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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1994-02-02, Page 10Paye 10 Times -Advocate, February 2, 1994 One Foot in the Farrow By Bob Trotter • Canadians must stick to tariffication Some hardliners are suggesting now that Canadian negotiators for the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade caved in. I listened to a dairy farmer last month, a great supporter of supply management -- if he had his way, the entire agricultural community should embrace it -- saying that Canada bowed too soon to the pres- sure of other nations, especially the United States. I do not think it was a cave-in. 1 think it was pure pragmatism. Ca- nadians, in the long run, know that GATT has got to work. The best way to preserve the agreement was to move from protectionism to ta- riffication, from import quotas to high tariffs. But, having said so, let me also suggest that the hard-nosed bar- gaining has just begun. Canadians must stick to the tariffication offer that was tabled in December and not budge an inch from that table. Canadian supply management marketing boards may have lost a battle at GATT but the real war has just begun. The Excited States will fight like wolverines to get those tariffs lowered. They are, in fact, right now suggesting that the tariffs are too high. We must stick to those figures just like snot to a finger. If we give one iota, the Yanks will be all over us because they have the strongest agricultural lobby of any in the world with the possible ex- ception of France. They play tough and even sneaky when it comes to money and farmers. The tariff numbers originally proposed and tentatively accepted at GATT must remain when the deal is finally signed in April. John Core, chairman of the Onta- rio Milk Marketing Board, put it bluntly at the annual meeting of the milk board; "This deal has not created a level playing field with Salford Farm Machinery Ltd. (S.F.M.) Manufacturer of top quality tillage equipment here in Ontario is pleased to announce that HYDE BROTHERS FARM EQUIPMENT Hensall, Ont. has been selected to represent the retail sales of our product line for the Hensel! and surrounding area. HYDE BROTHERS will have inventory soon for you to view. Any further questions you may have concerning the Salford products please contact HYDE BROTHERS at 519-262-2605. SALFORD (Since 1978) "S" -tine and "C" shank cultivators from 10 to 50 ft. Moldboard Plows from 2 to 12 bottoms/Several plow "bottom" choices Disc Cultivators from 12 to 36 ft./hydraulic disc gang High Residue - row crop cultivators from 2 to 12 rows Transport Harrow from 10 to 40 feet Several more new products coming COME SEE WHAT'S NEW UNDER THE SUN Make plans now to attend John Deere Day '94. You'll see the brightest ideas in technology and new John Deere equipment designed for the way you farm, including: • New 92- and 100 -hp "Factors • New 4WD 'Factors • New Corn Heads • New !Coolk • New Disk/Ripper • New Rotary Cutter Don't miss your day in the sun. See the latest John Deere equipment at: - WJHURON Exeter TRACTOR 235-1115. Hwy. No. 4 North "We're very big on service" Date February 14-15 Mon. 10-a.m. - 5 p.m. Time �, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tues. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Huron Tractor, Exeter CI Place the Americans. They fully intend to steal our Canadian market with their artificially cheap, highly sub- sidized dairy products. They do not care about the future of our family dairy farmers; they don't care if there's a single dairy processing plant in our country; they don't care if Canadians have a steady source of Canadian dairy products. They are prepared to buy or steal our market and then milk it for eve- ry cent they can get. "Canadians already have the cheapest food in the world in rela- tion to their income but I can guar- antee you they won't if we ever al- low Americans to control our market with their food exports." I wish I had said it. Core is right on the money with his remarks. Be- cause the Americans have the mon- ey and the people, they will bully our negotiators right to the end. Unfortunately, our negotiators have given in too many times to the tough -talking Americans. Old Pierre Trudeau was right when he said it was tough living beside an elephant. When that American ele- phant grunts or breaks wind, our entire nation hears or smells it. Our entire nation pays more at- tention to what is going on across the border than we do about what is going in in Ottawa. We could have an earthquate in Aklavik which killed 30 people and it would get less attention than the big quake of '94 in L.A. and the Yanks know it. They will scream and yell and shout and accuse until they think they have us all running scared and then they'll get their own way. Sometimes, when they don't, they go off into a corner and sulk like a kid who grabs his bowling balls and goes home until we, even- tually, toe their mark instead of our own, just like we did at GATT. You watch. We'll wait until the Americans tie human rights to NAFTA and then we will do.the same, instead of taking the lead right now and letting Mexico know where we stand. FarmPLUS Plan to give aid ST. CATHARINES - . Ontario Agriculture and Food Minister El- mer Buchanan has announced the launch of FarmPLUS, a new type of investment vehicle designed to fit the needs of rural investors and borrowers and their communities. "The FarmPLUS Plan will help strengthen and diversify the rural economy. It's just the kind of cata- lyst Ontario's farm and rural com- munities need to enhance local job and business opportunities." Bucha- nan said. Huron County MPP Paul Klopp, chair of the Rural Loan Working Group which helped develop the program, said, "FarmPLUS will work because rural residents them- selves contributed to its develop- ment, and rural residents can ensure the success of this new program." Under the plan, FarmPLUS agri- cultural guaranteed investment cer- tificates are now available for sale at participating Ontario credit un- ions and caisses populaires. The FarmPLUS Plan will be offered in more than 80 locations throughout Ontario, primarily in rural areas. Additional credit unions and caiss- es populaires are expected to partic- ipate in the near future. Monies invested in the Farm - PLUS Plan will be made available to the community in the form of loans for such ventures as farm ex- pansion and value-added agricultu- ral businesses. Loans from the pooled funds will have the support of a provincial government guarantee which will back the first $50 million in loans. Pierre Lacasse, General Manager of the Federation des caisses popu- laires, said FarmPLUS will offer rural residents all the usual advan- tages of GICs, including RRSP eli- gibility, together with the opportu- nity to support local agricultural ventures which form the basis of the rural economy. Jonathan Guss, CEO of Credit Union Central of Ontario, said member credit unions already have expertise in community-based farm and farm -related lending, but local decision committees will help en- sure funds pooled as part of the FarmPLUS program are targeted to support local needs. "The FirmPLUS Plan offers a :. jnique opportunity for farm and ru- ral residents to see funds from their investments support economic re- newal in their own communities," said Buchanan. Loans and mortgages to a maxi- mum of $500,000 will be offered at reasonable rates to cover capital costs associated with on-farm val- ue-added ventures; cover capital costs associated with off -farm, farm -related machinery and equip- ment; consolidate farm debt; pur- chase farm real estate; and • con- struct or improve farm buildings or land. The ministry announced the FarmPLUS Plan, then known as the Rural Loan Pool Program, in No- vember 1993. The plan is the fourth component of the Ontario govern- ment's Tong -term Agricultural In- vestment Strategy in support of ru- ral economic stability and job creation. FarmPLUS GICs are insured for up to $60,000 per member's total deposits or individual RRSP con- tract through the Ontario Share and Deposit Insurance Corporation. It's ShowTime The 8th Annual CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL FARM EQUIPMENT SHOW FEBRUARY 8-11, 1994 9:30 am — 5:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday 9:30 am — 4:00 pm Friday And what a show. Over 700 exhibitors. More than 5,000 leading manufacturers and distributors. Over 380,000 square feet of exhibition space. The largest and most exciting collection of Iarm equipment, products and services you'll ever find under one rout. It's a really big show. Don't miss it. You COULD WIN $ 1,000 JUST FOR REGISTERING AND ATTENDING THE SHOW. See yc)ur local fat ' ui nt•dealer t.0 Ict.iil . Toronto International Centre 6900 Airport Road,Toronto, Ontario a Supported by: O.W.F.E.A. For more mit ,rmatittn.ttin.icr. (7051741-25 it) Sponsored h,: [iF"IE;I �.. 1.'1,010 CLOSET DOORS STANLEY -ACME SLIDING MIRROR DOORS Visually enlarge and brighten even the smallest room. Larger sizes and other frame finishes such as brass, oak or frameless are also available. i Se: us f. r detils. Pro.nk, woo. tnxl b outvd. Lan.,, B' 6'g'1 SIAN!I V2" DRYWALL w,.g conn o.. Mn.,l krol, 11 36- 7c ae- „oo' /0). )sn 732/703 FIBREGLASS BATT INSULATION R12.15" width Designed for 2x4 framing. Sold In bundles of 88.1 sq. ft. ori 11 R20.15- width Designed for 2x6 framing. Sold in bundles of 49 sq. ft. )330730/730 ',40 LATCH KIT FOR PORCELAIN KNOBS 'n 2J/4' o, 2J/•' to<►-) ».)434/44.4 9939? cel Az eat_ 1 Rfr New Shipment of Chestnut and Stove Coal Now available Sale ends e sque,11 [ 1Home l)1111(1111(T( ('Tlt1(' Centralia Farmers Supply Ltd. CENTRALIA 228-6638 Open Mon.-FrI.8.6 Sat. 8 -Noon