Times Advocate, 1993-04-07, Page 13FARM IIPnATF.
Times -Advocate, April 7,1993 Page 13
QMJFFUPOTEN THE FURROW
The cries of "foul" have not been
heard yet from the rest of the
feathers industry but I'm willing to
bet they'll be coming soon.
It began when Manitoba hog
producers were, to be polite, cool
to suggestions from John El.
.Lauer, president of the Canadian
''Meat Council. Lauer outlined im-
.provements that he saw necessary
in all sectors of the pork producing
industry. He made suggestions for
producers but he also made sug-
gestions for meat -packing compa-
nies.
His audience, people attending
an agri-food fonun in Portage La
Prairie, saw him as nothing but a
big -shoot meat -packer from Onta-
rio. They were super sensitive to
his ideas.
To be fair, he was greeted with
much more warmth when he made
the same speech to Ontario pro-
ducers.
Turkey producers were harder
on one ofat teir own when Adrian
de Graff of Nova Scotia made sim-
ilar suggestions at the annual meet-
ing of -the Canadian Turkey Mar-
keting -Agency.
De .Guff told producers that
marketing- boards. were losing their
clout, thet.governments are cutting
subsidies, that competition from
imports is increasing and Canadian
farmers need to be ready to accept
changes to "keep the whole Cana-
dian turkey industry from crum-
bling." He is chairman of the tur-
key agency.
Strong .words, not? De Graffs
suggestion about marketing boards
hit a raw nerve.
"I've been a friend of yours for
many years but I'd like to kick
your butt," said a West Montrose
turkey producer. De Graff was ac-
cused of bowing to pressure from
big business, governments and
public pressure against supply
management marketing boards.
Methinks these turkey farmers
did protest too much.
I have been a strong exponent of
marketing boards for a1 most 30
years and I remember when -far-
mers fought hard and Long to get
them.
"Some people faced death
threats" when marketing boards
were organized for . turkeys 25
years ago, -said -David Core, a,Wyo
wipg, Ontario producer. They cer-
:tIletly did. The fight for supply
_Management was long, hard and
Muer. Core suggested that farmers
_ire, again, going to have a fight to
maintain boards and I am in com-
plete agreement. The fight is never
over. •
But•this does not preclude meet-
ing with other sectors of the turkey
food chain. Farmers should be will-
ing to discuss all aspects of the in-
dustry with all others in the indus-
try including meat packers and
processors and the general public
even if it's members of the consu-
mers' association. Farmers cannot
run away and hide their heads in
the sand hoping the critics will just
go away.
The mood of the nation is quite
different now than it was 10 or 20
years ago. I do not think anyone
would begrudge farmers a reason-
able return on their labor and in-
vestment. But justice and fair play
must not be done it mtlst'be seen to
be done. The only way to do this is
for farmers to be wilting to talk, to
discuss, to negotiate.
To be seen as doing otherwise
will only alienate a suspicious pub-
lic already sick and tired of excess
by big businesses and big govern-
ments.
I am not suggesting that the hard-
won gains of supply management
have to be thrown out. I am simply
suggesting that farmers must be-
come hard bargainers, competent
negotiators and better public rela-
tions people. When the general
public knows for sure that no rip-
offs are taking place, they will sup-
port agriculture right to the hilt be-
cause they know we have to eat.
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