The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-12-14, Page 371
Charges. fly.
at bean board
annual meet
Charges, counter
charges and denials wer
flying through the air a
the annual Huro
County meeting of th
Ontario Bean Producer
Marketing Board held a
the Hensall aren
recently. , About 5
producers attended.
Producers who sharply
quizzed directors and
board chairman Lewi
Sherman, OBPMB
manager Charles
Broadwell, are unhappy
about lack of payment for
their 1977 bean crop and
about litigation which has
the board sueing two
dealers for payment for
1977 beans and the
dealers counter suing the
board. Some producers
also claim that changes
in some board policies
were made at the behest
of dealers.
Dealer, W J Thom-
pson's suit claims over $4
million from the board;
the Ontario Bean
Growers' Co-operative
claims over $1 million.
Board members told
,the meeting they ,don't
know grade percent ges
or the total value of the
1977 bean crop.
"That's because the
board didn't demand
from dealers invoices
stating total quantity and
quality. You don't know
the grades. That's a very
bad management
practise that's costing us
as producers multi -
millions of dollars,"
charged former bean
board chairman Philip
Durand of Zurich, to loud
applause from the
audience.
"The producers are
paying the shot whether
the boardwins or loses
(the suit)" he added.
NOT
NEEDED
Several producers
s tggtrs p. '.t rmboarslis,nto..,
longer needed. "I think I
could handle marketing
beans as well myself,
said Jack Ford of Stephen
Township. "We need a
real hard look at whether
this board's an asset or
not."
"Has anything been
done to correct things so
this year we know what's
been sold at what price?"
asked bean grower Ross
Reynolds.
Repeated questioning
about the actual value of
the ''7 crop came from
other farmers, like Lloyd
Willert of Hay.. The
stabilization payment
growers received was
based on a five year
average, and used the
value of sales invoiced as
the 1977 crop price, Mr.
Broadwell told another
questioner.
"I don't think the bean
board has the majority of
people in favour of it any
more," said Zurich area
farmer Jim. Love. "We
need a vote on whether or
not we need this board.
Other businesses run this
way would be long gone,"
suggested Mr. Love wli
added the rest of Huron's
bean producers probably
weren't at the meeting
because they'd said to
thems,�lves "What's the
use? The damn fools do
what they want anyway."
- No. 3 beans are pumped
e up to No. 2, or when the
t culls produced when
n beans are upgraded to
e No. 1 are sold for food aid,
s at $13 or $14 cwt.
t Board member Lloyd
a Taylor told Mr. Melady
0 producers have the option
of taking culls or tailings
home rather than giving
them to the dealer.
s Another point of view
came from Nick Whyte of
Hullett who felt if a
dealer could upgrade
lower quality beans, he's
entitled to a profit.
Other dissatisfaction at
the meeting centred on,
in the words of Don
Geiger of Zurich: "Why
is a No. 1 producer
obliged to subsidize No.
3's and No. 4's?". Nor-
mally only a handful of
beans fall into the lower
category, answered
manager. Charles
Broadwell, but 1977 when
only a small portion of the
estimated' crop was
produced and delivered
was an exception.
Mr. Geiger's
suggestion that bean, like
corn growers be paid for
what they produce was
answered by board
member Frank Vanneste
that the pooling system
had been in effect for 10
years and Middlesex'
producers, were against-
grading.
gainstgrading.
•
CHANGED RULES
Producer Jack Ford
accused the board of
changing its rules in the
middle of the 77 crop year
so that he was' ineligible
for crop insurance,
because his low quality
beans were accepted by a
dealer, but he was paid
very little for the crop.
"Black beans became
white. No. 4's were No. 1
and you advised dealers
to do it. Therefore it's
your responsibility," he
Following the disaster
to the 1977 crop, the board
tried to get as many
beans as possible to
processors, answered
chairman . Lewis Sher-
man. "We tried
desperately to get our-
selves out of a bad
situation," and met
committments with less
than No. 1 beans, he said.
Mr. Sherman agreed
that beans were 'accepted
in '77 that wouldn't -have
been accepted this year
and called that "an
ingrained weakness in
the marketing system.
The board's actions •
were defended by Mid-
dlesex director Frank
Vanneste with: "We
didn't make a mistake
last year. We forward
sold as we have for years
and .years. If any of you
were on the board you
couldn't have done dif-
ferently. If you don't
want a board, okay."
Although the total 1977
crop of about 923,000 bags
should have met the
850,000 bags the board
had advance sold, the
beans weren't all
available in time,
producers were told and
many were No. 4 splits.
"We don't know how
many beans the dealer
had committed out of
850,000 bags. Maybe he
was speculating,"
suggested producer Jim
Love.
The two pool system
the board tried was un-
successful said Bev Hill
Turn to page 14A •
WHO GETS PROFIT?
A series of questions to
Mr. Broadwell by Ted _
Melady of RR 2, Dublin •
centred on the upgrading
of beans by dealers and
who gets the profit when
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G ODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER .i4,19711, -,PAGE 1$44,
O
,ne foot in the
furrow' biaa
The warning signals haye been flashing for years.
Much of the proof is contained in a study that is sup-
posed to be secret but the results have been leaked.
The hog industry in Quebec, now the largest in Ca-
nada, is controlled by four companies.
Farm writers have been saying for a long time that
multinational companies should not be allowed to gain
control of any aspect of farming. It has happened in
Quebec.
The four firms, according to Jim Romahn in the
Kitchener -Waterloo Record, are Canada Packers Ltd.,
with 35 per cent, The Co-op Federee with 35 per cent,
Purina with 15 to 20 per cent and Nutribec with 10 per
cent.
The information comes from a report prepared by
Dr. J.C. Montigaud for the federal government. Dr.
Montigaud is an agricultural economist who worked for
the Quebec government and then in the federal agricul-
tural department. He is now in Algeria.
The information should be of interest to all farmers
in this country. And it would make interesting reading
for all proponents of marketing boards.
Regular readers of this column are well aware that
the writer favors farmer -controlled marketing boards. '•
They are not the only answer for farmers in carrying
some clout in the marketplace. To my knowledge, they
are the best answer so far.
- They have many faults. Such as control of quotas, a
big problem for the milk board and the chicken board
to wrestle with. They have made mistakes in the past
and will make more. But they have helped most farm-
ers.
In Ontario, the pork producers are in a position to
stop big business from taking over the production of
hogs. In Quebec, if we' can believe Dr. Montigaud's re-
Letters are appreuated by Bob Trotter Eldale Rd Elm. a Ont N3B 2C7
port, it is too late.
The feed companies—and who can deny most of
them are multinational in scope?—are interested in
selling feed. Packing plants are interested in getting a
regular supply of hogs to the market. They both sup-
port the system that is evolving in Quebec because it's
good for them, good for business.
It could be good for the farmers, too, the hog produc-
ers.
But it could be bad.
The big companies supply the money and the know-
how. The farmers take all the risks and provide low-
cost labor. In other words, as the system evolves in Que-
bec, farmers could end up as simply paid employees.
- And that ain't any way to treat a farmer.
The companies control everything from the bottom
to the top. When they say jump, the farmers are forced
to reply: how high?
Efforts to form a marketing board in Quebec have,
apparently, taken on all the trappings of a young war.
The companies do not want a marketing board. They
have potential -control over the entire industry. A mar-
keting board could drastically upset the present bal-
ance of power. The feed companies, too, will fight
against a marketing board because they could also lose
some control.
Many farmers are against a marketing board because
they have seen the faults and the mistakes made by
farmer -controlled agencies.
But other farmers see how they could become noth-
ing more than lackeys as they come under direct con-
trol of non -farmers.
It bears repeating: marketing boards may not be the
complete answer to help farmers stay in control of their
products but they are the best answer available.
Crop insurance pays si million
The amount of crop
insurance paid out to
Ontario white bean
farmers for the 1978 crop
will be close to one
million dollars, but, a far
cry from 1977.
At the recent annual
meeting of . the Huron
County division of the
Ontario Bean Producers
Marketing Board, Crop
Insurance Commissioner
Art -Bolton said 452 claims
had been paid up to
November 28 to a total of
$916,811.
Bolton said "A few
more claims are waiting
to be processed which
could bring the' final
figure to just under one
million."
The insurance
representative said 1,774
farmers contracted for
white bean crop in-
surance this year. This
was an increase of 80
contracts over 1970.
The total acreage i
sured this year was 98,81
for a total value t
$12,249,000.
Income for th
Insurance Commissio
$1,312,000 with one -hal
coming through farme
premiums and the other
from government sub
sidies.
This shows a smal
profit for 1978 and Boltor
added, "This slight
margin helps a little to
make up -for the 1977 crop
Hill elected
Former Ontario
Federation of Agriculture
president Gordon Hill is
back on" the board of
directors of the Ontario
Bean Producers
Marketing Board.
Hill who was a member
of the board of directors
for two years in the 1960s
was elected at the annual
meeting for Huron
(District 5) held at the
Hensall arena.
Three current mem-
bers of the board were re-
elected. They are Bob
Allan, Joe Miller and
Murraytardlff. Defeated
in an election bid was
Stephen township farmer
Glenn Miller. Hill
replaces Glenn Hayter on
the board.
Nine rnerrtbers arp on
the overall board of
directors. Four come
Turn to page 14A •
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HEAD OFFICE: 10 MAIN ST., SEAFORTH,• ONT
Mr.,. Margaret Sharp. Sec. Treas.. Ph. 527-0400.
FULL COVERAGE
Farm and Urban Properties
Fire, Windstorm, Liability, Theft
Various Floater Coverages
Homeowner's ,Tenant's Package, Composite Dwelling
Directors and Adjusters _
Ken Carnochan, R.R.k4,Seaforth 527.1545
Lavern Godkln, R.R.B1, Walton 527-1677
Ross Leonhardt, R.R.a1, Bornholm 345-2234
John McEwing, R.R.#1, Blyth 523-9390
Stanley Mcllwain, 11.11.if2, Goderich 524-7051
Donald McKeictiar, R.R11, Dublin 527-1837
John A. Taylor, R.R.N1, Brucefield 482-7527
J.N.Trewartha, Box661, Clinton 482-7593
Stuart Wilson. R.R.#1, Brucerield 527-0687
ei AGENTS
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Wm. Leiper, R.R.ff1, Londesboro 613.4257
Slev'eJ. Murray, R.R.#5, Seatorth 345-2172
CALL AN AGENT OR THE OFFICE
disaster."
Mr. Bolton said in 1977
1,346 claims were paid for
a total in excess of nine
million dollars, out of
1,694 crops ensured.
Mr. Bolton said he
expected premium rates
for 1979 would be $5.50,
$6.45 and $7.35, respec-
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to the option taken.
'3esa.
Call.
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529-7260 or
524-8114
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