Times Advocate, 1993-09-08, Page 24Page 24 Times -Advocate, September 13,1993
More change than past two millennia
Bio-teclinology will atter agriculture forever
Crops to resist any threat, or grow milk right in the field
13y Adrian Harte
T -A Editor
HENSALL - Agriculture will change more in the next 30 years than it
has in the past 2,000, a researcher told a group of more than 600 in Hen-
sall last Wednesday.
lack Tanner of the University of Guelph was the guest speaker for the
annual W.G. Thompson and Sons open house, an event which drew more
than 600 local farmers to the luncheon, presentation, and tours of nearby
test plots of the seed company's newest hybrids.
Tanner's address was on the impact of technology
on agriculture, and he painted a picture of a drastically
changing world, most of which may not be at all bad
for the Southwestern Ontario farmer.
He began by pointing out many of the large compa-
nies farmers deal with today may.not be around in
years to come. Some will be forced out of the market,
or will be bought up by even larger multinational con-
cerns. This trend, he said, applies to most industries
over the next decade, not just agriculture.
Tanner noted several chemical companies have bought into the seed dis-
tribution business, mainly because of the emergency of bio -technology. A
handful of huge multinationals now control much of the world's seed
trade, he said.
The same applies to food processing, in which only about five huge
companies dominate the industry in Europe, North America, South Ameri-
ca, and now Eastern Europe.
Giant companies are now getting interested in the meat industry, now
that packaging technology is making distribution and storage easier.
"In each of these categories, there are only five or six companies that
dominate world trade," said Tanner, and added that a "tremendous ration-
alization" is also to come in the food packaging industry.
Even though a consumer may see several brand names of potato chips
on the shelf, two or three of those companies may actually be owned by
the same parent multinational.
"Multinationals will soon work their way into the grocery store busi-
ness," predicted Tanner, who said by 1990 only 11 'percent of grocery
stores in Canada remained independent.
The huge companies are even expected to expand their interests further
since former communist countries are now embracing free enterprise, and
high speed communication networks make acquisitions faster and easier to
accomplish.
But while the local farmer will have to deal increasingly with these com-
panies and their subsidiaries, don't expect them to start buying up farm-
land, said Tanner.
"It will have a major,
major effect on what
agriculture will be in 30
years...
"Big companies don't like farming themselves," he said, pointing out the
risks of agriculture don't sit well in the boardroom.
The main impact on agriculture in the next few years, said Tanner, is the
emergence of biotechnology. He said it will be on a par, or greater than
the industrial revolution for farming, greater than the chemical pesticide
revolution, and greater than the current information revolution.
"It will have a major, major effect on what agriculture will be in 30
years," he said.
Bio -technology can speed up the development of new varieties of seeds.
By transferring genes from any life form, plant, ani-
mal, or even human, into crop plants, seeds can be
made rot resistant, herbicide resistant, tolerant of wet
or dry weather, or even toxic to specific kinds of in-
sects.
Tannersaid a tomato is already in existence that
has been engineered to resist rot. It can be picked
ripe and shipped to market without fear of decay.
Under development now is a coffee bean missing the
gene that produces caffeine.
The revolution won't stop at plants, said Tanner, and said dairy cattle
can have genes manipulated to produce human -type milk; but he said that
may prove even less convenient than having that same milk produced in
plants,
Plants can even be grown to produce plastics, fuels, or other materials,
and will "only be limited by the human imagination".
The consequences to agriculture, he said, is that "value-added" qualities,
the most profitable, will be generated right within the plant itself, not in
outside factories.
Those crops will be worth more, and farmers will not be able to take the
same risks they do -now. Only good growing areas, like Southwestern On-
tario, will -be safe- to grow such valuable harvests. Even then, risks may
have to be minimized through the use of the Great Lakes for irrigation.
"At some time, the value of our crops will dictate we use that water,"
said Tanner, noting that many Third World cocntries already sacrifice sur-
face water to irrigate much needed crops.
Southwestern Ontario also has a competitive edge over farmer's -fields
elsewhere around the worldfor growing genetically engineered, value-
added crops. Good transportation, stable government, and an educated
farm workforce, all mean that when the revolution comes, this area is in a
position to benefit, said Tanner.
Agriculture, he said "will probably change more in the next 30 years
than it has in the last 2,000 years."
It will be more diversified and specialized, he said, but also predicted it
will be more profitable for those involved.
•
Over 600 attended the .luncheon at W.G. Thompsons open house and heard guest speaker
Jack Tanner describe the sweeping -changes expected in agriculture in the next few decades.
Huron beef competition
next Wednesday
BRUSSELS - Thirty-eight head
have been entered in the 1993 Hu-
ron Beef Carcass Competition. Be-
sides gaining information on the
carcass traits of these animals oth-
er valuable and timely cattle infor-
mation will be presented.
On September 15 at the Brussels
Stockyards, the animals will be on
hand to view at 7 p.m. Bryan
Boyle, the Agricultural Represen-
tative in Lambton County, will be
giving pointers on live cattle eval-
uation. Everyone in auendance
will then have the opportunity to
evaluate a class of animals on their
own. Besides this, Dr. Ann God -
kin, who works as an OMAF
Health Management Consultant,
will give an "Update on BVD Pre-
vention". This will be an excellent
opportunity to learn about bVD
anditspro$ention in the beef herd.
The carcass results and pictures
of both the animal and its rib -eye
will be presented in Seaforth. At 7
p.m. on September 29 in the Sea -
forth Agricultural Society Build-
ing, over a dozen agri-businesses
will be on hand with displays to
discuss cattle products and pro-
grams. Besides the carcass compe-
tition slides, a presentation on the
"Cattle Markets" will be given.
Kevin Grier, Editor of the Canadi-
an Cattle Buyer Newsletter will
provide insight into the anticipated
fall cattle market.
• All interested beef producers are
welcome to attend both meetings.
These educational opportunities
arc a co-operative effort of the Hu-
ron County Beef Producers' Asso-
ciation, Seaforth Agricultural Soci-
ety and the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food in Clinton.
1/2
Off
Reeves
Oils
Acrylics
Brushes
Jack Tanner was the guest speaker at the W.G.
and Sons open house last Wednesday in Hensel!.
Thompson
Introducing the Whing Nor thorse 6100 Series. With the most
advancnd.powerahift transmission around. Shift at any ground
speed, under any 'load. at any engine rpm, and in any direction.
Without touching a clutch.
In-line shifting controls 18 forward and 9 reverse speeds with just
a tap. And pre -selectable, programmable gears let..you instantly
match -them to any field condition. All monitored by a digital readout.
Put a real Workhorse to work for you. Check out the new 8100
Series, from 121 to 192 PTO hp. At your White dealer today.
WHITE
NECE SARY TOUGHNESS.
Sales.& Service
Phone (519) 236-4934
Fax (519) 236.7330
22 Main Street, E., Zurich
tQ
Fall 1993
Norway maple 8 white ash 8 ' trees available mid
October tor roadside or farm windbreak planting
S10.00/free l
Spring 1$94
.
Walnut pine, spruce, ash, maple, autumn olive and
oak seedlings available to landowners who own
more than 5 acres
10e/tree
Spring 1994
ir
ABCA tree planting service
12.5s/tree
Order early! There are limited supplies of all trees.
Think about site preparation this fall if you want to plant trees next spring.
t�f1235-2610 to place your order.
WmTE. BEANS
We're reqdy when you deliver.
W.G. Thompson & Ltd. know that wh t it comes to delivering
beans you want the quickest, t dliest and
most efficient service possible.
So bring your white beans to Thompsons
Because when you deliver... we deliver.
The home of Stinger, Wesland, Midland,
Envoy and Vista white bean seed
C�3
BRANCHES
Blenheim
Hensall
Mitchell
Pontypool
Granton
676-5411
262-2527
348-8433
277-2002
225-2360
•Seaforth
Port Albert
Rodney
Kent Bridge
Ailsa Craig
345-2545
529-7901
785-0420
352.6311
293-3223
SATELLITES
Howson & Howson, Blyth 513-4241
Arva Heights Ltd., Dublin 527-0137
Palmerston Elevators Ltd, 343-3702
Bar -B -Dee Farms Ltd., Bornholm 347-2966
Topnotch Feeds Limited, Aylmer 631-2670
Cargill Grain Company Ltd., Greenway 238-8423
IUCO Alvinston, Alvinston 898-2861
Wayland Farms Inc., Bradford 416-775-6758
Ip 4 6