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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-02-06, Page 9Times -Advocate, February 6, 1991 Page 9 FARMERS Be sure to visit the Pioneer Hi -Bred display booth at the HURON TRACTOR FARM INDUSTRY SHOW Pioneer sales representatives will be on hand to discuss your spring seed and silage inoculant requirements. uirementsD. Pioneer HI -Bred Limited Chatham, Ontario N7M 5L1 itBank of Montreal R.R.S.P. SPECIALISTS SUPPORTING FARM SPECIA L 15 TS Meet us at the Farm Show.... Drop by our booth for a free copy of The Planner Series or with any questions regarding your personal plan 'We've Coot the Facts... ,dust Ask: Your Complete ‘Drd 1 Compbny On the table - Wray Mason, one of the speakers at the Professional Applicators Institute training program at Centralia College, demon- strates how a spray table Is able to check ibr even crop coverage from a sprayer of fertilizer or pesticides. Custom application a growing concern By Adrian Harte HURON PARK - The custom application of fertilizers and pes- ticides is a growing industry in Ontario, mainly because farmers are finding it not only eases the short supply of farm labour, but also makes sense to "bring in the experts" for handling the current wave of high-tech equipment and chemicals. This was one of the facets of the application market revealed by the organizers of the first ever training program for The Profes- sional Applicators Institute of Ontario, held at Centralia Col- lege last week. Tom Sawyer, representin The Fertilizer Institute of On (TFIO), noted that custom appli- cation now represents about 50 percent of the $300 million farm fertilizer market in Ontario, and also handles about 25 percent of the $150 million pesticide mar- ket. That market is growing, not- ed Gary McLaughlin of the Crop Protection Institute of Canada. "It's growing at the rate of 18- 22 percent per year in acres treat- ed," said McLaughlin. Sawyer agreed there are sever- rasons,why farmers are look - .d jg h angle contractors ter their spraying needs, not the.lelst of which is the increasing cost of the technology needed to do the job efficiently and accurately. The economics of hiring some- one who has the latest equipment plays as large a part as the tight- ening government regulations on those approved for crop spraying. The health regulations and envi- ronmental restrictions, especially on pesticides, are becoming very stringent. Sawyer noted a shortage of farm labour is another major fac- tor that works in the favour of the professional applicators. Many farmers are forced to work larger and larger acreages with the same amount of labour - hence the need to contract out certain kinds of work. He also pointed out that 69 percent of farm households have another off -farm income, leaving less time to tend fields. Nevertheless, the actual amounts of fertilizer being used on Ontario fields is remaining stable, or even decreasing. Saw- yer observes that with the de- crease of about a half a million acres of corn production in the province since 1985, a lot less fertilizer is being used. Also with improvements in application technology, farmers can be a. lot more stingy with what is applied. "As �h goes on, were kit* our ourn e�+rtil>sac dMbrE' of icienll ftete," explMihedSak+ler. Although some local suppliers and ' applicators are switching from liquid to chemical fertiliz- Pork workshop CLIN'PON - The quality of pork land the carcass yield are two im- portant items in determining the dollars paid to pork producers. With this in mind, an interactive workshop has been set-up for Hu- ron County pork producers to ad- dress Maximizing Meat Yield and Quality. The workshop Will take place at Ale Goderich Township Hall, Hoimesville, on Wednesday, Feb- tuary 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pre -registration is required by send- ing a cheque to the Clinton OMAF office for $20 (made payable to the Huron County Pork Producers). During the workshop,producers will be discussing the ffect of in- dexinon the salability of the meat, optimum shipping weights and sow grading from a packer's perspec- tive. The impact of and understand- ing the losses due to trimmable de- merits and condemnations will be discussed. Also, a presentation on the monitoring of feed additive res- idues in pork and the prevention of residues will be given. ers, McLaughlin said it isn't real- ly part of any widespread trend. Dry chemicals may be more eco- nomical in some instances, but liquids are necessary and prefer- able in others. However, the rise in popularity of conservation tillage methods has led some experts to conclude that dry fertilizers and pesticides are not absorbed into the field trash as are their liquid counter- parts, and may actually be better in those situations. That is one of the situations to which custom applicators must be prepared to change their methods, noted McLaughlin. Sawyer noted that because the face of agricultural science is continually changing, with knowledge doubling nearly every three years, training programs such as the one held at Centralia College are very beneficial to help those in the industry keep up. About 100 professional appli- cators attended the 2 -day TFIO program at the college to learn more about their industry and to keep up to date on the latest methods and equipment. The program. was also sponsored by CPPC's Ontario council, the Onta- rio Ministry of /Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of the En- vironment. Biennial bean day LONDON - On February 14, 1991 the Ontario Bean Producers' marketing Board is sponsoring its biennial white bean day at the Hel- lenic Community Centre, 179 Southdale Road West, London, On- tario. The day will feature speakers on production, research and promo- tional topics of interest to white bean producers. There will also be exhibits by suppliers of goods and services to members of the white bean industry. Admission is $5.00 which in- cludes lunch and a free draw ticket. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m. with an hour for exhibit viewing. The program is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. and from 1:20 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. with lunch served between 12:10 - 1:20 p.m. Exhibits may also be viewed over the lunch hour and following the program un- til 4:30 p.m. For additional information, please call Julie Johnston, Market Analyst at (519) 652-3566. Tubing - 2" - 12" Culvert - 4" - 36" Available with or without filter cloth Full Range of Fittings & Accessories Septic Tanks and Calf Hutches See us at the Huron Tractor Farm Industry Show February 11 & 12, 1991 Exeter (519) 235-0870 Henson 1-800-265.1714 Forest 1-800-265-1447 MTS Farm Supplies inc is pleased to be part of the Fat pigs are less efficient GUELPH - When it comes to pigs, fit is better than fat. A University of Guelph study of 190 sows monitored through four reproductive cycles over three years shows that fat pigs - and skinny ones, as well -- are less efficient producers of offspring. "Too fat or too lean is not good", says Guelph animal scientist Les Young. "Like humans, pigs do their best at their optimum weight." Young's research was designed to optimize reproductive performance through feeding "so farmers can avoid overfeeding or underfeeding the animals, which can have a detri- mental effect on the animals and their performance." He used normal pig feed (corn and soy meal) augmented with corn starch during gestation. He assigned his research animals to one of three rations -- 1.5 kilograms a day, two kilograms a day and 2.5 kilograms a day -- so they would develop into lean, normal and heavy sows re- spectively. He measured the sows' performance by factors such as breeding frequency and litter size. • Young found that sows on the Middle ration performed the best, producing about 10 piglets per lit- ter every 155 days. Sows on other rations performed well for their fust two liners, then developed problems. Some of the leaner sows on the first ration, for example, produced piglets with lower birth weights, which can mean health complications and more difficulty surviving among bigger, stronger piglets, Some failed to resume menstruating, and others were reluctant to breed again after weaning their piglets. Farmers usually market sows af- ter the fifth or sixth litter, so maintaining the animals' health is important. Sows need some fat re- serves to prepare for lactation, but excess feeding during gestation is not required. Young sugrSts start- ing with a gestation radon of 1.8 kilograms a day for the first preg- nancy and increasing it by one- tenth of a kilogram a day for each litter that follows. Under this regime, sows should display good reproductive perfor- mance, gain enough maternal weight and maintain adequate fat re- serves for reasonable longevity, show an early interest in breeding after weaning, use feed resources ef- ficiently, be less prone to excessive weight and back fat fluctuations throughout the reproductive cycle, and be relatively simple to manage. Ball says the results have made an important contribution to farm- ers' knowledge of how to better manage sows.. This research was conducted at the Arkell Swine Research Station and supported by the Ontario Mini- stry of Agriculture and Food, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board. 16th Annual Huron Tractor Farm Industry Show 4itt Gaiser-Kneale Financial (a division) 01 Gaiser Kneale Insurance Brokers Inc. ver Rolston Purina • There's nothing wrong with having your RRSP with a bank or trust company... We welcome everyone to visit our display and discuss your Seed, livestock and Pet Food requirements. MTS Farm Supplies Inc. Hwy. 83 215 Pickard Rd. Exeter 235-2808. However, for the informed investor having your RRSP with an insurance company is a much better alternative Olco Gas Bar Woodham 229-8000 For details call Ron Rau Exeter Grand Bend 235-2420 l 2384484 Hay Township Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING The 116th Annual Meeting of the Hay Township Farmers' Mu- tual Fire Insurance Company will be heli in the Township Hall, Zurich, on Monday the 25th day of February, 1991 at 2 p.m., for the presentation of the Annual Report, to elect three Directors and to transact all business as may be done at a General Meet- ing of the policyholders. The Directors whose term of office expire are Cecil Desjardine, Grand Bend; Arnold McCann, Dashwood; and Glen Thiel, Zu- rich. Mr. Desjarrline and Mr. Thiel are elide for re-election; Mr. McCann is not eligible for re-election due to paragraph No. 21 (o) of the By-laws Qualifications of Directors. Please note: Paragraph No. 21 (d) of the By -Laws Qualifica- tions of Directors "Any Person wishing to seek election or re- election as a Director must file his intention to stand for election in wrking with the Secretary of the Corporation at least ten days in advance of an Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting called for the purpose of electing Directors." Notice Is hereby given, that a motion will be presented et our Annual Meeting amending the Letters Patent of the Company as follows: Company name change to Hay Mutual Insurance Company. Notice is hereby given, that a motion will be present- ed at our Annt tai Meeting amending the By -Laws of the Com- pany as follows: paragraph No. 33-Rernuneratlon. President, Gerald Naylor Secretary -Manager, John R. Conskt . ,z