HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-09, Page 30Exeter T s -Advocate
Farm News
PORK
INDUSTRY
HOTLINE
11
The Ontario
Ministry
of
Agriculture,
Food
and
Rural Affairs
has
established
a
temporary
hotline to
provide
advice and
counseling
to pork
producers
on financial
and business
manage-
ment and
animal care.
The service
will be
available
24 hours a
day,
seven days a
week.
The (lumber
is
1-800-
599-5584.
Pork pricm
by Ralph Pearce
More than 1,500 hog pro-
ducers and supporters ral-
lied at Queen's Park on
b
Wednesday lieCenibel 11 1778
Queen's Park rally
seeks to gain attention
Dec.
BY Ralph Pearce
s1.1 (.IA1 Tu 1111 11M I' I)vu1'
•.Ar
It was the last place one might expect to lind a hog
producer cin Uee. Isl.
B.ut the lasso of Queen's Lark was covered with
upwards of. 1,500 hug producers and those from -
other sectors as a show of support and in an attempt'
to draw public attention to their plight.
Ii•arlier that morning. Ontario Pork Producers'
Marketing Board chair Will Nap reviewed the condi-
tions being expericnce.d by -the province's 6,000 hog
producers,. That they're losing $70 per hog; that for
a producer with•:300 sows, it translates to $8,000 per
week and that for some, the point of no return has
already come and gone. On .top..of individual hisses,
Ontario could. lose up to 42.300 jobs and $700 mil-
lion directly eonheeted to pork production as well as
$4.5 billion:di,llars in spin-off economic activity_
"Last but not least. we stand to lose a vital cornpo-
1lerit of our rural communities," said.a tired -looking
Nap, adding that despite an increase in hogs market-
ed, gross- revenues have fallen this year by. up to
$180 million - a drop of 25 per cent over a year-ago.
Three primary factors for. the continued crisis were
cited by Nap, including a substantial
increase in U.S. pork processing in the -
past .few. weeks, continued economic •
hardships in Asia'and in Russia now;
and an increase in export subsidies for
pork in the. European Union.
The government must take action, now,
said Nap. Producers can't be' expected
to live off safety -net programs that help
in times of hardship; this is •a financial .
g not a Simple matterdisaster. The nation's farm 'producers must have a
national farm income disaster relief fund now.
Jack Wilkinson, president of the Canadian
pr
.of federation of Agriculture was also at Queen's Park .
,rd ur for the press conference aind rally. 11e counterl•(I the
assumption that under-
for
nder (;A"I'"I'..cnd the guidelines of
•
the. WTO. the kind of finatiCiatl support Main} sought'
by tfie pork industry wasn't possible. In fact. said
ir►son, Canada is well below the level .at ssllicll
the
WTU allows a government to -act. And we stand
d from the bottom in trans
overn►nent support arming „
Ai (Organization- of Last but not
n'►nic. (:e,oper:lt•io►1 and least, we stand
' "Normally people like to think
:having been working for 25 years,
.your income would increase, not
-' decrease by 60 per cent,"
JA() WI1J(ENS(J!: I'RE:SWj=si CA! AVIAN
14:Of:RA7ION OF At;ItIf:1:1.11:RF•
A'fien rltri•s began ivv.ing about the
:ri3r> i1, iw perk J.r r .x:11 y p(-'iplt. btar[-
d asking quc�etronw•' First tJ►e►'d ask
tluri «noes, prndu-(x15 are getting for
th..•tr r/la.rk.eft hogs '1•ha. o1 -7;t question
aJIUo>;1 aiways Sl-r'1rirad.
«ialu►1g al!! the: sri(Jl(,) 1)f1 t}it. pork in th1- •
stw e4 , tJien �' 1
HOF psvduioe-ss hale bi-en asking that
queti'le,r: sJfle-4: this !'urr(-1.t d(1V1'nturrl e.
b4-ca1tlt c disa�tl-s Ilut at ttie-
►ildustr) raft) at I 1 e p'/rk.
his local. grocery ery store, saw the p
pork was the same and had a: we
two witri.thi. grocer. •
Hut Vidwzr, who worked for 30 years
in retail before- jr,ining Ontario Pork,.
+,aid .the- reiatirnship betweeln a produe:- 1
er's prier, arid the retail price is riot ai tf
simple- balance The cost of :i market thir
119g Varier', With the. 0(11:1 9i- a h;irn or ;c `'1 g
• Olt(
.roW►1 roast or,pae:kage of wie
prYr:'- t,, prtxlur:41 e;u:h v.
as 11 passes through the stages of
r!syJng: .
AS :islands WW1, t'', -thirds t,l a h
Irti►er processed ed .inti(, ;i v;lriety (,f -p
g4c5 - ir',ru pifnid: shoulders
ausage to wiener", hams and a',',(,
old Cuts !fall of the r(:Iui1:,ifig thi
rk 1.,1(15 for Specialty t.ut5 • .bke p
hers
• !:f o
cries. IJevr.lr,prnenll countries; rank
- Pro-
ing ache;ul-of only Australia ;111(1 Co l•
ose a vital
og i5 "` w Yr a11:1tId component of
:u:k- 10 furth.:r highlight the seri- our rural
4,usness r,f tl4 overall dlecli, • e
:aid communities;'
.111(1 iT, (-;1rl;1di11n ;lgrini,lture
Wilkinson detailed t1I drop in • Wu" 1' 1P
rfl i4 IMAM -MAN ON1.11;1u
4 i, . net 141!11 into►111 in nearly f
ru, years. In 1974, net farm i Poltt.
(fire 111r0/11(! Ili Canada Was $i (J 1,11
11011 In 11J8 ,, 0 was: $3 .', 1„Iln,n with an additional
►IS, f ; lillun iu l iii,. inron•1 ;ul,por'( I his year. net
t of far fl, in. •,:r1ec Iwlll ll $2 fl lillum ;i(id .'hoist .rt111 11111%k
$� ( ,11110(, In .1'1'17, with 1,1,1
y $ I (i 11111ou Iii }root r1.
:Ilei
malty people like to think halving been tvorl,l)i1};
ri years: yollr 1111.0111e W111111, 11111'1•;1•1•, 411,1
151 ly 1,(1 1414 . ens " .•,Il' '''ied 1ti'llklnsou
Tnlnel ilailior, los ai disast,.1 1. 114 1 hoot. 1V4re•
-ivlrile-1 with 1111 Owl I e11114s1 , Thad. .11 a
1 J ll n14l•t111g II151 July Arlrl Will hi-
WUUIrJ 111,1 JIaV4 hei.,, !•H4.Ilgit 11, :.if viV1 the
11 ?i1uu111,1i i %Ilhln,.,Il.i .tl,l;llneel Ih.41 rV114
1.1.5 t01111)1/I11111r I1, ,I•)A 1111111 111(• .•11.111 1VU11141
(/1i}!hely I W0 lnol4tle', of ul,el .11lti i 1 41,1(41 I,ti
to 1IIaW 1111' 'We'll lot i1 111',.1',11.1 pi11}.11.1111 1•,
101.. I I14I!'(1 1
' /.illy 1151+11: 5pl•aeker5 11)114 led 1,11 111e• neve: loll
l
from loll 114141.11 .Intl p, ovine 1.11 }rust+111
1
tiff Sdd l 1.3s' J St. tt1.- questions carne a
11.)1(1 torn,bsrs of ttl. tn� 4141 slJrne x11 y
v►�tiottl are Vtlil rtiow b4--1.ot►►is,g aw-a{e of ..
thus growing 111-Vbil-tel
t •
t•I,eyt•tHl pf,inte-d); asked t)nt.ari(, a.f 1
Nvtk (.iia" 1/elft '� f, vihf, was Jnaktng tr
►nuns►' 4.t the f•ApNttye- 01 ()titas-1() p1ork. S.
A'rod-1:, e 1 '\. d f
t all 1-.t 1'f's(j a nil/eft rib
' .V'1�•1 .:at 11n{ ?;r: Y. aSli t Boit, j to point f e.
a i •j4f t wt
toe: ;;,r oe .. •:,s•Jt :vpa.1 l• res elr th.-
1,. AI
(alders ttiaLt pi1X7•.(.'•1 djid/.', liegfudge ' n
1�•)n e(, 1,Y 1r•a�kjt;g . profit 1)1'.1 i'ie fJ Jt 1114
riatJlari e orbitaU11 (1n1-
"1"ltat..dldt. t J'rl
h1,j,k ase'.1J,d: f f.,J�rll-tt t. and
111:1;.4-•a as t tr:' droj,J 'd Jn1 • be
s,.nari-e- tel 1tie-,'firs,. til-•Jr►at1 -
) (� Air -:lin at'
6t. 2- and tr. fns 1 rr-dlt lieI.1Ij$.;e1 se, 1f_ e:hr
drari11 Itit1J a tat1)e t.J. rxthw,ge- a),d the
r1J;11 tl 901 r),:; t :'11/1'11 4114 -1 1 irli
14: r• 111u1tn11 : d:1jt, t :;I'1')) ,si ih4 • 'l
U;r;f •JJ 1J1t14-/ t:'t11111'O114 flats
1111�d1t1e+s
1 1 ors,
flee
/ ).l,.tr•ad. hr i,lgl;;,gl.I1d (ht ta4.11J1�
aUbttl,g 1h, )a/ gi de tr a.111d in( l ud)t1g a ha),
t1VLtirflq:rk at,( Lfir' 11/'l..NJso, le:•)4:•1 If1'ga (,1.e
111 udUf't1S a�.dd),1►g 1111114- by liquidalt,,1)x _ Few
the 01uJi)b.i 01 lanin,'aJs -) then- 1)arJib . </
but the phanis cal, .illy i,1 f,f:ebb iso Jo Uri) duo• .
acid riittl J)etro)t.s 111vrn= AppJ.. VaJI.-•y ariry
"'limit closing last summer. the boll14', 1,1,1(:1
1)414:14 wars, -its.
Jim Vidor/ i 1 tile- f
Vidor') . dirt (t(,1' of . onsumier just
►,1a.tke't•it►8.1or ()►;fault, J''Iic a.gi.-.d that ees'r
>11t situation is fruSUating. Although • U►
Maple Leaf has slow e-xpioided its in.o- cents
` 'b � ' )
to, work otr tile' ba►:klog. retailers aJ-en "( • (1111(
• ` gra e
Wilkiosw►, president of "I'11 (:a11ad1am wool.
canlereimw ws 1 uosd thatf
,(111.. Itet-u1ers,_ •)aid Vide,1/y, h;1vit
(noble u -ling t1,e Spcee i:11ty e its 1t'S
:'.r/ne1;►rY prf,e e-Sye/f me;its - !ear
'eners and tier Jik , that have at le,
ature pricing to Ine.t 1 :151 elet.m:lnd
So, Vld(,r./) rooted that ror1511rnet% 1 1
11 1 •1)ke, up and (11,wn pit' 1111g oil Then(
tats, they'd rather have :1 St.-ally.11yt
e .' and the o,.,t aSi nlal fe�aturt-•, 11111 2
114 1 &e pori/.ori, Vildo(/y .said there will deer e.
a lot 'd iggsessiva pricing within the 11.•1 r,
h� We•'k will ,the app►r,at l of fr4a,rle
istJmaS.-: Sl',4 t'lli.:11Jj tot l,,,,,,• :ind >oh5er
11 thi- 11'ahis
• 111/I,ld . e,1/11fllJe 1111., (�1��A
,oars and I•eb)rl/:rf y. 1 1 ur r t1
7,( di lay 1.i pr,( ml;;_ �,111('4JiS14 411.11,1 t11
pi rid ill
)w 111144-r •ta11da1/1,- 1/ In ve
1111(1‘74 Lair . )k3,,ner WIe1( },
'?` 1'f)(e.y hay.
n IJW lot tow to five- months in ""vg
11.
' At Old
s 11.-11 4fisastroosly low 14/4 :111,111 - .
«u/nth said 'Ammer, Min b mean solppoi
Je-rS Specifia;illy, haven't 1:(11 timle
1 to the tailing pm es
111 11/St tnst)n11, (5p. ially 45 lir(,
-1 s: IS U' say, • 1 in»,.• S ;t lag 41i541i elf,
bete letwi•en what w.- se.- at flu
of t. tail and Moil w4-'14- geeing a
aim -gate level,' Said' Simmer' Bo
a5 yui4•klcy, 1.1 aairua(ted he's not 214
910/51 ' -1
}e gr411.er in the' region Halve his Iwr,
worth, saying 1441 1liany logs Dire-,
to processors; calling producers
OWI) worst rueutjN5' 111 also sul3-
d dralslicafly reduce pork pricers
1' a y.S With' sotml' l'44/1.1
•
fllt'IIlly
U' OMAI
'ItA Mi111a14r Ni,lle- Villeneuve was a 1.11
arrival to Ile tally bun p14dg.11 his 3f,verleiue14('.,
4
support, po5i,alily In: 311, 11, •1(f 011'5, dl,p4nd1111i un tie
,' jlrolstesa of ledeviau uuKotiutlon5
I 1lie lne,5t peligI,anl 5I'' -J' til 11.E day Was abide ly
1 Ha11riln1aJn(1-Ni,rfolk prod11ler IIeir-ry•'Ita144, wife
lugged 111 1Je-4/1/1eb' Ile/ill sitiilgs•Ily rela1l,Jll; the lard
i Ships falc4d by 1415 fatuity 411oinig the,' 04,51 11'w wt-ek5
Ile talketd of low he .4)441 1115 wile hail 14,1;eel ter be
enjoying 'the good life „Ilei ;ill it.- l(nn- un,uey-411111,
effort he'd (44i,ol if tl in 11(5 1/14.11 allot, 41611 0,,''441i s
• 1 le current 1lrlsis now I441vets /11111' 11, eel 411141 Ii'us-
1ratt:41. 1te a41/nlltell 'hal ..ours nighl,i be gous'•(4, bed
• frightened s1 411 cabal will happen Io 1115 farm 4iiu) his
fancily - doily to awaken 10 those: sante: fears every
morning
,
duf tion W .,7 tour weekly in an ODA! going
g
dropping their pen nes w1 pork. Jack gest
ie
eliminate profits 'snide, on other.
Federation of Agr1t ulture told a press ►J►ea s
ay xe went into
like beef and chicken.