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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-10-04, Page 28PAGE 10A—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1979 Region 3 NFU fights "closed shop" quota move Region 3 (Ontario) of the 'National Farmers Union recently presented a submission to the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Board in Toronto, concerning farm marketing quotas. The brief reminded members of the OMMB that the struggle to secure meaningful marketing legislation is still well remembered by many farmers and the efforts to retain and improve that legislation over the years was because of their belief it was ofFsigned to serve farmers at large - the largest possible number of farm families. The brief said it is now beginning to appear that some marketing boards are advancing as a `closed shop' for a relatively few producers with the trend toward putting marketing quotas into a system of market economy, which will result in fewer but larger production units. The NFU opposed the principle of value on quotas and negotiability among farmers because, it eventually leads to fewer and fewer producers holdTng production rights. "When using a dollar value as a means of distributing quotas, and `another -family member the cost decides who will produce, it is no longer an equitable . system. All people are not equal in the amount of capital tF ey:have available," the, brief said. The NFU believes when a farmer is giving up production of a particular commodity he should surrender the quota to the respective marketing hoard to be re -allocated first to qualified people wanting to farm and second to producers of the lower production scale who wish to expand. The exception may be a transfer from father to taking over operation. The brief stated that allowing marketing quotas to float freely to those with the largest amount of ' capital will only result in the right to produce food going to corporations. The, brief said that responsible people must take charge, assume responsibility for devising a system to devaluate the price of quotas and one for .quota allocation, otherwise supply management and its benefits to farmers is in, being the farm and consumers danger of destroyed. ne loot in the lurr�w ,.,0.4� Why in the cotton'-pickin' world is one -of Canada's biggest magazines against farmk t' boards? Reader's -Digest, again this- month, has a lengthy ff t farmer. Canadian.agriculture. Much of the material in the article is excellent, especially on the profligate squandering and abuse of agricultural,land, a subject on which this corner has harped fora dozen years. But right in -the middle of the story is a statement that will make many farmers very angry indeed. The writer, Gordon A. MacEachern, an active member of the Agricultural Economics' Research Council of Canada, maintains marketing boards.- all marketing boards — are a classic example of .a good idea gone ' wrong. • An unaware reader would get the idea that all of the more than 30 marketing boards in Ontario have. quota systems. To my knowledge, only five or six in Ontario set quotas which tell a farmer how much he can grow. An uninformed city dweller would read the article and think that every agricultural commodity is strictly policed by marketing boards and that every farmer is told how much he can grow. MacEachern says marketing boards drive food costs up, hold production down and foster inefficiency. To my knowledge, whenever an investigation has been held on quota -setting marketing boards, those same boards have come up smelling pretty sweet. If I. remember correctly, the quota system in eggs, for instance,. only adds 11A cents a dozen to the price of eggs, a, paltry sum to smooth out the marketing system and allow producers a decent return. And only eggs, some daiity products, tobacco, chicken broilers and turkeys are under the quota system. Other products are not in this category so how can production be held down in others? To refute the suggestion — nay, it is. stated as fact and no proof is given — that marketing boards foster inefficiency, one only has to consult the results of two separate studies made recently in Canada. One came from British Columbia, another from the University of Guelph. Both studies concluded that marketing boards are beneficial and that quotas should be allowed to transfer freely between, or among farmers. In other words, high quota prices reflect greater efficiency by the farmer willing to buy quota. The Letter., ale app'ec,ated by Boa.T,otte, Etaaie Rd EI.r ,a.ont'N3B TC 7 good farmer, the efficient farmer, has the cash mar a rng oar s. available — or the credit to buy more qunta,frnn_ a less a icien To put it bluntly, quotas tend to reward efficiency, not to foster inefficiency. The Digest article suggests that farmer -run marketing boards have become monopolies. That may be true in one sense': they monopolize what they self; they know what they are going to get for their product at the farm gate. 'More power to them. If marketing boards were made illegal, then watch how the big," multi-natiorial- conglomerates would fast become more than monopolies.;They would become dictators. Marketing boards were set up to give the individual farmer some real clout in the market place, enough clout to keep big business from gouging the public, enough clout to give farmers a fair•"return on their labor and investment. In my humble opinion, they, have done just that and nothing else. It is the second 'time in less than 20 months that the Reader's Digest has taken a slap at farm marketing .boards. I can't help wondering why a big magazine would stoop to fighting farmers who have fought long and hard for the legal right to market their own products. Is it because the food chains and the liquor interests advertise in big circulation magazines? The chains buy from marketing boards. The distilleries all use grain. In the last issue of orie such famous magazine, the major advertisers were Kraft Foods, Libby, Christie, Sealtest, General Foods; Betty Crocker, Catelli, Seagram, Gilbey, Gordon; MacGuinriess, Smirnoff, Alberta Rye, Schenley, Corby,Kahlua, Tia Maria, Cointreau,. Bacardi, Amaretto and Carioca Rum. The clout of those advertisers is enough to stagger any editor. Food sales looking 'up Agriculture and Food Minister Lorne C. Hen- derson has announced that the recent Ontario food sales,mission to Boston, Mssachusetts, generated more than $4 million worth of new food product export business. This mission is part of the ministry's continuing export market development pr6gram which includes regular food sales missions to the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Europe, and mid -east and far east markets. Mission leader was Bill Richardson of the marketing division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. CLAY -- Silo Unloaders Feeders Cleaners Stabling Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equipment Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unloaders Feeders Conveyors FARMATIC — Mllls Augers, etc. ACORN — Cleaners Heated Waterers WESTEEL-ROSCO Granaries WEINsmamia B & L - Hog Panelling LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ont. Phone 395-5286 R.K. PECK APPLIANCES In The Heart of Down Town. Varna ° Vacuum Cleaners . Sales and Service of most makes • CB Radios and Accessories • Speed Queen Appliances ° Moffat Appliances • Smoke Sensors • Insect Lights and Fly Killing U its • Handcrafted Gifts Varna, Ont. Phone 4827103 Owners ofsrnaller busthesses... weprrrvade: * Financialassistance * Managementcounselliyg(CASE) * Management training * Information ongovernment programsforbuszness Cann helpyou? See our Representative RANDY BROWN/BOB FURTNEY at: THE BEDFORD HOTEL GODERICH, ONTARIO on: EVERY TUESDAY (Next Visit: "Tuesday, October 9th) FEDERAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK For 'prior I nfortnetio n call 271-5650 (collect) or write 1036 Ontario Street, Stratford, Ontario. Air leaks can spoil winter silo feed supply There are many risks involved in growing field crops, but one tisk that can be eliminated is the puss ibility of crop dv.tcrioration in the silo. "A leak in the oxygen - limiting silo can result in rapid spoilage and deterioration of the stored material," says Hunk Bellman, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food agricultural engineer. "Control of air movement is important with any type of silo, but it is extremely important with oxygen -limiting silos. When you consider the value of stored crops such as high -moisture corn, farmers can't af- ford to take the risk of a leaking silo." The only way a farmer can tell if an oxygen - limiting silo is leaking is to have it pressure -tested by someone who has the proper equipment and know-how. • "Ideally, f r rr' s f. should have the silo checked every year as part of a regular main- tenance program," says Mr. Bellman. "If this is impossible, once every two years is recom- mended." Now is an ideal time to have high -moisture corn silos pressure -tested. Tests, should- be con- ducted when the silo is empty because the oxygen pumped into the silo during the test may reduce the keeping quality of the remaining stored material. Also, if the silo is not emptied thoroughly before testing, leaks may he masked by the remaining material. "The hest person to test the silo is the original contractor or supplier," says Mr. Bellman. The test isn't complicated, but it does require an experienced tester and the proper equipment." Silo gas can kill When asked about silos, most farmers ogres that their greatest fear is silo gas. That was the finding of a survey -by the Farm Safety ' Association of Ontario. The concern is ,jtistified, according to Larry Swinn, association publiciIy<'o-ordinatort High concentrations of silo gas can kill people and animals in seconds. Since I9(12, nine people. have died from exposi -e to silo gaff. Lower (Jim- cc'ntrations irritate the eyes, . throat" and lungs. Respiratory problems, including chemical pneumonia, often Occur a' few hours after exposure."Silo gas is not a new problemto Ontario,,, says Mr. Swinn. "However, the incidence has increased with the - ,rclvcnt' of co'cred tower Mr. Swinn helieves that the expanding corn hell also contributes to . the increased incidence. In some of the Less favorable growing arcus, farmer's must harvest immature corn because of the short growing season. The higher level of nitrates' s' in immature plants is believed to inn uc'nce the at are you doing for the rest of your We? ACADEMIC IUPGRADING Is your lack of basic education hindering your progress at work? Do you need more English and Math to prepare you for a skill training program and a better job? Consider Conestoga. We're specialists in Adult Education. We'II help you progress at your own speed to get the education; to learn the skills; to get the job. That's why we're here. Why not call us for details? We can help you whi find out. ire YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM CANADA EMPLOYMENT, 71 Conestoga College of Applied Arts andTechnology Building skills today for the needs of tomorrow. Clinton Campus , Phone 4$2-3458 production of silo gas. Silo gas is a mixture of gases, primarily nitrogen dioxide formed during the fermentation process in the silo. The production of silo gas is influenced by a , variety of factors including weather, temperature and the state of the crop. "Ip high con- centrations, the gas appears reddish .o.r yellowish -brown and hos a hleachy odor;" says Mr. Swinn.' "But you can't count.. on the color or smell. as a warning sign. In ` low concentrations, this gas can be colorless and odorless." "Most •of the silo gas detectors` available are reasonably accurate, but they do have limitations," says Mr. Swinn. "There is a lot of variability when prices range from $100 to $1000. Cheaper models require taking samples at 'the The test is conducted by pumping a small amount of air into the silo. When the proper pressure is reached, the pump is stopped and the pressure measured periodically over a length of time. A drop in pressure indicates. the presence of`.orie or more leakage points. The next step is to locate the leaks and correct the problem, Mr. Bellman recom- mends that all farmers insist on a pressure test before purchasing a new silo to make sure that the structure has good oxygen -limiting capabilities. Farmers who are unable to get in touch with their original con- tractors or suppliers to conduct tests should see the agricultural engineers at local offices of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food for assistance. bottom of the silo. An inexperienced person could come into grave danger, ,just taking the sample." - Farmcrs should also he aware that some of .the less expensive detectors are ineffective after a specific shelf life. Some types operate on the same principle as home • smoke detectors. The effectiveness of this type -of silo gas detector is limited because of its ft-i('ed-brat ion. The sophisticated silo gas detectors are safer and more effective. Electronic systems, which constantly monitor the air in the silo,. are very effective; but out of the price range of most farmers. The hest way to prevent exposure to silo gas is to stay out of the silo for at least three weeks after filling. FARM CLASSIFIED SECTION A. For sale ,S60 Cockshutt Diesel with power steering and live PTO, in good condition. Phone 523-4260..-40 CORN header for 600 or 660 Case Combine, in good condition. Phone 529-7194.-39,40, THANKSGIVING 29-7194.-39,40- THANKSGIVING BANNER SALE, Elzevir Hereford Farms, RR1 Flinton, October 8, 1979, 1 o'clock. Selling ap- proximately 75 head from free listed herds. Elzevir Hereford Farms, Golden Oak Farm, Roxwood Farm, Elm Lodge Farm. -40 b.c. B. Custom work Will do custom combining of 36" and 30" rows of corn. Phone 482- 3145.-40,41 C. Wanted WANTED TO RENT: Crop land in Colborne, Goderich and Ashfield Townships. Top dollar paid for top land. Call Steve . Buchanan, Goderich 524- 4700.-38tfnc D. Livestock FIFTY pigs for sale, from forty to eighty pounds each. Phone Dungannon 529-7615.-40- 41 FOR SALE: Purebred Hampshire boars, Yorkshire . boars, also York X Landrace boars and Hamp X Fork boars. Reasonably priiced for today's market. Bob Robinson, RR4 Walton 345-2317.-39,40 DAVE HAYLOW ELECTRICAL Serving Industrial, Commercial, Residential Needs 524-6038 WATER WELL - DRILLING "79 YEARS EXPERIENCE" • FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL •'MUNICIPAL • • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WELLS • FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT • 4 ROTARY 8 PERCUSSION DRILLS "OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWER,COST WATER WELLS" DAVIDSON WELL DRILLING LIMITED 4 Rotary and Percussion Drills PHONE 357-1960 WINGHAM Collect Calls Accepted "ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900" .-r Agrkoi A good name to grow by Special Notice to all Regular Agrico, customers As we've doubled our business over 1978 and because everyone has been. • really good to our equipment • this year, I've decided to make some SPECIAL OFFERS. this fall. Because of this Fall's -price advantage over next Spring's and also agronomic and time: advantages,:- everyone is talking fall plowdown. Many growers have aiready.started on land that is ready, and a lot of you. have Indicated to go ahead once the corn comes off. We started filling 'up -again last. week....witrr monoam.moniam phosphate and I. have 10 ,more rail cars of the special high grade white kalium potash coming from Saskatchewan. I want to see a lot of you growers take advantage of fall plow down. so. I've a special deal on. but you'll have to come in to get the details - my competition will hear about it'soon enough. This offer only applies to our present customers' - not 10 new accounts. I already have a list for custom application even though our machine is still two weeks away:. If you want it applied. get your 'name. on the list. The same goes for soil testing. Don't wait until all your fields are ready. we dont mind coming out just to do•a few fields. Please have your farm maps made -out prior. For those of you who wish to enter our growers competition for next year, please enter now. We have 250 bags of Certified Fredrick Wheat left and I want it all cleared out by October 5th, and it's priced to move. Agrico� A good name to grow by MERVYN ERB, MANAGER Brucefield, Ont. 482-3948 DAVID ERSKINE, BLENDER. OPERATOR