing rapid- ly, NO SERIOUS BEEF PRODUCER CAN AFFORD NOT TO USE N.S.A. - PROOF FROM UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH "ELORA RESEARCH CENTRE" (Dr. Buchanan -Smith) Trial 41 and 42 — Hereford Cattle Mots, Sums,, Lbs. lbs. Average Daily Gain Daily Feed Intake Intake/Pound Gain Awnq, Lbs. 2.62 2.34 2.40 40.20 . 39.67 39.93 PROOF FROM` JOHN GILLESPIE, AYR, ONT. (Jamar C.tiN F.ed.r, Inc.) John runs a beef lot just outside of Ayr. •He now has proof N.B.A. works and has lowered his feed cost. Three trials were made and here's the proof. Type of Cattle - Hereford Numbs Dalypati of Heed Osin on Ned M1 110 Head 2 5 42 119 Head 2.98 43 88 Heed 2.2 Lbs. el Lbs. of Orshvesi, $Naas/aNn 115 5 3 12 86 k 5.9• 7 128 5.4 12 15.34 16.95 16.14 Average of the three trials was 2.56 pounds daily gain. Additive cost .096 per head per day. N.S.A. added at feeding time. Contact your local Nutrite rep for early booking N.S.A. added at ensiling time. Elmira 669-5401 Hanover 364-2060 Welland 735-5563 (Or a dealer in your area) NUTRITE INC.