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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1984-01-25, Page 16Few people would agree that the present recession in Canada has been worse than the Great Depression of the Dirty Thirties. Employment is high now but not as high as it was in 1935. Bread lines are long but not as long as they were in 1936. Bankruptcies have in- creased across the nation but fewer people are going broke %Oka By MRS. HUGH MORENZ Sharon Baker returned home Thursday from St. Joseph's Hospital, London, where she recently under- went surgery. Leota Snyder has a quilting project on this past two weeks with friends dropping in to give a helping hand. Mrs. Elsie Comfort, of Welland, spent the last two and a half weeks here at her daughter's home Eva and Milton Sweitzer. She also visited daughters Doris Sweitzer and Marilyn Picker- ing and her grand and great- grandchildren in the area, returning home Thursday. Hugh and Annie Morenz were supper and evening guests a week ago Monday night with Ross and Donna Corbett of Hensall area. We also visited with Steve, Janine and Gerry Corbett. Congratulations to the Shipka Rookies who beat out seven other teams Saturday in Exeter to win the A cham- pionship of a snopitch tournament. Don't iorget the euchre par- ty at the Community Centre - here tonight January 25. now than in 1934, just 50 years ago. Except in agriculture. Statistics Canada recently released figures which prove beyond doubt that things are tough on the farm. Farm bankruptcies doubled across the Prairie provinces In 1983 to the highest level ever recorded, up 16 percent from 1982. Figurer from the Con- sumer and Corporate Affairs show 488 Canadian farmers declared bankruptcy in 1983, compared with 410 in 1982. Ontario had • the dubious distinction of leading the na- tion's provinces with 165 failures. Quebec had 125 bankruptcies in 1983. In western Canada, Saskat- chewan farmers were hardest hit with 62 bankruptices, up from 30 in 1982. Manitoba failures hit 45 farmers compared to 24 the year before and in Alberta, farm bankruptcies totalled 47 compared to 27 in 1982. Wheat prices across the Prairies in 1983 were at exact- ly the same level as they were 10 years ago while production costs have been climbing at an alarming rate. The escala- tion in production costs come from energy costs, fertilizer costs, equipment costs r.nd labour costs. What other sector of the economic pie is getting the same price today as 10 years ago? Can you name any? The important steel -and auto in- dustries are getting more than double the price receiv- ed in 1973 and they are still in trouble. Yet farmers are be- ing forced to accept exactly that much. Few people even remotely connected with agriculture Pian t6 survey farm finances The Farm Credit Corpora- tion (FCC I is surveying 6,000 farms across Canada to gather up-to-date information on the financial structure of the agricultural industry in Canada. Call for free estimate and we'll tell you how you can save. L.W. Kleinstiver Ltd. Dash,.00d 737-3661 Plumbing. 11.01ing-[I.,srI,al I � Channel Satellite Reception Reception Equipment SPECIALISTS f • DEMONSTRATIONS • SALES • INSTALLATIONS ALLEN STUBBS SATELLITE H ANTENNAS 296-5565 786-4848 "We need this type of infor- mation to help us better define the credit re- • quirements of agriculture so we can tailor our lending pro- grams to serve the needs of our farmer -clients," says FCC Chairman,,. Eiliv Ander- son. "It will also have the add- ed benefit of providing us with a bash against which we can h measure our effectiveness." Statistics Canada, Agriculture Canada and the 0 Canadian Federation of Agriculture have col- laborated with FCC in the design of the survey. The results will help all of these organizations formulate more effective policies. FCC field staff will conduct the interviews with farmers chosen from a random sam- ple by Statistics Canada. Those interviewed will not necessarily be FCC borrowers. "One point we want to stress is the strict confiden- tiality of the survey. We recognize the sensitive nature of this type of information so s we will only publish ag- t gregate statistics. The survey a participants will note that s neither their name or address appears on the question- naire," says Anderson. The survey will yield infor- t ma tion on recent and propos- ed capital expenditures, bor- r rowed capital, farm size and f inventory, farm income and r farm's financial structure. m The methodology is similar c to that used in FCC's 1981 lo survey. This will make it p easier to compare :he two periods. This type of analysis E6 is vital after the recession the g Canadian economy has been through. sy The target date for comple- p tion of the interviews is the end of- March 1984 and FCC hopes to have results c available by mid -summer. In agree with the confrontation tactics of the Canadian Farmers Survival Associa- tion. This group has been more militant even than the peace organizations. They have blocked mads and lanes. They have held penny auc- tion. They have spirited livestock and equipment off farms and from barns. They have thrown dead animals oa the doorstep of at least one bank. They have used hunger strikes to emphasize the plight of farmers. . Garfield Stephenson, vice- president of the Saskat- chewan Wheat Pool, admitted that the economic squeeze has led some farmers to con- front bankers and stage demonstrations. "We (wheat pool officials) do not think that is the way to solve problems but we are hard-pressed to come up with any other kind of solution," he said. "It's very difficult to re- main rational whets farmer sees everything he has work- ed for taken away." And there is the pathetic part of the whole story. "...when a farmer sees everything he has worked for taken away." How galling, how frustrating, how heartbreak- ing, to see this happening almost 500 times across this nation in 1983. And for every farmer who has had to go bankrupt, there are . just as many who got out by selling everything, paying off the debts and walking away from the land. The pathetic part of it all is this: These farmers are usually young men with a spirit of adventure. They are the innovative people who are willing to take a chance. They are --not- the --older men -and women, usually, who have been on the land for generations with the farm paid tor and enough in reserve to weather these pre- sent financial storms. They are the men and women who should be staying on tie land to produce food for future generations. The new blood is being drained and this is sad. The day will come when Canadians will wish the oung men had been given elp to stay in farming. "Old MacDonald had a arm..." the song goes. O1d...had...When the old nes leave, who will take their lace??? Good news d is bad, sad The provincial govern ment's plan to assist beef an sheep producers is "good news, bad news and sad news", said Harry Pelissero first vice-president of the On tario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). The good news, Pelissero said, is that red meat pro- ducers are finally getting ome help. The bad news is hat nothing has been done bout stabilization. And the ad, news, he said, is that President Ralph Barrie is eaving the OFA. Pelissero said he is pleased he OFA's efforts to convince the government to help the ead meat industry have inally paid off. "This sector eally needs an efficient arketing system. We hope a entral selling agency will wer marketing costs for roducers," he said. The province has allocated 2 million to a five-year pro - ram which includes a new beef and sheep marketing stem and initiatives to im- rove the industry. Pelissero said he was con- erned about the initiative to crease -Ontario's beef cattle productivity by 10 percent ver five years. "That growth ould take place even without a government program," he said. "Ten percent is far too modest. We wouldn't be com- - petitive at that rate." '' 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111I1116111111111111111111111MIII111111L 0 .1 BRAD MOUSSE- -- CONSTRUCTION E I • General Carpentry E. • Agricultural Buildings • Replacement Windows • Residential • FREE ESTIMATES R.R. 2 Hensall 236-4558 Call atter 5:30 w w E h fa g Pe • bee P m d bl • p1 Pelissero said we must ork towards increasing the erd by developing vourable marketing forces. He said he was disap- inted that no progress has n made in negotiating a tabilization plan. "The new rogram will take care of red eat marketing, but it oesn't cover pricing pro- ems," he said. "Farmers need an effective stabilization an, and we hope the pro- nce will work hard to tablish one." es = P ad th br nllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll gi Pelissero expressed the OFA's regret at losing its resident Ralph Barrie, but ded, "The OFA is proud at one of Ontario's best and ighest farmers has been ven this opportunity." A►' INTRODUCES NEW PLOW — Kongs i • e Limite• o plow to its Exeter facility production. Shown at a Amos, Dalton Skinner of Exeter Farm Equipment, and Harry Von Gerwen of Exeter Farm Equipmen Exeter has announce • t e pro•uction o a new mou • •oar - dealer day Wednesday are Kongskilde soles rep Lawrence Kongskilde president George Poole, sales rep Gerry Smith t. ' T -A photo Terrific Tomorrow is 4•N theme "Together Today for a Ter- rific Tomorrow" is the 1984 theme of the Ontario 4-H pro- gram which recognizes the merging of the agriculture and homemaking divisions of 4-H. Club leaders from both sec- tors were on hand at the an- nual Huron County 4-H club Leaders' Association meeting held in Holmesville Wednes- day to learn how the merger attects 4-H in Huron. Huron's representative on the Ontario 4-H leaders' com- mittee, Bob Hearn of Exeter, said one of the main organiza- tional changes will be the for- mation of club leaders' groups. As Huron already -has such - a group for its 4-H agricultural clubs, the change will mean homemaking club leaders will now be included in this association. The changes are to . be phased -in. At -the meeting, the agriculture club leaders elected their executive as usual, while the homemaking club leaders elected a direc- tor from each of their achievement areas to sit on the club leaders' executive. Les Falconer of RR 5 Clin- ton was named president of the Huron 4-H Club Leaders' Association. He takes over from Brian Oldfield of RR 4, Sea forth. First vice-president is Terry Smith of RR 1 Walton, while Diane Oldfield of RR 4 Seaforth was elected vice- president. Maurice Hallahan of RR 1 Belgrave was named as the association's secretary - treasurer for the 32nd con- secutive year. Directors were named from each of the 4-H agricultural groups. The Homemaking club leaders named as directors are : Brenda Love of Crediton, -- Bonnie Johnston of Gorrie, Carol Boneschansker of Ethel, Eileen Townsend of Brucefield, Bev Van Ninhuys of Clinton and Joanne Sproul f Brookside. The Exeter achievement rea has yet to appoint a irector. Other changes to be phased - n are the age limit of 4-H members and the various wards. Currently homemaking,• ember8 can 1►etiveed the , ) ges of 12. and 26, while growth available in the market," White told the an- nual meeting of Lambton 0 a d i a m a Focus on quilting In 1984 we proudly celebrate Ontario's Bicenten- nial by focusing on quilting - a heritage from our early beginnings in Canada. Quilting has a long history as a traditional craft. Today it is considered a fabric art form, used for clothing, win- dow coverings, wall hangings, household accessories and, of course, bed quilts. "4-H Quilting" should ap- peal to members with all levels of experience in sewing and crafts. Beginners will learn some basic techniques such as string quilting, applique and the quilting stitch itself. Whey will complete one small quilted article. Members with a little ex- perience in quilting or sewing will have a chance to use their creative talents by choosing a agriculture members must be between 12 and 19 years of age. John Bancroft, Huron's 4-H co-ordinator, said there has been a compromise on the ages and the new limits for both sectors is 12 to 21. He said that in 1984 and 1985, 4-H homemaking members aged 22 to 26 may continue in the program. - As for awards, the two dif- ferent systems being used by homemaking and agriculture will be combined. Starting Soybeans -Despite--Tecord---goybeaii crops in Ontario last year, there is still tremendous room for growth in the industry, the secrtary-manager of the On- tario Soybean Growers' Association said Thursday. Doug White of Chatham said 30 percent of soybeans needed in Canada had to be imported from the U.S. after Ontario growers produced a record 3.6 million bushels. With Canadian producers exporting about 25 percent of theirsdybean harvest, "it givesyou an idea of the more challenging design for their quilted project. To join a "4-H Quilting" club, members must be at least 12 years of age by January 1st. Huron County is just star- ting their Quilting workshops for the 4-H leaders. If you have a son or daughter bet- ween the ages of 12 and 21 who would be interested in taking this project, please contact your Rural Organization Specialist who will put you in contact with the nearest club in your area. It's a fun project - in fact, it'll leave you in stitches. For more information, phone Jane Muegge, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Clinton, at 482-3428. Jane Muegge, Rural Organization Specialist (Home Economics) WIN FIRST MIXED DRAW -- A rink skipped by Jim DeBlock won the first draw of the season of the Exeter mixed curling club. Back, left, Helen Hewitt and Bill McGregor. Front, Bea Dawson and Jim DeBlock. County branch of the association,. White said new office facilities at Chatham, which include computer services. this year a plaque will be presented to each first year 4-H member with additional projects recognized by adding bars to the plaque. Again, a phase-in period will be recognized for the homemaking club members seeking silver teaspoons. The awards for the completion of six, 12 and 18 projects will re- main the same. The awards night held in November will continue for the agricultural sector, said Bancroft. can grow are making the operation of the board of management of the provincial association more efficient. Gary Abbett, a soybean specialist from Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology, told the meeting Lambton farmers will have two new soybean varieties to use this year. He said both varieties showed good yield potential and tolerance to root rot in experiments last year. Peter Epp, chairman of the provincial board, said there is a need for more research in- to new varieties and growing methods. He said the associa- tion plans a special meeting of growers March 19 and 20 in Toronto to discuss the future Of the soybean market up to the year 2000. Times -Advocate, January 25, 1984 Page 15 To manufacture plow in Exeter Recently Kongskilde Limited, Exeter, announced that the company would, in addition to current manufac- turing activities, would com- mence the production of mouldboard plows at its Ex- eter facility. Kongskilde has for the last 12 years, imported a mouldboard • plow from Europe, and with the recent acquisition of its own plow company, has added an im- portant dimension to the manufacturing and distribu- tion of plows worldwide. The Exeter facility employs 47 full-time people. The U.S. division is staffed by 11 people. Plow production at the Ex- eter plant will begin in February 1984. Two models of fully mounted plows and two models of semi -mounted, mouldboard plows will be manufactured. A large trail plow has been built at the plant for four years and will supplement production of the four new models. Kongskilde has an exten- sive dealer and distributor network and has been a ma- jor supplier of mouldboard plows in areas of North America. The company main- tains an extensive range of parts and accessories for units in the field. At a dealer meeting, on Wednesday company spokesman indicated that the new mouldboard plow incor- porates the best of European and North American technology. A new streamlined ap- pearance and some in- novative features on the unit are the culmination of an ex- tensive test program under- -taken by Kongskilde engineers in Europe and North America. After an in- itial showing to the dealer organization the plow will be premiered at the Toronto farm show, Exhibition Park, Toronto from January 31 through February 3. Farmers BOOK NOW To have your spring grain and beans custom cleaned on YOUR farm. We clean, treat, bogs or bulk and we offer germination tests. Canadian Mobile Seed Cleaning Ltd. 1-519-289-5602 (:5 the cooperatoi8 INSURANCE SERVICES * LIFE *HOME * AUTO *FARM * COMMERCIAL Call Verna Gingerich 374 Main St, Exeter Clinton Community Credit Union Office `Residence 235.1109 Business cannon FARM SHOW The Agricultural Equipment Showcase Exhibition Place Toronto JANUARY 31 • FEBRUARY 1.2.3 10 AM • 6 PM DAILY • Horse Sale • . • Wednesday. February 1 11 00 a m Hereford Winter Classic Sale Thursday. February 2 12 30 p m Invitational Holstein Sale Thursday. February i' 2 30 p m OSCIA—"Outlook '84 January 31. February 1 1 3 p m • "Computer for Farm Management" Sessions each morning of the Show • Country & Western Entertainment February 1. 2 3 5 30 p m • Ladies Program Daily ANNOUNCEMENT is pleased to welcome Hicks' General Store of Corbett as the "NEW" distributor of PRODUCTS in your area. 41 Brian and Mary Hicks are anxious to serve you with the complete line of Masterfeeds feeding programs. Masterfeeds is committed to meeting the needs of the agricultural community for a profitable future in livestock production. Call NICKS' GENERAL STORE for... the people who have made quality a standard. I