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The Rural Voice, 1982-12, Page 58PERTH COUNTY PORK PRODUCERS' NEWS News items from the provincial board. by Hans Feldmann At the time of writing, at the beginning of November, pork prices have dropped to the mid seventies; down from the mid -nineties in a few weeks. This drives home the realization of the ups and downs inherent in the market place and should sweep away any complacency on the need for an adequate stabilization program. If we should enter another period of low prices, it would be overly optimistic to expect the Federal Government to jump into the breach with a generous subsidy at a time when the general economy is in shambles and calls for assistance from all quarters. This situation emphasizes the importance of having a satisfactory system of stabilization in place, sealed and signed before the need arises. The good news that provincial ministers of agriculture at a meeting in Regina early in November have agreed that a national stabilization plan for commodities not under supply manage- ment, should be put in place. After the concensus reached by the provincial ministers of agriculture, Mr. Whelan, the Federal Minister of Agriculture can hardly continue to ignore the issue and keep on stalling on plans for a national stabilization program. Following are news items from the provincial board: Windsor Packers - An Update: The last of the cheques for the hogs caught in the Windsor Packers receivership went out on October Ist. Although the dust hasn't settled as yet, it still looks like the loss to the Board will be minimal. There is still some question about the future of Windsor Packers. They have not declared bankruptcy so it is conceivable they could resume business. Provincial Agriculture Minister, Dennis Timbrell, may have been floating a balloon when he told the Windsor Star, "certainly we will be concerned to do everything we can that is reasonable to ensure that the balance of the market is maintained for beef and hog producers". The Board has sent a telex to both Timbrell and Whelan urging they do everything possible to keep the plant operating. Weaner Pig Committee Meetings: About sixty producers turned out for the four Weaner Pig Committee Zone Meetings held in the last three weeks. Producers got an update on stabilization, committee activities, the new weaner pig cost of production formula and the implications of the M. Wilson study on productivity. The Eastern Zone Meeting also heard the results of the study of weaner marketing in the area. Re-elected to a second two year terms were Martin DeBruyn (Huron) and G. Glaude (Glengarry). Wil Nap (Simcoe S.) replaces Grant Burns (Peterborough), Will Wymenga (Elgin) replaced Herman Steffens (Middlesex). Board Wants Dela, On Crow's Rate Decision: The Board has asked the federal government to delay a decision on the recommendations contained in the Gilson Report on western transportation. The Board is concerned that the new policy may hurt eastern agriculture. They want the decision PG 58 THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1982 delayed until there has been adequate consultation with producer organizations in Central Canada and the Maritimes. Chairman D. Farrell, Vice -Chairman C. Harrop and Directors W. Matte and T. Jensen met with officials from the Humane Society and government to clear up many of the misunder- standings about the handling of boars. Chairman D. Farrell attended a series of meetings with the Chairmen of the other provincial boards to develop a national cost of production formula. He has also discussed the national stabilization issue with provincial agriculture minister D. Timbrell on a number of occasions. Director H. Malcolm, in his capacity as Vice -Chairman of the Canadian Pork Council, has been working actively on the issue at the national level. Every producer who was caught by the receivership of Windsor Packers has been paid the money owing to them due to a combination of board policy and a cautious approach to credit granting by the O.P.P.M.B. staff. A new series of T.V. commercials began on Ontario's major T.V. stations. They are tied in to advertisements in the larger daily newspapers. The Board protested County Associations being forced to pay sales tax on the food they serve. The government will now allow non-profit organizations exemption if they are not in competition with commercial operations. Director G. Waterton and Vice -Chairman C. Harrop worked with the O.F.A. to help restructure their Marketing Board Liaison Committee. Chairman D. Farrell and Vice -Chairman C. Harrop and Director T. Jensen met with senior government officials and researchers from the University of Guelph to explore ways of improving the efficiency of the industry. Executive Assistant to the Board, J. Bluhm, attended the Annual Meeting of the Canadian and American Societies of Animal Sciences, held in Guelph. Directors A. Vos, W. Matte and M. MacAuley and Secretary G. Agnew, attended a Marketing Seminar at the University of Guelph. The Executive Committee held a cordial meeting with the new members of the Farm Products Marketing Board, the govern- ment body which regulates Ontario's marketing boards, to fill them in on the status of the industry. Staff and several Directors met with the packers to explore the possibility of setting up some form of forward contracting. The Board protested the Post Office's attempts to stop Saturday delivery in rural areas - unfortunately without results. The Research Committee toured the University of Guelph to keep abreast of the progress on our various research projects. The reorganization of Pigmalion Place by P.O.R.K. Inc. is continuing. Efforts are being hampered by the current recession but the financial picture is improving. Visitors to the Head Office included 20 producers from Kent County, six officials from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), C. Cawly, CUSO, Nigeria and a government official from India.