The Rural Voice, 1980-01, Page 15stumbling block to attracting more business and industry to
small towns or cities that aren't in the Montreal -Windsor
industrial corridor in Ontario. Increased energy costs can only
make that problem worse, meaning it is even harder to attract
industry to give our small towns a more balanced economy
(meaning greater services for farm families). The other side of
the coin is the industrial corridor of southern Ontario is likely to
get even more of the province's businesses meaning more
pressure on farmland already endangered by urban growth.
This whole policy is designed to get people to conserve but
conservation in our rural communities must always be minimal.
We can insulate our houses, we can drive a little less foolishly but
ultimately we must drive our cars or trucks to do almost
anything. We have no alternative. Past governments took away
our alternative when they allowed the railways to close down
passenger service in all except major centres. So today if you
want to go to Toronto you go by car unless you want to try the bus
service which in many parts of this region can mean you get a
guided tour of most of southern Ontario before you finally get to
Toronto many hours later.
Mr. Crosby talks about thinking about the long term instead of
the short term with his budget. I wonder how much thinking
he and his advisers have really given to the long term effects on
the rural economic and social structures of his policies.
The Directors say:
Editor's note: Directors of any farm commodity group who'd
like to write an occasional letter to their members are invited to
use this space monthly in Rural Voice, free of charge, on a first
come, first served basis.
Production Trends
BY MURRAY CARDIFF, CHAIRMAN ONTARIO BEAN
PRODUCERS MARKETING BOARD
Today we are beginning to see trends being established in all
crops. Some very prominent changes are occurring in increased
soyabean and corn acreage and a marked decrease in white bean
acreage. A producer has to evaluate his crop rotation in lieu of
the crops he plans to produce and certainly try to plan his income
in terms of crops that he feels that he can best benefit from.
We have been looking at our production statistics over the past
few years and as the attached table indicates there has been no
real trend established other than a marked decrease in acreage
in 1979. This was caused by producers only receiving the initial
payment in 1977 due to the worst crop disaster in history and the
subsequent litigation which resulted from the disaster followed
by a low return and low yield per acre in 1978.
1978 showed good potential returns from corn and soyabeans
but uncertain potential for white beans.
ONTARIO WHITE BEAN PRODUCTION
ACREAGE YIELD PER ACRE VOLUME MARKETED
000's CWT. 000'S CWT.
64.3 10.3 660
YEAR
1956-60
AVERAGE
1961-65 75.1 13.5 1,014
AVERAGE
1966-1970 89.8 12.9 1,154
AVERAGE
1971 94.3
1972 126.1
1973 121.0:
1974 165.0
1975 145.0
1976 148.0
1977 160.0
1978 148.0
1979 78.0
Estimates based on Ontario
Estimate.
One of the major changes however has been that in exports,
where the crop has increased, the export has also increased to
the extent that we now consider between 75 and 80% of our total
production as a normal figure for export.
Our growth of exports had increased quite significantly since
agency marketing began in 1968.
Nutrient value is something that we feel should be emphasized
16.4 ,
14.6
13.2
11.9
12.2
12.4
10.7
10.8
16.0
Crop
1,150
1,841
1,594
1,973
1,783
1,836
ESTIMATED 923
1,596
ESTIMATED 1,250`
Insurance Commission
much more than it has been in the past and we do think that this
is a trend ana we will see mfich more significance placed on
nutrient value in the future.
One of the high points in the bean business is the U.K. canned
bean consumption. This has risen consistently over the years
although it now seems to be levelling off slightly.
The per capita consumption in Canada unfortunately is
following a trend which is not a healthy one. As the charts
indicate there is a definite trending downward in both Canada
and the U.S
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION LBS. PER YEAR
CANADA U.S.A.
2.4
2.1
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.4
1.3
1.1
1963-65 3.6
1966-68 3.2
1969-71 2.5
1972-73 2.6
1974-75 2.2
1976-77 1.9
1980 1.7
1985 1.4
We hope to be abie to reverse this trend in the future by
greater participation of the Board in Fairs and Exhibitions, Trade
Showsand a general awareness bythe public of the value of beans
both from a nutritional standpoint and economically.
The following gives a rough idea of the Supply and Demand
situation for the 1979 crop.
1979 CROP [MILLIONS OF CWT.] SUPPLY
Michigan Oct. 12/79 USDA Crop Report 5.70
Minnesota
Ontario
DEMAND
Canada
U.S.A.
U.K.
.55
1.25
7.50
.45
3.80
2.00
Europe .50
6.75
Difference 0.75
The aforementioned are some trends that we are looking at
presently. Certainly there are other things that may be
considered and hopefully some of the adverse trends may be
changed to more positive.
THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1980 PG. 13