The Rural Voice, 1981-06, Page 19RURAL NEWS IN BRIEF
CA C rea c ts to farmer's message
The Canadian Association of Con-
sumers (CAC) Ontario branch heard a
speaker representing agriculture at their
annual convention in London in May.
There were 125 delegates from all over
Ontario and representatives from corpor-
ate and Consumer Affairs and other
agencies representing the consumer.
Ron Jones, second vice president of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture deliv-
ered the definite message that farmers
were not happy with the Association's
stand on food prices. Ron intimated that
the CAC was often critical without just
cause and irresponsible in demands
concerning the price of food.
Upon closing, he was surrounded by a
large number of dissenters and those who
felt he had valid points. He especially
pointed out CAC's reputation as "mark-
eting board bashers" and informed
members that farmers need the boards to
survive in agribusiness. Marketing
boards in general were a contentious
issue over the convention's three days.
Few of the delegates could differentiate
between a marketing board and a
marketing board with supply manage-
ment. The difference was never obvious
to them. This points out that the lines of
communication between the farmer and
consumer are in poor repair.
The Canadian Association of Consum-
ers (Ontario) did make a motion from the
convention that government take immed-
iate action to ensure that the future
supply of food to the consumer is not
jeopardized by the bankruptcies and
foreclosures farmers are facing. The high
interest rate factor and high input costs
were also named as a threat to tarmers
supplying the consumers with a reason-
ably priced product.
To the consumer a reasonably priced
product means maximum choice at the
lowest possible price. Can the farmers, in
the present agricultural climate, still
afford to provide this service and stay in
business? Obviously the CAC feels
strongly that they can and will fight
against supply management boards at a
coming hearing with the Economic Coun-
cil of Canada on June 25th.
John Heard, new assistant ag. rep.
A new face has recently appeared
around the Ontario Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Food office in Clinton. It belongs
to John Heard, the new assistant agricul-
tural representative for Huron County.
John is filling the position vacated by
Mike Miller a year ago. He will be
handling questions on soils and crops,
and later in the winter John might be
working with questions on swine.
John was raised on a cash crop farm in
Middlesex county, north of London. His
father was an area co-ordinator and farm
management specialist for OMAF in the
London area.
John went to Guelph for four years in
the Crop Science program, and recently
graduated with an Honours degree in
agriculture.
John is enthusiastic about his job. "1
have all the theory...this (the job) is how
I'll do the rest of my learning," he said.
NORTHLANDER
FACTORY—BUILT HOMES
Mfg. by CUSTOM TRAILERS LTD.
165 Thames Rd. E., Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S0
O4
(519) 235-1530
THE RURAL VOICE/JUNE 1981 PG. 17