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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-10-30, Page 30Page 30 Times -Advocate, October 30, 1991 Officially opened on Saturday afternoon was Usbome Townships new road works shed built across from Usbome Township School these past few months. From left are councillor Jim Kerslake, MTO representative Hugh McGugan, engineer Bill Kelly, MPP Paul Klopp, MTO repre- sentative Steve Killaire, Usborne reeve Gerald Prout, works supertintendent Ken Parker, Jim Gregus from Gregus Construction, and councillor Robert Morley. It is amazing how most people to- day are quite unaware of the crisis out in the boondocks. During a dinner conversation last week, a friend who is pro -union was spouting off about how farm- ers are getting millions of dollars from the senior levels of govern- ment. Ontario, for instance, is get- ting close to $100 million in inter- im payments under the new federal -provincial Gross Revenue Insurance Program, known as GRIP - not GRIPE - in the agricul- tural community. It is the first of what will likely be three separate payments. They will not get the third pay- ment until the results of sales for this year's crop are known and they are still looking for subsidies from last year's crops but that is another complicated story. Farm leaders have declared a state of emergency and have been lobbying for help since mid-July. The situation in the back forty is so bad that farmers are shaking their heads in puzzlement. Prices for many farm products, especially grains, are as bad as they were in the days of the Great Depression of the 1930s. How many sectors of the economy do you know who are making the same now as they did in 1935? Can you name anybody who is making the same money now as in 1950 or even 1960? I do not know of any, yet that is what some farm- ers are getting for their products. Is it any wonder they are in trou- ble? And to make matters worse, it appears, from the outside looking in, that the rights and privileges of a few sectors of the farming econ- omy may have to give up supply - management marketing boards. That is, if the big -gun negotiators at GATT get forced into it. A new round of negotiations un- der the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is getting to the sticky part. Farm leaders have been warned that the European Community is wavering in its sup- port of Article II of GATT. That is the section which Canada uses to justify import quotas so that fann- ers can run effective supply man- agement marketing boards. With- out those quotas, imports could come in and ruin the supply man- agement system completely. Farmers have fought hard and long for these words and I hope they will not be lost through inter- national trade agreements. My aforementioned labour un- ion friend, when told about what is -- or may be -- happening to farm- ers, was aghast. When 1 told him that unions would have a fecal fit if wages and salaries were turned back 30, 40 or even 60 years. "We would have the entire nation on its knees if this was happening," he said and I believe him, yet farm- ers are facing just that. Beef prices are well below what they were five years ago. So are hog prices as well as grains. The only sectors of the agricultu- ral economy where prices are in any way close to cost -of - production is in the supply man- agement marketing boards such as Lei,e.s a,e app•ec.aiea by Bob Lone, Eiaale RA 7Q0 IC 7 the feathers industry and milk. Even here, where prices are some- what protected, farmers are having trouble keeping out of bankruptcy proceedings. That rally to protest GATT negotiations that was held in Mississauga the first of the month was only a drop in the milk bucket compared to the ire that will be generated if marketing boards cannot set internal and import quo- tas. I talked with a feed mill operator • recently who also owns a few broil- er farms and a few hundred thou- sand birds of quota. He said he has his two farms up for sale to the highest bidder and he will let them go for a bargain if he can find a buyer. Why? He said he can see the day when marketing boards will be wiped out in Canada and he wants no part of such a situation. Maybe he knows something I don't know? Automated farm equipment coming REGINA - The day is coming when farmers will be able to work their fields using small, automated, fuel-efficient equipment, says the head of electronic Information Sys- tems Engineering at the University of Regina. "I truly believe that by the end of the century we will have fully auto- mated farm equipment. No more endless hours driving up and down the field," says Ron Palmer, who is also president of a high tech elec- tronics company that is developing a computerized navigational guid- ance system for industry and agri- culture. The Accutrak Systems Mark II is being developed for use in the coal strip mines in Wyoming, but it can easily be applied to agriculture, says Palmer. The operator charts his or her progress on a video screen on the ractor. The operator knows exactly where he or she is in the field at K0ENSALL STRICT -OPERATIVE FALL CHAINSAW 1 2pt. TUNE-UP All makes & models NLY $•' 9495 Includes: Sharpening of chain. /1 (14.1\4k 4 We carry parts & accessories for most makes & models Hensall Co-op 1 Davidson Drive P.O. Box 219 Hensall, ON NOM 1X0 (519) 262-3002 all times, and, by keeping the computer icon centred in the screen, the implement will move in perfectly straight, parallel lines. "If we can do that, why not con- nect the system directly into the implement's steering system and eliminate the driver?" he asks. He already has a graduate student working on such a devices. Such a development could result in the replacement of some large farm equipment with small, fuel- efficient, automated equipment, he says. A major reasons producers use big equipment is to save the opera- tor time by covering a large arca in as little time as possible, he says. "If the equipment is automat- ed, then time -saving is unneces- sary, and engineers can concen- trate more on designing highly fuel-efficient machinery. THE EMPEROR'S CLOTHES - REVISED EDITION. There was the emperor, rid- ing along buck naked, but only the innocent boy could see it. "Look, Ma, he ain't got a stitch--". "Be quiet, son." "But Ma, I can see —". "Shut up or 1'il whack you". "But Ma, Can't you see —". "All right, that's it. I_'m_ping to tell your -father.' "Dad knows." What we need is a new lot- tery, called the Emperor Sweepstake. BAILEY'S OF HENSALL LTD. FURNACES - HEAT PUMPS CENTRAL AIR CONDmoNINC Highway N4 North 262-2020 Hensall 262-2626 o your Home Comfort Peopk New business deals with political system DASHWOOD - Jack Riddell, the former Ontario Minister of Agricul- ture, has launched a new business to help other businesses and organi- zations deal with government. Huron County's MPP from 1973 to 1990, Riddell said he is launch- ing the new firm - Jack Riddell Public Affairs Consultants - to help businesses and groups deal with complex government bureaucracy, as well as understand how the polit- ical system works. "More than ever before, many businesses and groups are affected by decisions and regulations of government boards and agencies and I want to use my 17 years expe- rience at Queen's Park to try and help them solve their problems and get their story out," said Riddell, who also served as Minister of Ag- riculture and Food from 1985 to 1989. "In particular, the agriculture and food industry in Canada faces many challenges," said Riddell, "from changing trade barriers as the result of the Canada U.S. Free Trade Agreement, to the proposed free trade agreement with Mexico, and the pending changes in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades." "x'15 one who has represented On- tario to other governments in the United States, Europe and Asia, I feel I have the expertise which will allow me to help businesses and groups identify opportunities and concerns." said Riddell. "Environmental concerns as well are having an impact on agricul- ture in such areas as land use plan- Usborne 1 4-H news By Rebekah Prout USBORNE - On Monday the Milk Makes It Beuer Club held Weir third meeting at Judith Park- er's residence. Aimee Bayer called the meeting to order. Following the 4-H pledge the group answered the roll call which was to name a cheese made in Canada. Laureen Bott gave her report on the last meeting and offered to host the next one. The club divided into two groups, with one cooking while the other played games. They watched a film about how to make milk and milk products, and then tried some cheesecake with strawberry and raspberry sauce. They ended the meeting after testing different kinds of cheese. ning, land stewardship, soil and water enhancement and food safe- ty," explained Riddell. "More than ever before, no busi- ness or organization can operate in a vacuum. All must work with governments, media, and other as- sociations to ensure that their in- terests are properly represented and understood," said Riddell. Initially, Riddell will operate the business out of his farm at R.R. 1, Hay near Dashwood. TEST ORIVE ZETOR Find Out How Much Tractor You Really Can Afford. ,0407 Ontario Crop Insurance commission would like to thank Don Weigand for his dedicated service as crop insurance agent for the farm- ers of Hay, Stephen and McGillivray Townships. Any inquires regarding crop insurance or the G.R.I.P, program please contact our new agent. Gordon Strang 235-1466 For Hay - Stephen Townships Kees Peeters 294-6532 for West Wiliams - McGillivray townships ANNOUNCEMENT Farmers Hay - Stephen Townships The Ontario Crop Insurance commission is pleased to announce the appointment of Gordon Strang as our crop insurance agent for Hay -Stephen Townships. Any inquiries regarding Crop Insurance and the G.R.I.P. Program please contact Gordon Strang 235-1466 Paul Kopal Area Manager IT'S BACK IT'S BETTER $29.95/MO. 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