The Rural Voice, 1982-11, Page 11ON THE SUBJECT OF CORN
Who's doing what?
by Rhea Hamilton
Ontario Grain
Corn Council
A monthly newsletter published by the
Ontario Grain Corn Council keeps far-
mers abreast of what is happening in the
market. Figures,from who is using grain
corn and where, to elevator buying prices
and Chicago futures. More information
comes in the way of alerts to frost and
how it can affect prices, to export
information on Canadian corn,including
references to the U.S. agreements with the
Soviet Union.
The council was organized by the
provincial government in December 1971
at a conference in Ridgetown, to offer to
growers representation and information.
From the council comes the monthly
market letter. The thirteen members of
the council are appointed by an order in
council and funded through the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Eight
farmers and five industry people from all
across the province meet with their
secretary -treasurer Ed O'Meara on a
monthly basis to go over the material he
gathers for the letter.
Mr. O'Meara, who works out of
Toronto, collects data from many sources
and drafts the letter.
A smaller committee of three go over
the material and edit the copy. "We are
very dependent on American informa-
tion", Said O'Meara. "There just isn't
much Canadian stuff available."
If you do not already receive the market
letter from the Ontario Grain Corn
Council, their address is 10th Floor, 801
Bay Street, Toronto, Ont., M7A 2B2.
With the distinct possibility of a
provincial association of corn growers
being formed through the efforts of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Mr.
O'Meara noted that corn producers may
have less need for the Ontario Grain Corn
Council. The proposed association would
represent the corn growers (grain pro-
ducers) as spokesman, and to monitor
product trends, inform producers on
policy changes or other developments in
the industry and lobby for greater
financial stabilization.
Ontario Corn
Committee
The corn committee publishes a report
listing the hybrids, indicating their heat
unit rating, yields, and rate of maturity.
The committee is made up of represen-
tatives of Agriculture Canada, The On-
tario Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
the University of Guelph, the Ontario Soil
and Crop Improvement Association, the
Ontario Seed Corn Growers' Marketing
Board, the Canadian Seed Trade Associa-
tion and the Canadian Seed Growers'
Association.
Each year tests are conducted on test
sites throughout the province by the
following agencies: Research Station,
Harrow; Ridgetown College of Agricul-
tural Technology, Ridgetown; Ontario
Agricultural College, Guelph; Kemptville
College of Agricultural Technology,
Kemptville; Research Station, Ottawa;
and the Research Station, Smithfield.
Seed samples are taken at random from
seed stock at the producer's or distribu-
tor's warehouse. Planted alongside regu-
lar crops they receive equal fertility and
weed control.
Ross McBeath of R.R. 3 Kippen has
been participating in the field trials for
close to eight years.
McBeath explained that an acre of his
land is rented and he works the ground. A
group, in this case, from the University of
Guelph, working for the Ontario Corn
Committee plants the hybrid seed. When
the rest of the corn around the test plot is
fertilized and sprayed for insecticide by
McBeath,so is the test plot.
The harvest of that test plot is
undertaken by the group to record yield
and maturity. When they are finished
with the corn,it is turned over to the land
owner.
The data from the performance trials
are then compiled and published in a
pamphlet available through the local
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
offices. The report offers interpretations
of the results, and recommended hybrids
suitable for Ontario conditions. Explana-
tions of heat units and how to choose a
hybrid available that would do well on
your particular farm is also covered in the
Ontario Corn Committee report.
Ontario Seed Corn Growers'
Marketing Board
Growing seed corn for sale is a
metriculous and time consuming job.
There are 450 growers in the province.
The job entails detassling the male
plants and pollinating the female. The
yield per acre from this work is only a
fraction of what regular corn produces.
Due to the loss in yield and the work
involved, the farmers have formed the
Ontario Seed Corn Growers Marketing
Board.
Chairman Tom Johnston of R.R. 2
Kentbridge explained the mandate of the
group as negotiating contracts between
the farmers and the seed companies.
To grow seed corn a farmer must either
be contacted by a company or seek out the
company himself.
Mr. Johnston said the price of the seed
produced is determined through a compli-
cated formula. Seed growers may only
produce in the neighbourhood of 50
bushels per acre as opposed to normal or
regular grain corn which produces in the
neighbourhood of 142 bushels per acre
depending on the variety. "Everyone
seems happy so far with the arrange-
ment," said Mr. Johnston.
THE RURAL VOICE / NOVEMBER 1982 PG. 11