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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-02-24, Page 31le Iln. tot Ret Iqs Arch 1. 2 'M ii 4r Ur,, �e 12.3901 1-6 .TR AL tOSTO 1MPTV% HII.1OF t:Ant tTCO IY)NEL ,\IPEG ( RI' amros ICot,tt IE.NICH eJootsn the rr�w' byaac From time to time, this -column has enumerated the rea- sons why farmers must work together in the marketplace to combat the huge multi -national conglomerates connect- ed with the food industry. The theme has been repeated two or, three times. „The connections and inter -connections of the huge Weston em- pire and Argus Corp. have been listed to point out that .a great degree of manipulation is available to these conglom- erates. Whether the manipulation has taken place is not for this reporter to say. I have neither the time nor the money. to make the necessary investigations. But these empires can control a product from the time it leaves the farm gate to the time it reaches the consumer's table. And by control, I don't just mean the processing and the retailing. I mean the packaging, the transportation, the storage, the wholesaling and the distribution. Another name can be included in the list: McCain Foods Ltd. McCain's,.according . to--Farm--and Country magazine, - is a completely vertically integrated corporation. It buys' potatoes from growers on contract, loans them money, con- trols farm machinery dealerships, a string of processing plants, a trucking company, fertilizer outlets and 3,000 acres of growing land that, at one time, belonged to individual farmers. So powerful is this company's grip en the potato industry in New Brunswick that one farmer complained when he bought seed from the corporation which had a poor germi- nation record and tried to claim credit from McCain. The company denied responsibility. An investigation was launched by the federal Anti -Com- bines Branch about charges that McCain gave grower con- tracts only to those farmers who bought equipment from Thomas Equipment Ltd. And who owns Thomas Equipment? McCains, naturally. The investigation petered out. Why? Who knows? What is known, though, is that the four McCain brothers — Andrew, Robert, Harrison and Wallace — are or have been bigwigs with the Liberal party federally. mer Hardi annual meeting of the County Pork ers at the ---lit last Wednesday, Feb. rned Chairman Elmer g, RR1 Gorrie; first airman Tom Papple, eaforth and secretary- rer Lloyd Stewart, RR 1 to the Association's ve for 1977. meeting of 100 also tention rmers R SALE QUALITY first cut or sale. Good sized Phone 529-7517. —8 VESTOCK PUREBRED, half Charolais bull. Also Charolais polled bull. her information call. erry at 524-9671 or 524- 7tfar BRED serviceable age shire boars. ROP ind commercial, Two 12-14 months, used on Bob Robinson, RR 4, n,345 -2317.-7,g Lenin RGEST STOCK THE COUNTY Ily" I69 —Industrial — Farm -Factory n or safety toe CTURE PROOF SOLES HOf SHOP 142 The Square -Goderich, Ont. -.esters are appreciated by Bob Trotter. EId&N Rd . Elm,ra, Ont N3B 2C7 Now, there is nothing wrong with being a member of a poli- tical party. In fact, I think every Canadian should have some sort of party affiliation. Regular readers of this column know that the writer has been a Conservative supporter for years and I don't.care who knows it. • But when a suspicion is rampant that such political af- filiations get favors for a huge company like McCain, then that's carrying things too far. Why do I think it has gone too far? Because the federal government is considering a $2.5 million handout to McCain Foods Ltd. to build a potato processing plant in southern Manitoba. The federal handout is being touted on one side — the Mc- Cain side — as a boost for potato growers in Manitoba. It would give them a handy processing plant. But those opposing the move•are well aware that McCain forced -New -Brunswick farmersinto stiff competitive posi- tions when the company imported cheap potatoes from its operations in neighboring Maine. And those same opposers are aware that cheap imports could come into Manitoba from the Dakotas. McCain has become Canada's biggest potato exporter and sells at least a dozen brands of potato chips, frozen French fries, frozen vegetables and desserts. Sales are now close to $150 million a year.' Why in the ever-lovin' world would McCain need $2.5 mil- lion from the taxpayers of Canada? The political links and the massive handouts from the pockets of Canadian tax- payers may not be connected but the coincidence seems just too big a hunk of fodder toswallow. It's time, too, that Manitoba Premier Ed Schreyer join- ed with the federation of agriculture spokesmen to fight this smelly gift from Ottawa. But the last report I heard was that Schreyer had given his blessing to the project. Bedfellows make strange politics. GODERICH SIGNAL STAR THURSDA Poor attendance The Huron County Wheat Producers elected their executive and committeemen for the coming year with about one percent of the members on hand for the voting last Thursday. A motion to postpone elections until another meeting when more members could be present was voted down by the gathering. Provincial director Bob Henry of Blyth blamed lack of Only 1 % on hand far elections advertising and the poor travelling conditions for the poor turnout, but said that meetings generally are at- tended by only 35-40 mem- bers, or five percent of the wheat producers in the County. Of the 600 wheat producers in the county, only 11 at- tended the annual meeting in the Clinton ToVrn Hall to return John Beane of Clinton Wheat producers receive payment Ontario wheat producers made on a monthly basis as will recieve an interim records are processed. In payment from their addition to the March interim marketing _board about the end of March. Irving Kleiman, R.R. 1, Simcoe, chairman of the Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing Board, announced on Friday, February 18 that an interim payment of $15.06 per tonne, the equivalent of 41 cents per bushel has been set by the board. The payment to be made from accumulated pooled income from board sales to both domestic and export markets will be made to those wheat producers who , sold wheat between July 1st, 1976 and January 31st, 1977. For wheat sold by producers after January 31st, the interim, payment will he payment, a final payment will be made by the board some time later in the year. Mr.41%Kleiman said total producer sales to the end of January are at a record 22,155,774 bushels, or 602,980.75 tonnes. Out of that total, the board has sold all but approximately 5,700,000 bushels, or 155 129 tonnes presently in storage at various terminal elevators. The 1976 Ontario wheat crop has been estimated at 25 million bushels, or 680 389 tonnes. Prodncers have received a basic initial price of $2.00 per bushel or $73.49 per tonne for their wheat. renamed Pork Producers chairman returnee two-thirds of its 1976 townsh • directors and delegate . , who will represent e asso•iation at the Ontario Po • oducers' Convention in Toronto, March 17 and 18. New faces to the directorate are Colborne - Harm Kloeze, RR3 Goderich; Stanley - John Paul Rau, RR2 Zurich; Stephen - Simon Brand, RR1 Exeter; McKillop - Robert Robinson, RR4 Walton; Morris - Don Henry, RR1 Bluevale. Re-elected for the coming year are: Ashfield - Ross Eedy, RRI Dungannon; Goderich - Barry Taylor, RR3 Clinton; Hay - Joe . Miller, RR1 Dashwood; Usborne - Ron Dougall, Exeter; Grey - Jim Williamson, RR3 Walton; Hullett - Lloyd Stewart, ,,.'B.R1 . • Clinton;. Tuckersmith - Tom Papple, b RR4 Seaforth; East Wawanosh - Adrian Vos, Blyth; West Wawanosh - Allan Miller, RR1 Lucknow; Turnberry - Glen McMichael, RRI Bluevale; Howick - Elmer Harding, RR1 Gorrie. The six directors at large for 1977 are: George Mon- crief, RR3 Goderich; Don Geiger, RR2 Zurich ; JohOa Coleman, RR1;' Zurich William Leeming, RR Walton; George Campbell, RR1 Seaforth; Doug Fraser, RR2 Blyth. Keith Small, RR1 Wroxeter; John Arts, RR4 Seaforth and David Taylor RRI- Zurich, have been named as alternates. In conjunction with the upcoming Ontario Pork Producers convention, the Huron group also drafted a resolution regarding a Grain Corn Council names new committee Agriculture and Food Minister William Newman has announced the ap- pointment of the 1977 members of the Ontario Grain Corn Council. Members representing producers are Kenneth Patterson of RR2 Kerwood, chairman; Donald Hart of RR6, Woodstock; Neil, Armstrong of RR4 Caledon East; Steven Pallett, RR1 Pefferlaw; Ronald McRae, Bainsville; and George Morris of RR1 Merlin. Other members are James Cunningham of Top Notch Feeds Ltd., representingfeed manufacturers; Donald Ross. of Canada Starch, representing starch and cereal manufacturers; W. H. Timmis representing the distillery industry; H. C. Heimbecker of Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd., representing grain mer- chants; and Donald Stockton of United Co-operatives, representing the country elevator operators. The Ontario Grain Corn Council speaks . for corn producers • on matters of provincial and federal policy which affect the industry. It OFA executive meets The seven members of the provincial executive of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture will arrive in Wingham from various parts of the province on Monday, February 28. They will hold their monthly executive meeting on Wednesday, March 2nd. For two days prior to this meeting they will meet with the county Federation executives from Huron, Perth, Bruce and Grey, and will hold a general evening meeting for all farmers from the above- mentioned counties. During their stay in Wingha""m, the executive members plan to visit a number of local farms to discuss current farm business problems. Following'his election to the x Presidency of the O.F.A., Peter Hannam stated that he intends to concentrate on building closer liaison bet- ween the individual mem- bers, the county organizations and the provincial organization. He wants to draw people out and get them to participate. "I want everyone to feel free to come and express their opinions," he said. The Executive will hold their meetings at the Turn - berry Tavern on Highway 86, about one mile east of Wingham, beside the Tur- nberry Central School. A general meeting for all O.F.A. members will be held on Tuesday evening, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. irf the Turnberry Central School. produces a monthly market letter outlining prospects for supply, prices and com- petition, and also has an active market development program. In announcing the ap- pointments, Mr. Newman said the Ontario corn industry "has grown tremendously in the last few years. Corn is now Ontario's largest and most significant crop. It is a cornerstone of our livestock economy and vital to many segments of our food in- dustry, including corn starch and cereal manufacturing, and may become important as a sweetener in the future." KEEPS BARNS FRESH You get the freshness of all outdoors all year 'round with a Butler All -Season ventilation system in year livestock building. Fresh air intake, foul air ex- - haust, and circulation are all automatic. We also install silage distributing -unloading, feed- ing, and manure -handling systems. ilynn Lowry Farm Equipment Limited ROUTE I KINCARDINE, ONTARIO PHONE 519,395.5286 WE SPECIALIZE IN GLASS — AUTO & TRUCK GLASS CAMPER WINDOWS VAN WINDOWS CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT VAN ROOF VENTS TRIM — COMPLETE AUTO UPHOLSTERY PIN STRIPING VINYL ROOFS.. BODY SIDE MOULDINGS INSURANCE CLAIMS FREE MOBILE SERVICE ON GLASS `THE GLASSMIEN Oil CANADA" 44,BAY,�FILLD ROAD, OODERICl1`w;PHbN change in the -present hog grading system. The resolution asks the Board to negotiate a grading system to graduate from 180 pounds,and down, if it meets with the approval of the packers. At present, the grading system graduates from 170 pounds, and down. Any hog weighing in over 170 pounds is ineligible to for the grade index set at 100 to 112. The resolution will be presented .at the March convention for approval. li• as president, and Bev Hill of Varna as secretary - treasurer. Hill anti,; Beane were also elected . as committeemen along with Don Dodds and Russell Bolton of Seaforth and provincial director Bob Henry of Blyth. The com- mittee will meet to appoint a.._ sixth member to represent the southern portion of the county. At present, no com- mitteeman represents Ili e Exeter -area, which supports the heaviest wheat produc- tion in Huron. Three of the committeemen will represent the county with the remaining three to act as alternates to the Ontario Wheat Producers. Convention in Toronto March 14 and 15. The Huron delegates are part of District 7 which includes the counties of Perth, Waterloo, Wellington, Grey and Bruce. Z5 �T! 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