The Huron Expositor, 1978-01-19, Page 14•
s,fpcoprOl terns
deal pf controversy because, we
are unde'r a 'national 'supply
managemenfrsyglem. We 'have
been under provincial supply
policy, in the fluid milk. indsutry
for sometime'. The, most
interesting thing here is„„that in
,spite of the controversy we ill
have a great number of people
who want-to get into this segment
of the industry because it is
organized and dpes give some
semblance' of stability.. This' is
what people want a ;chance to
recoup their expenses and pay
their bills and have enough left to
live on for their day's labour.
This is indeed important when
we consider that in 1976 the farm
net income dropped 23 per cent
and an additional nine per cent in
1977, a total of 32. per cent in two
y ears.
In the egg sector of the poultry
industry, which has been under
controls, quite sUccessfully, and
with the dropingrain prices, have
been able to drop the price pf
eggs six cents a dozen in 1977 to
consumers which is pontrary • t9
other segments of the, ve..4901Y.
where prices tend twkeep rising.
.0roller prOducers have been
asking for anational plan with law
priced imports from the United
,States, particularly in the Georgia'.
area, flooding the Montreal and
Toronto markets.
As-,yet , they have no national
plan; the big e*.cuSe is that three
provinces, Alberta, Manitoba and
• -Newfoundland:. have. refused -to
join the .plan.
This flooding is spreading to
the processing plants as well due
to the fact that both the:.producers
and the processor in that area of
the .United States does not come
under theminimurri wage act and
are paying wages below those in
Canada.
The prodn'cer is large conglom-
erates and not family farms
making wages an essential part of
the pictike7" „ '
The turkey eindttstri- hasOt
'really organized .tinder the supply
4111M111
•
Gains tax deferre
14..-TNE HURON EXPOOMMI, JANUARY 19: 1:'78
Voting 'tarrne
Why does the Consumers Association of Canada contin-
ue'to pick' n the agricultural sector? •
-The••latest gal to sharpen her claws is Arnetta Turner,
vice-president of the association. She tried to tear a strip
of farmers' hides, at a meeting in Hanover duriOg a.panel
discusSion.,
She deserves a medal for bravery, mind you. She made
"The statements to farriers in a farm-sponsored meeting.
Few people will beai'd the lion in his • Own den but then,
. CAC spokeSp'dople have' beendoing it for years.
But it seems when things are dull, the CAC decidds to,
throw a few barbs at farmers, The CAC is dedicated 'to
reducing priges to consumers and 'opposes marketing
boards.'Members make • no li
ttle
for this stand. But
farmers must be getting a little bilious when half-cocked
statements are made.
Turner criticized farm price increases.
"The purpose of production is consumption," • she is
quoted as saying. "The marketplace must operate as
competitively as possible."
Turner was adequately refuted at the meeting, especi-
ally by. Bill Hodges, a Mount Forest dairy farmer. He ,
said it ill behooves anyone to bitch about the price of food
' with their mouth full:
° Hodges is an articulate man and •can defend farmers
,well but I' would like to add ray two cents to the argument.
Canadians, in the latest figures I have, ,eat_ better and
pay less for it than any -other nation in the world, includ-
ing' the Hew Hess of Hay. 'My figures come from a 147-
page book of statistical tables docUmenting the facts about
food in Canada from 1947 to 1976.
--,The,..truth. about. food. costs. in Canada, is that they area:
low and falling whether the consumer can believe it•'or
even wants to believe it - or not. I knots' my wife will
,call me crazy for. saying it but Canadians actually spend
less on food today than ever before in- the "history of this •
ountry. I'm talking about the disposable. income dollar,
mind you: what is left after taxes, and other necessities.
You and. I in Canada have more money left after we
buy groceries to buy color television sets1--snowrnachines,
Lenessari app4iiatedt4 Bob 'hotter Eldalo Rd tImia Ord N38 2C7
trade in the farnily car, take a vacation or whatever ,
than any other nation in the world.
In 1976, Caoadians spent 15.53 cents of every disposable
income dollar on food, less than 16 per cent: I know that
is, difficult to believe when you get one armful of groceries
one bag which will likely break before you get in the.
house - and you get 18 cents change from a $10 bill. But ,
it is true. Food costs have not' risen as quickly nor 'as
high as all other sectors of the economy.
I have said it before but it is worth repeating, Count t4 ,
the, number of....non-food items in your grocery • basket
before starting to Make accusations that food prices are
too high. You -can't include paper products, dog food, kitty
litter, hardware, TV Guides, plants, can opener hrlir
spray, deodorant, shaving cream, floor cleaner, mop
you-name-it, that gets carried out of the supermarket
today:.
Half the items in your basket are not foo▪ d and 'don't
forget it when adding up the food bill. ,
And add to this the fact many foods enter Canada
facing fewer trade restrictions than almost any other'-
country in the world - to the detriment of some Cana-
dian farmers - and you will understand why, at least to
-some degree, ).A1 4y —food —is- -cheaper- in -Canada- than any-
. where else in the world,
I am of the opinion too, that the CAC is walking with
blihdfolds if they think markets in Canada are free, open.
and competitive. It just 'is not so. When every other mar-
ket •becomes free and open, farmers will probably be
forced into doing the same thing and disband their mar-
keting boards.
Almost every manufacturer whether it is buttons and.
bows or houses and automobiles knoWS-To the penny what
he is going to get for his product before he allows it to
leave his factory. Theirs is pot a free and open market,
It maybe more open at the retail level but it sure is not
at the manufacturer's level. Mr. Ford and Mr. General
Motors know the price they get for their, cars.
Farmers-, too, are primary producerg,and need the same
protection. The best solution so far'is in marketing hoardg.
By Mt; Williams
In The Strata-id Beacon Herald
Charles Munro, president of
the Canadian Federation of
Agriculture , said at his home on
Tuesday that the industry is faced
with a problem among_ the
younger farmers. ,
It has. ot been a rosy 1977 for
Agriculture and it is -cloudy for
1978, Maybe the established
farmer is not hurting that much
yet, but the young man' who has
come , into, the induStry and
bought at today's inflated prices
is'the one who, is being hurt and is
in serious trouble, claimed Mr.
Munro.
We have to lie concerned about
the young man as he is our, hope
form
iCview.inthge 1977 Mr.141Mtuunr reo.
claimed that grain remains' the
bellweather of the food industry
and the surplus, mainly in the
United States; has caused a
decli ning market which of
resulting in the corn producers of
Ontario and the grain prodUcers
of the West receiving lass than the
cost of production.
The question is "how long can
they stay in business?
This has an overriding effect on
the hog industry which has been
fairly stable for three years.
We can look for a sharp
increase in production, especially
in the United •States which will
ultimately effect us here in
Canada and the pundents are
saying that we are in for trouble
in that industry.
been
dustry.
We have intrOuble for the
Iasi- three years. in the beef
industry but it appears that the
numbers have dropped in the
potential.to come to market'. This
could lead to an upswing in
'consumer -and producer prices.
Perhaps the --reef industry is
righting itself. •
With regards to the dairy
industry,. it has been in a good
control and' are relatively- • free
although they are prganizeill
under a national plan.
The horticultural - industry has
been' under sharp influon0 .from
imports ,from the United States
and Mexico where they can
produce on a longer season with
less energy Whieh has ptit„. our
industry in some trouble, They.
are hoping for support, Which, as
yet, they haven't got.
To sum it all up we haven't had_
a 1.•5/ 1977 in agriculture with tie
young man... *hist- starting and
paying today's infalted' prices.
For thel, 1:ortzlspects are
cloudy as so much depends on the'
grain market. ,•Gtkiris control the
price of most foods and what may
be one man's loss .could well'be
another's gain,- explained ' Mr.
Munro. ,
But„the beefand pork grading
-coming 'under change on Jan.
2nd, the producer should receive
, a little better break in the grading
of some carcases.
See The
cannon FaRrn SHOW
he largest
indoor farm equipment show
in Canada
BUS TRIP
VVedneday, February 1st /1978
From Walton At 8:oo A.M.
FOR FURTHER INV5RMATION CALL
52.'7-0245 or 887-6365
sinew'
k
Why does CAC: farnier-?
Eroion control stresse
Regional Director from Yucker- control ineasUres, which might
smith Township, spoke on "Soil
Soil erosion was emphasized on
the final day •of the -'-annual
three-day\ -Agricultural
Conference at the University of
Guelph, January 3, 4 and 5. In a
crowded lecture hall eight
speakers.. presented".,..their,• ,ideas
with slides to 'illustrate their
recommendations. "Why be ,
concerned about soil erosion?"
'asked W. T. Dickinson, School of
Engineering, O.A.C. -How much
erosion is too much?" was the
question 'posed by Neil E. Moore,
Soils and .Crops Branch of
0.M.A.F,
Two of the speakers were well.
known Huron County residents._
Norm Alitxander Lotidesbore,'
spoke on "Erosion as I see it from
. a Drainage Commissioner's
Viewpoint" and Jim. McIntosh. a
Federation of Agriculture
"Farmers can now defer capital
gains when, they sell their farm
but replace it with another before
the end the next taxation
year". said Deter Hannam,
President of the Ontario
Federation of Agricultur
recently.
"Th is deferral of capital gains
on voluntary replacements",
explained Mr. Hannam, "was
first proposed in the 'March 31
budget; the tax bill arising from
that budget has just now received
Royal Asse nt."'
"Ontario farmers can congratu-
late themselves on the passing of
this tax .bill before the end of
1977. Pressure by OFA• and by
individual farmers on their M.P.s
got the message across, that
farmers needed to know before
the end of this fiscal year that
they could defer capital gains.
Otherwise a whole year would be
Winter wheat
I he.itereage of Ontario winter
wheat seeded this fall .has been •
estimated at 135 per cent less than
the harvested acreage of the 1977
crop.
'Irving Kleiman, R. R. #1,
Simcpe, chairthan of the Ontario
Wheat Producers' Marketing.
Board, said recent surveys,
indicate an average reduction of
35 per cent for the province', or
203,550 acres. Based on 590,000
acres harvested this year, the
reduction Means about 386,400
acres have been seeded. ••• -
The board chairman said wet
weather condition's during the
September/October normal
seeding period prevented
producers in many areas of the
province from getting intended
wheat fields seeded.
•
In projecting production,
Kleiman said if average yields of
50 bushels per _acre experienced
this year are experienced again in
1978, a total crop of about 19
million bushels, or 517,000 tonne
,could be expected,
. This year, estimates place the
crop at 30.2 million bushels, or
821,900 tonne, an all-time,record,
for the province.
Kleiman said producers have
sold over 28.5 Million busliels -
7,6,800 tonne of the 1977 crop to'
date'to the board. •
Boaid sales to date lox._
domestic and ekport
15,80,000 bushels, of 418,700
-Write, leaving approitiMately
4;700,000 bushels or 129,600
tonne unsold. •
lost.
ther items in the tax bill of
enefit to farMers are: the,
extension of the Investment Tax
Credit to .4980; the extension of
the two-year write-off of pollution .
abatement equipment; the
increase to $2000 in' the capital
loss offset; the increase to $250 of
the employment • expense
deduction ; and the 3% inventory
allowance for faimers pn accrual
basis."
since Dr. McConkey wrote ,this' •
and what has been done about it?
What -would a scholarship' cost?:
How long will it be befoie these
suggestions are put into
practice?" Mr. Alexander
concluded.
Jim McIntosh, .in his address,
-pointed put that' farmers- must
Juggle sell - preservation with the
attempt to obtain"maximum
• productivity. "If certain soil
preparation techniques SLICil as
zero 'tillage or chisel plowing
reduce the surface loss of soil, but
also reduces the corn yield by
'16%, who is going to pay the
price of the yield reduction?" the
Tucket'smith farmer asked. "And
who is' going to be responsible for
determining what percentage of
the population' would go hungry
because of the shortfall in total
yield?"
The soil must be operated the
same, as a bank. Mr. McIntosh
•
said, Continued withdrawals with.
no deposits would soon lead to
bankrtptey., Economic steward-
ship of our land resourcesnay well
bPrthe call of the 1980's, he noted:
just as the requirement of the 60's
and 70's was to grow two blades
of grass where one grew before,
'or 100 pounds of corn where 50
• pounds of oats grew before.
Mr. McIntosh told the audience
of farmers, students and
professorS that possibly one of the
main reasons farmers in the past
have never been trio concerned
about soil loss from erosion is due
to the attitude of government and
society in general, permitting the
rapid Ass of good agticuItural sell
under the developer's bulldozer.
"I expect that the total tonnage
of•Soll lost from farm land due to
erosion in Ontario in the period
1971 to 1980 would only be' a
small fraction of what is being lost .
to urban and industrial deVelop-
reent, the hiiilding of highways
and, the construction of energy
(hydro) corridors," he said.
. Much of the information on
cropping . practices, grassed
waterways, permissible water, ,
velocities and hew to control the' ••
weed of water from .priVate tile
endings' into
ditches is.. 'available from the•
United States -, • he said, "but
could bp adapted to Ontario
conditions."
Mr. Alexander drew the
group's attention to a book by a
Dr. Mciconkey called "Conser-
vation in Canada." Among: other
things, the book recommends
research to develop. a co-
ordinated national plans, and
organization to carry out_ a long
term action program to conserve
the natural resources of Canada,
and more personnel trained in the
techniques of conservation. This
calls for more scholarships to
. support - graduate studies in
conservation in other countries,
. especially the :United States, it -
notes-
• "'About, 25 years-have_pa — sped-
Mr. 'McIntosh described how fi-oni the Ministry of the -Environ- - include seeding graded runways. • . the annual ,harvest of' rocks from --Merit who admitted.-'there .are
fields could be used to form stone problems enforcing all
dany; parallel With the .direction regulations nOw:.•
the I, is. normallycultivated."
interfere4,Avigh. thed6,0P.er.ati911.'" iaf
These dams do not 'significeet1'
e'quipment, &it th 1 w up, tale'
flow of. Waterat eause.: slowly wash or blow away. If
sedimentation behind -each-for.„the k eperdogueraeintst .t.ot:a.lonssbeo'f, developedso
il
dite
to
Mr. McIntosh* said soil
to
stone piles: he said.
erosion,• "Which .can be '
conservation Could best. be, economically -adopted, then I am '
sure that farmers will' be only too • accomplished through :education,
willing to adopt them," Mr. programS acid not through..
legislation. He quoted one official' McIntosh concluded.
Spraying with car-bola - whitens
and disinfects as it dries.,
HAtri: YOUR''PUMP
CHECKED LA TEL Y?
BRING YOUR PUMP TO
74c Pacio • Pte.
•
FAST EFFICIENT . MINOR REPAIRS OR-. --SERVICE PUMP
• SERVICE AT • MAJOR OVERHAUL ION • AVAILABLE
REASONABLE RATES ALL MAKES OF PUMPS '•IN EMERGENCY
10EGV
FARM SUPPLY LIMITED
Barn washing and
disinfecting
SALES AND SERVICE.
HIGHWAY 8, EAST OF CLINTON
PHONE: 482-3418
Cattle spraying for
lice and warble
control.
Brodhagen, Ontario
Tel. 345-2941 -
After hours, 345-2243
WHEN YOU ARE HERE, ASK TO
SEE THE EPPS PRESSURE
WASHER WITH THE NEW
UNIQUE MISTING SYSTEM
"Most farmers who own their
land value it highly as a resource,
3tiitp449,§9, tp0ay.yilh high land
alues, and do not yAtit to 'see it
SEAFORTH
527-0245
This Bus Trip Sponsored. By
Mc Gavins Farm pment
Ltd.,' in Walton'
CASH
CARRY
Limited Supply of
LINED COVERALLS
RED'rAG SPECIAL
'.11ENSALL .DISTRICT -c904)P
ZurichZuri leis all Brucefiel0 •
236-4393 262=3002 462=9823
FRANKLIN
STOVES
30” Regular $199.95
REb TAG SPECIAL
BRUSSELS
887-6365
Conservation: A Farmer's
Viewpoint".
Mr. Alexander has become well
known beyond the borders of
Itur911,C", 991.0;:
erosion; and for his efforts to alga;
government and "fatal orga,ni-
zations to the erosion ,problern.
Mr. Alexander said some
provision should be made to train
back-hoe operators in 'drainage
installations and repair,' so they
. would be available as .sub-
contractors for hire by ditch and
tile contractors, and also would be
available for municipal councils.;
drainage commissioners and
contractors to hire for repair
work. He recommends instruction
and training for tile installers and
ditch contractors in aip-rap
construction, and other erosion.
- "Tax issues, like these, don't
grab the headlines the way the
' price of food, rising input costs,
,land use, etc. does, but a fair tax
situation is part of what, allows
farmers to continue to produce
abundant Jood supplies despite
rising input costs. The
importance of these issues can't
be underestimated"., Mr.
Hannam concluded.
i'eage'rethited:,