HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-08-19, Page 11•
31 Dec. 1 0 9 6 7-6
1?ub2` , e I4 brax y $
52 Montreal St".
Goth:.rich, 014,.
Beef producers in trouble
Want..
irnports:rt t� n.
Losses "being experienced producers -import ,protection clothing industry: a few. weeks .domestic beef supplies in the
by cattle feeders for the past"' similar to that granted the'ago and thereby ensure . future ior.carlsuters.
several months and by beef" ,
cow herd owners for the past " ,
tw.o years have reaGh'edr..... .: ;.:.� A.
.....
orator proportions ".making-
producers question seriously
whether or not . they should
:•continue•;in the business.
Ron Oswald', Chesley area
beef producer and President.
of. the Ontario Cattlemen's
Association said recently that
producers who have sold
iha -ket cattle recently at
_ prices ;which last week
reached a three year low
have experienced such Major
losses that some may face
- bankruptcy 'While many
others will sustain a sub-
stantial decline in the equity
position of their business,
• Most seriously affected: will
be young cattlemelt who stave
only been feeding cattle for a
few years and have not had
.the • chance to build up an
equity position ' intheir •
business. '
Beef..cow•' owners • have
already= gone „through two
years.where market prices
returned barely half. thew'
production costs arid it now
appears certain that a third.
year of major lossses is: in
store. . • .
The cattle iftdustry both in
Canada, the United States
and . other world countries is
going through the cyclical
heavy :.production . period.
Since it takes approximately
• three years from the -tithe a
decision.is made-te breed a
cow a01 the .time -the market
animal goes to slaughter, the
industry is 'suffering (roti the
_rapid..expansiori,. an_breeding ..
herds hich took place in the
early 1970's.
In spite of .warnings from
producer spokesmen at that
-tim e, governments we.r.e.
•encouraging expansion 'and.
instituting,.program•s to offer
encouragement or •divert
resources from other' com-
modities.
Compounding .:the problem
of .increased cattle numbers:‘)
has been rapidly escalating
production posts which -tar
• bothi.cow_ herd, ywners. "and
cattle feeders has easily
doubled in the past few years.
To -illustrate. what ,has
happened .in the cattle in-
dustry, • in -1974 feed cattle
prices at Toronto averaged
•. approximately $48.00 twt. at
a .weeklykill level of 57,200
while to date in 1,976 feed
cattle prices at Toronto .have
averaged approximately
$40.00 cwt. with a kill level of
70;100 anincrease in supply of
23 percent. "Last week feed
• cattle prices at Toronto were
$35.00 to $37.00 cwt.. compared..
• to $48.09 to -550.00 cwt. at the
same time last year.
• This represents a decline in
value of $130.00 for each.
animal marketed and for
many cattle feeders a -market
• .,, price of ' $48.00 • to $50.00
represents a ..break even
price: Large cattle 'feeding
operations marketing . in
excess of 1,94g head .per 'year
are facing losses of $100;000 to
•$250,000. Smaller operations
are facing piroportionate
losses. • . ` -
Mr. Oswald stated that both•
the Ontario and . Canadian
Cattlemen's . Associations
hate been'. seeking' the in
s .ittr'tibrr,.....of -a' :Beef _..:-Import .._..
Law from . the Federal
Government to "offer their..
industry •a srnall degree of
protection against
Australia t
orts of •
ced and'NeweZepand.m
10
• Said Mr. O waw" ere is
' absolutely no re why the'
Feder -al -- d
not give ; domestic'. food
Anne's at GDCi
this Friday nite
- ' Anne of dreen Gables is
coming to the Goderich
District Collegiate institute
stage tomorrow evening,
Friday, August 20. The Huron
Country 'Playhouse
° production in Goderich .is
sponsored by ,,The Goderich
Rotary Club: " •
The_._,.._ptoduction stars
Marylu Moyer as, : Anne,
George Murray as Matthew,
James Saar as Gilbert and
Patricia Carroll Brown as
1Vlarilla.
Advance tickets.. are
available • from members of
the rotary .Club, or at
Campbell's, Ormandy's and,
ICA. mush seats will be on
sale at the throe 'Showtime .is,.8
p.m.
•
.Once is quite. enough
Marian Schitl had.'. an in-
terest in farming and . ex-
periencing country .living, an
•
•
interest that desperately nags
at many city dwellers.
But that interest• has since
rt
4t
i5oberir
co;
h"wsiA141'(.0.00 'ON,
129 Y1-.;-34
34
•
THURS., AUGUST 19,•1976 .SECOND SECTION
wanedv somewhat over the
summer months and the 16
year old Kitchener native has
Marian feeds a young calf that watborn just a few days ago ago.^Her' farming interests led her
to the Junior Agriculturalist progarn sponsored by the Ministry of -Agriculture and Food
that gives young people a chance to experience farm life. (staff photo) "
•
•• almost appeased her farming
appetite, • • • g
Marian •.ykas , orle_ •of .200
young people participating in
the. . junior . .agrict},lturalist
program : sponsored by the
aloes
Ministry of Agriculture. and
Food across 'Ontario arid
spent the summer working on
the farm of. Sieb.blt:Siertsema,
RR._I_';..Auburn, :The _program -
was instituted,by the Ministry
•
on an experimental,basisfour
years ago 'and was designed
:,:to give young 'people from the
city a -chance to. -experience
farm life.
Applicants_-rn•ust be 1$:and
•
•
17 years of age with no•
previous farm erfperience
naturally . must' .maintain an
• interest in experienciing farm
ife•: The- ...,pregra•rn._r ups `for.. _.
nine' weeks' from: June 21 to
August -20 and the . cost is
shared by the Ministry and
the participating,farmer. The
• . Ministry pays ' •each: ,par -
y ticiparlt $6 perday and the.
farmer $5 per .day along with
-room and board.
There are approximately 37
young people participating in
the program in the Huron,
Perth, Bruce are?.and 50 per
'cent of that figure involves
girls., Chuck Jacobs ., of the
Ministry explained that many
farmers • are apprehensive
. about employing girls- for
farm work but find thattheir
efforts are more than
adequate to survive Term life:
Prior to • their farm
placement; ': the junior
agriculturalists are given a •
two-day orientation program.
at Centralia College. Jacobs'
said the students are briefed
on farm safety and the
program stresses the worst
'conditions ta...eizsminate .the
element of surprise.
:For ,Martatr_it las:. been --•al
su.mmer of•learnrng, working.
and experiencing• all ..that
farm life has . to offer: Sier=
tsema spoke enthusiastically
of the efforts of his young
'farmer and , is willing to.
participate ` in the program
again:
' Marian began work on the
Siertserna farm June 2)1 -and.
recalled that first awkward
morning as . she approached
-the barn •wearing' :her,:zrew
overalls'and rubber boots.
Each day Marian Schul sr.rubs and sanitizes pails and hoses used in the milkingoperation'
on the farm of.Siebolt Siertserna,oRR 1, Auburn: _(staff photo)
Sieboit Siertserna gives..Marian'some. instruction on hitching farm implenieiits to the
tractor.'She has had several opportunities to drive the tractor which she claims she does
in a slow and careful manner: (staff photo)
•.. ,. • • d
Marian and Siebolt stack hay in the barn that is now filled to near capacity for the whiter
month's feed. Marfan said the program has been worthwhile but she would only do it once!—
(staff photo):
Story .and pictures by Dave, Sykes
"The .first morning I was
here ' was really different and
I mostlyjust stood around
and watched," she said. "I
kept asking a lot ofquestions,'
those first few weeks that
seem kind of silly now.."
Marian •applied to the
j•unaor agriculturalist
program to quench her thirst
for•country living and an
int�••rest . in farrning. It also
provided an excellent retreat
• from city living.
Her schedule • has un
derst'andably' :changed
drastically . and the day
begins around 6:30 a.m. when
the cows•are led into the barn,
fed and .milked. Following.
breakfast Marian scrubs and
sanitizes -the pails and hoses
used in the milking operation
and cleans the cooler. -
•
The afterdnoon's activities
have 'varied between.haying, -
repairing fences, cleaning the
baryas and cutting weeds. The
farmer's summer working
days are long. and usually end
With the's'etting-sun- Marian.._ ...
adjusted. to the long working.
daysand the different: life
style and now ' stubbornly
takes pride .in the fact• that
her: parents thought' she
would only last two weeks. ^_
She Works., six' days of the
week or 12 out o 14 and is free
to take two or three days of
her days off at a time. Her
family and social life styles
have been altered but she.
. 4 perceived no .real difference
between country and.. city
`people.
"1 could not find much.
.difference' between the
country , and city people;
basically they are both
friendly," she said. "There
are probably girls living on.
fauns• that won't go near the
barn."
Marion • enjoyed the op-
portunity offered through the
' Junior • Agriculturalist
Program claiming the, ex-
perience was certainly
worthwhile. '
"1 think the program , is a
good, idea arid.,tit has been a
worthwhile stimme ' fiir rne:"
but 1 would only do it since,''`