The Rural Voice, 1979-01, Page 28Advice on Farming
Agriculture and food go metric
Canada's agriculture and food system is
well on its way to converting to metric
measurements.
Milk is now sold by the litre in all
provinces and most dairy products, such as
yoghurt and ice-cream, are also in metric -
sized packages at retail outlets. Consumers
will start buying cheese and butter in 125
and 250 gram packages in the next year or
so.
Egg grading, sales and payments will
convert to the metric system on January 1,
1980. Until then eggs will be graded by
their weight in ounces. After conversion,
eggs will still be sold by the dozen, but
grading will be based on metric measure-
ments.
Livestock conversions to metric are to be
in step with the meat packaging industry
which intends to convert to metric opera-
tions January 1. 1980. The industry has
made this commitment to its wholesale and
retail customers.
Stockyards at national terminals and
community sales will convert at the same
time as the packing industry. All sales and
transactions are expected to be in metric
terms after January 1, 1980.
A resolution calling for sheep payments
to producers to be based on metric units by
the fall of 1979 is expected to be pased by
sheep industry representatives in the next
few months. This resolution seeks to keep
the industry in step with the plans of the
meat packing industry.
Bulk fruits and vegetables will be
packaged and sold at the retail level when
retail scales are introduced in metric units
early in 1980.
Agricultural inputs. too, are affected by
the switch to metric.
Many agricultural chemicals and pesti-
cides are already being sold in metric
units. A f ter January 1, 1981, all of these
products must be packaged and sold in
metric.
Conversion to metric for feeds was
completed in June, 1977. All statutory
information pertaining to seeds will be
metric effective July 1, 1979. And fertil-
izers are expected to complete their
changeover to metric on July 1, 1980.
Record of Performance (R.O.P.) pro-
grams also have made or will make the
move to metric in the next two years. Dairy
and swine R.O.P. will complete computer
conversion during 1979 but will not
implement it until beef sales convert on
January 1, 1980.
All marketing of wool has been done in
metric units for two years and will be on a
metric -only basis as of January 1, 1979.
Tobacco products are scheduled to
convert on June 30, 1979.
Within the next few years feet will
become strictly a means of locomotion or
standing, pounds will be a currency and
bushels and pecks will exist in sone only.
MAITLAN D
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PG. 28 THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1979