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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-03-16, Page 461 A new agricultural tech- nology centre which will pro- vide services to the farm machinery and food proces- sing industries has opened in Chatham. The Ontario Centre for Farm Machinery and Food Processing Technology con- solidates expertise, services and information about equip- ment used in growing and processing agricultural and food commodities in one location. Move: * ° 'To compete successfully in today's world market, we must be able to go up against the very best in the world," said Agriculture and Food Minister Dennis Timbrell. "There's only one way to win and that way is to keep up to date with the best technology and the best advice we can gather together." Timbrell, Industry and Trade Minister Gordon Walker and Andy Watson MPP for Chatham -Kent par- e minis Four branches of the Min- istry of Agriculture and Food are now operating from the Guelph Agriculture Centre, just north of the city of Guelph. The move, from the minis- try's head office at 801 Bay Street in Toronto, was com- pleted in mid-January. The centre is housed in a three, storey wing of Ignatius Col- lege located on Highway 6, one kilometre north of Guelph. "The Guelph area provid- es many special services to rural Ontario," said Dennis Timbrell, Minister of Agri- culture and Food. "This facility provides an excellent location for the ministry's advisory and field services because of the close contact 1 techn ticipated in the opening cere- monies of the centre which is one of six technology centres funded by the Board of In- dustrial Leadership and Dev- elopment (BILD). BILD has allocated $11 million to the centre over the next five years and it is estimated revenues of S4.2 million will be f enerated for a net cost to BILD of S6.8 million. "The main focus of the centre will be directed to- lO centre ward small and medium-siz- ed industries in both farm machinery and food proces- sing," said Timbrell. "Of course, we welcome an op- portunity to develop relations with larger firms." The four key objectives of the centre are: to promote increased productivity, to The Fad FAMINE, We oS March- 19 13 Ch promote the competitive nat- ure of Ontario industry through increased use of technology. Facilities at the pilot plant will evaluate processing techniques, packaging and quality control primarily for fruit and vegetables. Com- puter simulation, and fund - develop, adapt and improve tioning machines will be farm and food processing studiedto test and modify machinery for Ontario con- machinery for local condi- ditions, to increase exports,tipns. and decrease imports, and to 'Technical staff at the cen- try branches to Guelph it allows with staff at the University of Guelph, the five research stations and the many diagnostic laborator- ies." Branches located at the centre are: animal industry, plant industry, rural organ- izations and services, and veterinary laboratory servic- es. Also based at the centre is the executive office for the education and research divi- sion of the ministry. In ad- dition, the 20 staff at the Ontario Institute of Pedology now located at the University of Guelph will move to the centre this month. The cen- tre has almost reached its full staff complement of employ- ees. "The five units at the as __- Guelph Agriculture Centre provide head office and administrative services to field staff located throughout the province," said Clare Rennie, assistant deputy ministry of technology and field services. The rural organizations and services branch serves 60 rural organizations and volunteer activities through- out Ontario, he said. These include agricultural and hor- ticultural societies, Women's Institutes, 4-H agricultural and home economics clubs, Junior Farmer groups and similar organizations prev- iously served through the ministry's head office in Toronto. The agriculture centre, has installed an electronic tele - Backtracking SMYN Has The Answer. Stone Fork 6' Wide 4" Centres 11/2" Prongs 13" Gauge Wheels Dump Trailer 7' x 10' 11L x 15" Tires 4 x 30 Cylinder 10 T Spindles l SVTN Welding and Machine Shop RR 2, Auburn, Ontario (519) 529-7212 Stone Rake 10' and 12' Models 65 h.p. pto [with slipclutch] 24" Drum 7.60 x 15" Tires phone system to serve clients after regular hours. The switchboard - (519) 823-5700 - is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, but the auto- matic answering service in- vites callers to leave re- corded messages when the switchboard is closed. To contact individual bran- ches after regular working hours, please use the fol- lowing numbers: education and research division, animal industry and veterinary ser- vices - (519) 823-5880; rural organizations and services - (519) 823-5881; plant indus- try - (519) 823-5882. The mailing address for the Guelph Agriculture Cen- tre is P.O. Box 1030, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6N1. SANDBLASTING JACKHAMMIkR RESIDENTIAL & INDUSTRIAL Glen Jlrn N Ins Bolger ire will also offer analysis and advice to clients with farm machinery and food processing problems. Educa- taion and training programs will be offered at the centre and in conjunction with col- leges and universities. The centre, part of BILD's incentive to stimulate the de- velopment of high technol- ogy in the province, repres- ents a co-operative effort by the machinery industry, gov- 5 Tufo to page 140 Charles C. Culbert • Backhoeing 8 Tiling .Open Ditch •Weeper Beds -Septic Tanks CALL: 529-7571 Bluewater Agromart • CUSTOM SPREADING • BAG & BULK DELIVERY Bluewater Arotharf 12th Concession Huron Twp. 395-2605 395-2606 See us for all your FEED, SEED & CHEMICAL NEEDS Bluewater Arotharf 12th Concession Huron Twp. 395-2605 395-2606