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Times Advocate, 1998-11-25, Page 7Wednesday. November 15, 1998 Exeter Times -Advocate Opinion Forum LETTERS TO THE EDITOR It's time to take action now! Dear Editor: Another busy form season is coating to it close with some variable yields. Like all. things in farm- ing and other business you have good years and you have bad ones. History teaches' us that with markets what goes up dogs come down. 11'ith the current pork market thesame thing is happening. What concerns me though is that the current price trough we are in is far deeper than anyone could have realistically predicted. Currently a market hog sold this week will net a farmer about $65. The sante- pig brought about $150 only -six months ago. •. Now I know what you'i•e- thinking. Jod% )uu just said what goes up must come down. 'Prue enough and alI•.farmers reali/t. that also. The -problem is historically speaking prices. on the way down meant $90 • not $65l What does • $65/hog mean to the average farmer? %Veil at $90 you may (if you are an average producer) lose $10 per hug.• Businesses can generally stand small losses for a short period of time. "I'he•problem'with $65 market price is that the average farmer ends. up losing at least $35/h g and on some units that equals thou-. sands or tens of thousands of dollars per week. the current -price trend is downward and we are head- ing l'or Christmas season a tine of historically poorer prices. After which we ar in to Jan. - April where prices usually. skid sideways until the sum- mer •BI1Q season. The bottom line is it would not be a leap to predict current prices will skid lower and remain there for at least 4,6 months. As a lifetime pork producer 1 know that produc- ers will go bankrupt and lose their farms if the current price situation continues. • Now I know the stereotype of .the crying farmer warning of doom and gloom if markets or weather keep -going against therm (this hasn't helped us in the past) but I guess ,this difference this time is that I am certain six.months of current prices will put farmers out of business. They don't have to go lower or even last two months to see some producers lose everything. Farmers are your neighbours. your hockey coach, your church reader and your community leader. Farmers- and the farnming industry are the leading economic engine -in Iluron County._1Vithout. farmers you' don't have grocery stores, arenas, churches- or small villages (there are no Targe cities in l luron County). As a province and country agriculture is apri- mary industry.. A• primary industry like fishing and forestry produce raw goods that are value added, developed and trucked all. over .the world. Agriculture is a primary industry that yields• seven dollars in commerce for, every one dollar of gross farm income. Than an untold and unseen benefit we all rely on for economic survival. Over 640,000 pupil' are direc11) employed because of agrirul- t,u a in lhttariu.• • 11' 50 percent of the pork. producers in this pro%ince go bankrupt you will notice it in your life: Thc ajor• reason 1 write today is to question our pro% im•ial government who is sitting by idly doing nothing as this whole market scenario is played nut. Everyone else is taking their cuts and receiving no help from the government. why. should pork producers be any different? Farmers realize we 'are under fiscal restrain(, the problem is Quebec producers have current • floor pricing arrangetire►tt with their.guv't that sees them receive no less than $12.0/pig. Our .friends in the US will also be •receiving some gtrv't assistance (history tells .us they always du). So our, Tartu neighbours. aren't receiving any govt help but are expected to produce a top quality product that will employ thousands of people (maybe even you) and du it for the •next. 4-6 .months at huge losses? it won't happen. and even if .they .lo come through the downturn they •wilt be .at a tremen- dous competitive disadvantage in the_global near ket. 1Vhal can you do'' Call your MP or MPI' and ask then( what they are doing to help? • • After explaining the current..n►rket situation along with the price six months ago one would assume grocery stores and meat counters (night be lowering prices because the raw product is so much cheaper for them to purchase. Not a chance! Weaners _are still $:i/package and bacon is still $4. Someone is taking a fat cut in between and it sure isn't the farmer or small abattoir. It's the rapidly consolidating grocery store chain. As much as -that -is chard truth many of you may expect farmers to swallow consider this. If farmers lose their farms. to bankruptcy many large barns won't go empty. Corporations will take them -over. Do you think' you'll get the same• quality Tood for less than 12 percent of your disposable .ineonie (the current situation). I doubt it. Question your Meat manager about the .price drop and ask hien where (or when) the price drop will be felt or seen at •the retail level. My guess is he'll pass that along to another -person or complain about the past -pork price.. When pork prices traded in historical ranges this answer may have rut it, but current prices (which will probably go lower -before the • new years are unheard of. As consumers you des Tye a break. Take time to call your MP, MPP or meat manager. As fariiers we need to take action now. Please take the time to call your Mi' or MPP and plan to join other pork industry on a march to Queen's Park, -Tuesday, Dec. 1/1998. Call your local direc- tor for more :details and be there! -Our pork industry deserves the support. JUDY DtnANU United Way needs help Dear Editor: The Huron United Way still needs your help! With our announced ''Touch.Down" date of November 30 fast approaching we still have some way to go. •Our campaign achievement to date is $120,000 which represents 60 percent of our $200,000 goal. Donations are_ still arriving daily. and our payroll. deduction campaigns are well underway. Individual donations from area towns are down and we urge you to remember the Huron United Way .in your donation considerations. Remember,. all -donations *stay in Iluron County. If you would like information on how to make a contribution, or want to know about our agencies please call 1-519-482-7643. Together we care! BRUCE SHAW, General Campaign Chair Kim Bilcke, Executive Director Iluron United Way Suggestion to sell more bacon Dear Editor: So the pig farmers are complaining about the price they get for their animals: If bacon producers were to produce bacon that is a lot less than ninety per- cent fat, perhaps they would sell more and everyone would gain. In some .parts of the word,. the packets of baron. we are offered in the stores are called ".streaky" and is the cheapest quality used for flavouring. for exam- ple liver and bacon. No self respecting bacon lover would even consider it for a bacon and eggs breakfast. .IUIIN R. SANDE•:IRSON Exeter, Ontario Greater sensitivity is needed • Dear Editor: • It •would seem that along with the new tabloid for- mat, the '1'.A.' has adopted the Trash Tabloid Mentality. !Env saddened I was at the tragedy south of Exeter more than a week ago. Yes, it should be reported, as lessons can be learned from such. tragedies, but explain to me please the benefits of now naming the driver. 'i'o what end? To deepen the wound further? To sell more papers? Would it not be far more beneficial to stay focused. on people's inten- tions to help alleviate the hurt and the pain rather than drive it deeper? Where has the dignity gone? I sincerely trust that a greater sensitivity be exercised if and when tragic news is reported again in the Exeter 'l'imes-Advocate. Dam Roon rsox Crediton Wait until the election TORONTO -- Premier Mike 1 Farris is happy sniping at oppo- rients frons- the. safety of TV commercials, but not as eager to confront them where they can shoot back. . The Progressive Conservati' t premier has charged in costly. controversial ads that Liberal leader Dalton M((iuinty, has no ERIC .. policy .00 health care. Harris's DOWD ads are unprecedented in that QUEEWsPP►RK they picture. Mc(,uinty looking truculent as in a police 'mug shut; and .previous premiers. did not feel it necessary to run ads attacking an opponent months before an election. • They hay e led New Democrat leader Howard Hampton to ask Harris lot. a TV debate among leaders of all parties. Hampton argued that • because Harris' made his Charge on 'I'V, the best place to prove it is a leaders' debate on TV. . ilampton, who is low in polls, has an axe to grind in that he is in danger of being overlooked in the struggle between I larris and McGuinty.. \'ic(uinty, although he could be at some risk berause he still does not. have a full policy -on • health, offered to debate "any tittle, anywhere." • Harris has replied by renewing his attack on McCuinty far giving no clear indication how he would pay for extra spending he has•promised on health. The Liberal has said only that it will come from a stronger economy and rutting fat. The premier suggested there already is a highly • suitable Ioruni- where the leaders can debate and - this is the legislature, which could allocate tithe . fora debate on health in which all leaders could join. A debate- in the legislature would have disad- vantages. in it each leader would give .ai set speech, as would "other representatives of their - parties. and the rules (10,001 permit participants 10 interject a -comment each titne their rivals make -a statement with which they disagree. 13.ut debates on TV, now routine -during elec- tions, are normally .structured so that leaders are questioned by independent panels and allotted time specifically. to -rebut opponents' stateiltents. and formats often are flexible enough to -allow theist even to argue with each other. A debate in the .legislature also normally IS 111 the afternoon aunt only on apalmi anientary chan- nel to which- not everyone has access. but it lead- ers' debate in AAA. studio could be at night on all • stations that chose to run it: Harris is not without nerve in pointing to the legislature as the ideal forum, because he -has been there fewer than one-quarter of the days it has net this fall. • Hampton and ,MrGuinty also were showing opti- mism in expecting I larris to debate the m on 'I'V. Premiers have not normally debated their oppo- nents on TV except in elections -- the. exception was Bob Rae, a gifted speaker who whet. he v is NDP premier and low in polls would do l,.►t.• .ny- body in search of votes. Harris would have worried that he would be . asked embarrassing questions about his own health policies. Prenmiers generally fear they will - be prompted into a gaffe or not show the superior- ity expected of them.over lesser-known opponents. An .opponent of whom little is expected has merely to hold his own to be seen as a winner. Premiers also worry that' they elevate opponents merely by being seen debating them as equals and attracting audiences they could not lure on their own.. Some premiers have been unwilling to debate opponents on TV even during elections. In 1981, 'Tory premier William Davis, who was mediocre in a debate in an earlier election, said he would debate that time only if all TV networks jointly produced the program. When friendly 'Tories then running 'Toronto's CFTO-'1'V said they would never co -produce with rival Global TV, there was no debate. In 1985, Prank Miller, while briefly Tory pre- mier, refused to debate on TV, searing he would not look ars young and contemporary ars his oppo- nents, "and his reticence helped cost him govern- ment. A premier would not dare refuse a 'I'V debate in an election today because it has become an expected, integral part of campaigns, but i fampton and McGuinty will have to wait until the election.