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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1985-11-06, Page 30. Page 14A Mmes -Advocate, November 6, 1985 Long lines of slow-moving tractors on major highways, dead cattle on bank steps, throwing milk on ministers of the Crown are not cultured ways to make a point. I find mass demonstrations distasteful. But there comes a time when no other methods will draw attention to a problem that must be solved. If and when farmers in this country plan another mass rally anywhere within driving distance of where I live, I pro- mise to be right there with there. I am particularly concerned this week with more talk about tree trade from Ottawa. Once again, the agricultural community could become the fall guy, the patsy, the easy mark, the poor cousin the 13th Swine specialist named in Huron The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food has appointed a Swine Specialist to work in the counties of Huron, Perth and Oxford. Ed Barrie, who holds a B. Sc. and M. Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Guelph was named Swine Specialist and assumes the position on October 8, 1985., As a member of the Ministry's Animal Industry Branch, Barrie will co-ordinate and conduct swine ad- visory services in the assigned areas. Ed Barrie has extensive technical and applied experience with swine record keeping systems said Dr. Jim Pettit, Director of the Animal In- dustry Branch. Correspondence for Ed Barrie may be directed to him at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, 413 Hibernia Street, Stratford,' Ontario. N5A 5W2. 1-800-265-8502. piglet, the ignored sector of our economic system. There is no such thing as free trade. As my old math teacher once said, let me repeat: There is no such thing as free trade. Americans can smile benignly, hold out their hand and beckon us across their borders but there is no such thing as free trade and the sooner Canadians, especially our politicians, realize this fact, the better off we will be. The Yanks and the Western Euro- peans, too, are great talkers. They get up on their political podiums and preach free trade. Big city media hang on every word. The big dailies and the television stations pump piles of political pap about the advantages and the virtues -of free markets. The average Canadian believes thousands of jobs will result when Canadian fac- tories can ship anything and everything to the millions in the United States and Europe. And the greedy eyes of manfacturers look longingly at the teeming millions in Japan and the far east. Well, it's a myth. The very moment products from here start to have an effect on jobs in the United States, the free trade bub- ble will pop. History is a great teacher but politi- cians have a distressing habit of ig- noring those lessons. - The pork industry is a classic ex- ample. Canadian producers through hard work and good quality grabbed about two or three percent of the American market. Right after the venerable president Went back home after singing Irish songs with our own walking chin, Big Ronnie listened to his farm lobby and slapped an $8.50 tariff on incoming Canadian pigs. HEREFORD AWARD — Whitney Coates of Exeter received o plaque .recently rom the Hereford Association for his untirirlig'efforts in the association since it was established more than 30 year ago.T-A photo Usborne Ratepayers Vote - Margaret L. Here for Deputy Reeve - 5 years council experience - Council rep. on K -W Pool Committee - dependable representation For a ride to the polls - phone 229-8223 rode K2204 2850 C.H.U. Standability that lets you harvest a bigger corn crop This Canadian -developed hybrid has set a new standard for standability Extremely stiff stalks combined with outstanding yield make K2204 a truly exceptional hybrid in 2850 heat unit areas 1984 PERFORMANCE DATA 00 Yield Broken °o Bu Acre $ stalks Moisture (a 15 50, Acre' Pride K2204 2 7 25 0 138 3 443 94 Pioneer 3906 2 6 26 9 137 3 436 61 Average of all varieties 6 7 25 9 125 5 401 60 Profit from our 1e New Numbers JAMES COOPER, 519-262-3033 The tariff was based on supposed subsidies paid to Canadian farmers and was "unfair" competition in Yankee eyes. They said Canadian farmers were subsidized to that amount. Birds eat that. They blindly ignored the huge sub- sidies American farmers get. It depends on whose figures you read but government support given to American farmers in 1983 -added up to about $30,000 per farmer. Tt)e American farmer gets the world market price for his/her products and then governments -- both state and federal -- pay him enough to ensure a reasonable income. In other terms, the American farmer gets about 32 percent of his/her income from various govern- ment programs. In Canada, the equivalent figure counting all sub- sidies amounts to about 12 percent. But that ain't all. In this free trade nonsense, West European farmers get 39 cents of every farm dollar from the European Economic Community treasury. And for those trembling with excite- ment about hitting the Japanese market, let it be known that Japan is one of the world's most protected countries when it comes to trade. You can't sell a button over their if it might hurt a Japanese producer. So let's put a stop to all this free trade crap when it comes to agriculture. If it goes any further and some of my beloved farm organiza- tions want to stage a tractor parade• or a sit-in or a rally of anS' kind, give me a call. One more body will not help much but I'll be glad to be there. Farmers plan a major rally Ontario's farm organizations have united to plan a major farmers' rally in the middle of federal agriculture minister John Wise's riding. The rally is scheduled for Saturday, November 9, 10:30 a.m. at the steps of City Hall in St. Thomas. Wise his agreed to attend the rally and hear representations from farmers and their organizations regarding their demand for a re- instatement of the Farmers' Creditors Arrangements Act. Farmers want to impress upon Wise the high degree of copcensus among farm organizations on this issue. The federal government has taken insufficient action to date to deal with the unparalleled farm finan- cial crisis, they say. John Langlois, chairman of the Liaison Committee of Farm Organizations, says: "What we want is a re -instatement of the Farmers' Creditors Arrangements Act, legisla- tion which was introduced to deal with the farm financial crisis in the 1930s. Until such legislation is in place, we insist the federal government extend the current moratorium on FCC farm foreclosures to include all farm foreclosures". "Politicians have always told us if farmers could agree on a solution, we'd have a better chance of getting government action. "We have accepted that challenge, and now expect the federal govern- ment to act on our demand for legisla- tion," Langlois concluded. Organizers of the November 9 farmers' rally include: - Ontario Federaton of Agriculture (OFA) - Na- tional Farmers Union (NFU) - Cana- dian F'arm Survival Association (CFSA) - Women for the Survival of Agriculture ( WSA) - Concerned Farm Women ( CFW) - Catholic Rural Life Conference (CRLC). TOP MEMBERS — These four boys won Victoria and Grey jackets for being the top members in their respective clubs. From left: David Switzer (field crops), Gord Aitcheson (Sodbusters), Brian Vanneste (beef club) and Todd Robinson (dairy club). Absent are Karen Atkinson (vet club) and Dove Scott (snowmobile club). The Kirkton 4-H awards night was held at the K -W Community Centre. CredILprobIem continues FARM SERVICE Repair Shop Tools and Equipment We specialize in Air Compressors 8 High PressurEANoshers 500 - 2000 PSI New and Rebuilt pumps Hypro pumps service and ports Hondo Gas Engines Cecil Squire Farm Service 235-0465 —BRANDY POINT FARMS CENTRED AROUND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION • Our breeding stock provides our buyers with proven genetics from the top 3°° animals tested across Canada. • Our program enables us to offer quality and health at a price that is hard to beat • We hove an ongoing supply of A I sired Homp Duroc, York londrace boors 8 F1 York landroce gilts • Our closed herd is tanked Goode by the OMAF standards of Herd Health Classification Come and take a look at our stock anytimel Delivery available KURT KELLER R.R. 1, Mitchell, Ont. 519-348-8043 One of the scarcest commodities in rural Ontario today is time and it's already run out for too many of the province's farmers, says Harry Pelissero, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Pelissero was among 75 farm leaders from across the country who were in Ottawa this week to urge the federal government to take action to ease the farm crisis in Canada. "We are looking for a commitment from the government to deal with the major issues facing agriculture to- day. So far, we have not been satisfied with their efforts, especially in the area of farm credit." The government should introduce legislation to allow the courts to step in and make arrangements between a farmer facing foreclosuW and the lending institution, suggested Pelissero. He also called upon the government to lower farm credit rates and return the Farm Credit Corporation to its role of the major long-term credit source for farmers. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), organizer of the lobbying effort, warned Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and His government that Canada's $40 billion food industry is in serious trouble. Farmers are suffering from high interest rates and low prices, said CFA president Don Knoerr. The escalating trade war between the United States and the European Com- munity is robbing Canadian farmers of traditional markets, he added. Farmers also want assurances that vital agricultural programs, such supply managejnent marketin boards, the Canadian Wheat Eloard, and seasonal horticultural tariffs won't be bargained away when Canada sits down to negotiate a free trade deal with the U.S. Emergency relief policies to cope with farm disasters, such as the Young adult: "Twenty years ago we were told we weren't as smart as our parents. Today we're not. as smart as our kids. 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