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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-01-21, Page 21Huron cattlemen approve non-refundable check -offs A secret ballot produced a 73-41 vote in favour of nonrefundable checkoffs at the annual meeting of the Huron Cattlemen's Association. By the time the vote was taken in late afternoon, some of the more than 180 beef producers had left the Clinton Legion hall where the dinner and meeting were held. Frank Falconer led off the brief discussion which preceded the vote by saying he thought directors should be free to vote as they see fit at the an- nual OCA meeting next month. He said he didn't think how Huron was voting was anybody's business. Ross Procter said he was a sti ong supporter of the OCA, and.doesn't take back any check -off, but values the right to do so. He was in favour of voluntary rather than mandatory check -offs. Another cattleman sought assurance that all the money reach- ed the OCA. He was assured by OCA manager Graham Hedley that "the powers that be have even gone to court" for that reason, and the system was operating very well. Guest speaker Jim Graham, chair- man of the international trade com- mittee, reviewed some of the US . GET BOOSTER AWARDS - Shown with their booster awards at Friday's dinner of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association are Jane Sadler -Richards, Hensall Co-op manager Earl Wagner, Andy Williams of CKNX in Wingham and George Smyth of George Smyth Welding. T -A photo. CONSERVATION AWARD NOMINEES -- Seven Huron Farm Conservation projects were nominated for the Norm Alexander Conservation Award. From the left are Lyle Martin, Ethel; Ken Gascho, RR 3, Zurich; Jim McIntosh, RR 4, Seaforth; Roy Erb, RR 3 Zurich and joint winners Jack McGregor, RR 5, Clinton and Bruce Shillinglaw, Londsboro. At the right is Norm Alexander. T -A photo. How many members does the On- tario Cattlemen's Association have? Getting that figure is difficult. Even the president, Edgar Wideman of Elmira, Ont., gives an estimate of between 5.000 and 6.000 paid members. Yet there are approx- imately 23,000 beef producers in Ontario. No other farm 'organization in On- tario has remained as fiercely in- • dependent as the Ontario Cattlemen's Association (OCA). They have mar- ched to their own drummer for :30 years and have resisted all efforts to become a -supply management organization: They should be admired for this independence but I am begin- ning to think they are carrying it to the point of absurdity. For a couple of years, the OCA has -been collecting a checkoff from every cattle beast sold in this province. The money has gone into the coffers of the OCA which, to my knowledge anyway. has not given a record of contributors. When the checkoff was instituted, any beef producer could request a return of the money collected l)y the OCA. Many producers did just that and the OCA lost somewhere around $380.000 in expected revenue. The OCA did not expect that many pro- ducers would demand a return. But they did. .even though the ()CA mounted an excellent advertising campaign to promote beef. ')'hat $380,0011 returned to producers represents about 20 percent of ex- pected revenue. 11 is a lot of money and it is also an indication of the unrest in Ontario among the more than 23.010 producers. They are not happy. Beef producers have suffered greatly in the last decade, especially in the last five years since the 1981 • depression. Now come a rival organization, a group of farmers who want some changes. They call themselves the Ontario Beef Producers for Change Inc. They have sent a strongly - worded message to Ontario's Agin Mister .lack Ridde11 objecting to Riddell's decision to assist the OCA in a power play that will, they say, give the ()CA (he automatic' checkoff without a provision for refunding the money. The O('A's track record, say the Beef Producers for Change 1 BFC t, proves the OCA avoids the gut issues of the Ontario beef industry. The junior group with about 750 paid members wants Riddell to change his mind about allowing the OCA to keep all checkoff money. If a vote is taken on non-refundable funds, the OCA should not supervise it. Nor should the Beef Producers for Change. they maintain, but an in- dependent tabulation should be done in Toronto on a ballot from all pro- ducers as soon as a reasonable defini- tion for a beef producer can be settled. Remember that more than 30 per- cent of all cattle slaughtered for beef in Ontario comes from dairy farmers who are usually not members of any beef organization. Remember that the OCA is dead against supply management whereas the beef producers for change want the ideas opened for discussion. The vote on compulsory, non-refundable checkoffs for the OCA will be a farce because only OCA members will be voting. 1 have had a sort of love -hate rela- tionship with the OCA for 20 years. What I mean, I neither love them nor n •. SETTEE--- ELEVATOR 196 William St. Lucan, Ontario 227-4479 offers you a complete line of SHUR-GAIN Feed in bags or bulk SHUR-GAIN Animal Health Products Also, we offer CUSTOM GRINDING WE ARE YOUR COMPLETE FARM SERVICE CENTRE issues affecting Canadian cattlemen. He noted the major change of direc- tion in the North American flow of cattle which he attributed to increas- ed energy costs. He said Alberta was looking at the north -south trading pat- tern, and Ontario should too. He com- pared the 2,300 -mile distance between Alberta and Toronto with the 654) miles from a feedlot in Alberta to Washington. Graham voiced his concern about increased American protectionism. He listed some misconceptions held by the Americans, including the false belief the Canadian dollar was being kept low to give Canadians an advan- tage, and the Irish beef was still flow- ing into Canada. Graham said the US subsidy pro- gram has put Canadian producers under pressure, but this should make the Canadian bargaining position stronger. He said that the CCA is ada- mant that Canada maintain absolute sovereignty over herd health, poin- ting out that the US still has a problem with brucellosis. Graham said he hopfs a meeting scheduled soon in Renobefore a visit to Australia and New Zealand will set up fair trading rules and produce policies giving agriculture a much higher profile at future GATT con- ferences. He emphasized Canada's dependence on trade. Graham termed the cattle industry one of the bright spots in agriculture. It has been a leader in carcass grading, herd health and market in- formation. He said cow -calf operators are getting the best price in history now. Graham predicted that "we are not going to know supply management in Canada because a Targe majority don't want it". He said those recom- mending marketing boards are say- ing "throttle back the whole industry, and get rid of one out of two pro- ducers". Noting that grain has beer subsidized to the disadvantage of Western producers, he said he wantec lo get back to a well-rounded industry where all segments are treated tilt same. "Canadian farmers have a' choice back to the miserable days of the past, or forward to the known rewar- ding field of productivity and coni- petitioin", he concluded. The 1987 Huron executive will be: past president Ron Bennett; presi- dent Keith Strang; first v/p Jack Flanagan; second v/p Torn Hayter, secretary -treasurer Rose Marie Bishop; OCA director Glen Coultis with Brian Miller as alternate. hate them. 1 have found them difficult to get information from when they want to be evasive and ready to fall all over themselves when they wanted to give out information. So 1 agree with the Beef Producers for Change when they demand a free vote in this compulsory, non- refundable checkoff. They -- the changers -- have worked hard to get a paid membership of more than 750 because they feel the OCA has done little or nothing to cooperate with other farm organizations for farm debt review legislation or debt set- aside. When the vote comes at your local level, think about these things. 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Delivery available KURT KELLER R.R. 1, Mitchell, Ont. 519-348-8043 Times -Advocate, January 21, 1987 Page 7A SPEAKER — Jim Graham (standing), chairman of the international trade committee of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, was guest speaker at the Huron Cattlemen's Association annual meeting in Clin- ton. Seated beside him is 1986. Huron president Ron Bennett. i B3uoineoe Trre0 ACCOUNTANT -PUBLIC orrice ��mut,h T)7 r Chartered Accountants P.O. Box 1690, 497 Main Street, EXETER, Ontario NOM ISO (519) 235-0101. WARD MALLETTE Chartered Accountants 476 Main Street St. S., Exeter, Ontario Resident Partner: John S. McNeilly, C.A. 235-0120 519-235-0345 KIME, DITCHFIELD, MILLS & DUNLOP CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS GERALD W. MILLS, C.A. Managing Partner JOSEPH F. 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