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