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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-29, Page 22Page 6A Times -Advocate, October 29, 1986 BECKER DRAW WINNERS — Doug Stephan, Anne Roelands, Mike Pickering, Ian Brebner, George Sereda and Mike Glavin were winners in the draw held at Thursday's October -Best Festivities sponsored by Becker Farm Equipment. Most people have a tough time working up much sympathy for the troubled tobacco farmers in Canada. The odds against them staying in business are too great. Furthermore, taxpayers would simply not stand for a subsidy which would keep them in business, grow- ing a crop that is now known and ac- cepted as a killer around the world. In addition, tobacco farmers have been accused of being a defiant, ar- rogant bunch who have had boom years in the business and who refus- ed to see the writing on the wall. They have recently asked federal and provincial governments for $250 million to help them get established in another line of' farming. Jim Romahn, one of Canada's most authoritative farm writers at the Kitchener -Waterloo Record, says tobacco farmers used the clout of their marketing board to extract higher prices from consumers. They've had decades of glorious pro - National 4-H week is set Federal Minister of Agriculture John Wise has proclaimed November 10 through 16 as National 4-H Week 1986, bringing to public attention the extensive and exceptional work of the 4-H organization across Canada to- day, - and Canada's major grocery chains will be joining the salute? From its early days as a purely agriculture -centred youth club, Cana- dian 4-11 has evolved into a sophisticated program promoting responsible citizenship, leadership, social awareness and independence, while stillmaintaining the basic con- cept of "learning to do by doing". At the community level, thousands of leaders share time and expertise in supervising local 4-H groups in skill - developing projects and activities. At the national level, largely thanks to corporate sponsors, 441 achievers continue to learn and grow, travelling to workshops, conferences, camps and on youth exchanges in Canada and abroad and vying for valuable scholarships. In keeping with the increasing community -mindedness of Canadian business, for the first time this year more than a dozen major grocery chains from coast to coast will be saluting the work of Canadian 4-11 in grocery ads during National 4-H, week. Given the link between Canada's agricultural community and the food business, it seems fitting that (his sector join others in recognizing the contribution 4-11 has made to Canadian youth. National 4-11 Week highlights the unique opportunity 4-11 repreasents today for young people growing up in our rural communities to develop their potential. These young people will someday thread their way through the entire fabric of our socie- ty in rural, urban and suburban set- tings. Thanks to 4-11, to these young ('anadians, learning and doing will have become second nature. For further information, please contact : Mrs. Betsy Clarke, Executive Director, ('anadian 4-11 Council 411 Roosevelt Avenue, Suite 301, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 3X9 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 o price that is hard to beat • We hove an ongoing supply of A..I. sired lHamp Duroc, York,Londrace boars & F1 York%Landrace gilts • Our dosed herd is ranked "Good" by the OMAF standards of Herd Health Classification. Come and tok• o look of our stock anytimel Delivery available KURT KELLER R.R. 1, Mitchell, Ont. 519-348-8043 ra fits. They were, he says, unwilling to consider alternatives when they had prosperity, time and an abundance of opportunities. "Let them build Suzukis and grow Christmas trees, he says -- get jobs in auto plants and get out of tobacco. I cannot go that far. I remember in the late '40s and early '50s when tobacco growers were in deep trouble. The big tobacco companies played each farmer against the other. They had all kinds of ways to get cheaper prices when they bought the crop. I can personally remember one tobac- co farmer who was told that the only way he would get top dollar for this crop was to send his attractive daughter to the buyer's hotel room. That's the kind of mess they were dealing with when they formed their marketing board. Can you blame them for jealously guarding their hard-won rights? Hindsight is always 20-20. Tobacco farmers 10 years ago would never have believed what has happened. I was in a room where more than 50 people were gathered for a cocktail party recently. The non-smokers far outnumbers the smokers and the smokers were huddled in a little, defensive group near the door, fewer than a dozen of them. Ten years ago, the opposite would have been seen. Ten years ago, there were more than 2,300 tobacco growers in Ontario. By 1985, that figure had dropped to 1,800 and another 400 are expected to be out of production in this year's statistics. So the industry is doing something. It is hard to tell anyone who is doing well to look down the road. They simply do not do it, especially the eternally optimistic farmers of Canada. One side of the tobacco controvery that seems to get forgotten is this. Tobacco farmers keep your taxes down. It is estimated that federal and pro- vincal governments collected more than $3 billion from tobacco sales taxes in 1985. That's $3 billion from tobacco sales taxes in 1985. That's $3 billion with a B. Governments have been collecting massive amounts in taxes from tobacco for 50 years. It is estimated that a tobacco grower gets about 6.5 cents from a $3 pack of cigarettes. Those billions of bucks collected in taxes over the years have, obviously, kept your taxes down. Growers now are asking for $250 million to help them adjust, to help them get into another line of farming, to help them learn another trade. I don't care how arrogant they may have been in the past years. They have contributed greatly to the farm- ing community over the years. We Farm show is cancelled it was announced this 'week by James K. Mahon, vice president of In- dustrial Trade Shows Inc. that the 41st annual Canada Farm Show has been cancelled. Mahon said, "The advent of a new farm show to be held in the same time frame and fully supported by the two major industry associations, the Canadian Farm and Industrial Equip- ment Institute and Ontario Retail Farm Equipment Dealers Associa- tion has resulted in dividing exhibitor participation in both events. With a substantial reduction of farm equip- ment manufacturers in our show, we are unable to produce an event of the same calibre that the agri-community has come to expect. It has also become increasingly clear that the agri-community cannot support two shows. It would be unfair to the agri- community to proceed with two shows." With the cancellation of this show, a 40 year tradition showcasing such events as the horse and cattle sales will come to an end. The Canada Farm Show was to have taken place January 27-30 at Ex- hibition Place, Toronto. cannot simply throw them to the wolves now because they are in deep trouble, unable to sell last year's crop at cost -of -production prices and another year's crop bursting the storage sheds. I hope they never sell their crop but I hope our senior governments have enough charity in their hearts to pro- vide them with the help they are seeking. Compare yields to Seetlldifference. FARMERS! Call me on or before November 15th to arrange for a Pioneer weigh wagon, to compare corn hybrids or soybean varieties on your farm. You'll receive a FIDE Pioneer green winter jacket — just for comparing. (Call your Pioneer Sales Representative today for complete details.) Your Pioneer Sales Representatives: George Sereda & Sons RR 1 Centralia 235-0273 Bill Coleman Kippen, Ontario 262-5031 ®((\>PIONEER® PIONEER. and SILA-BAC• Brand products are sold subject to the terms and conditions of sale that are part of the labelling and sale documents. Pioneer and Sila-bac are brand names; numbers Identify products. • Registered trademark licensed to Pioneer HI -Bred Limited, Chatham, Ontario, Canada. JhanL We wish to thank our friends and customers who helped make OCTOBER -BEST a very enjoyable day A special thanks to: Glavin Farms Conlin Farms Maguire's Custom Work Don Rader Dennis McBride Claire Deichert Tim Wilcox Merner's Meat C.A. Becker Equipment Case IH Vicon Kongskilde Hari Corp Over um Market Farm Eastern Farm Cub Cadet Yard -Man Staff from Case -International Staff at Becker Farm Equipment Thanks again! ! Jo3 a maim FARM EQUIPMENT LTD. Sales & Service Since 1932 Exeter, Ontario Sales & Service 235-2121 Dashwood, Ontario Sales 237-3673 Service 237-3242 Swift MINERAL... Framework for Growth and Gain You would never try to build a barn with flimsy 1x3's where sturdy 2x6 or 2x8 framework was required. Neither should you expect to build solid growth and gain with the shaky mineral framework your stock might glean from forage alone ... or from a "bargain" mineral product. Give your stock a solid framework for growth and gain with the 10 essential elements in Swift Mineral. Tests show you can expect extra pounds worth more than 10 times the cost of the mineral...up to a dollar's worth of beef for a dime. Centrculia Farmers Supply Ltd. Centralia 228-6638 FiJFixUp Time 40/ off to. 4 mfg. 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