The Rural Voice, 1983-03, Page 47BRINDLEY
AUCTION
1/4 mils east
of Dungannon
OVER 50
TRACTORS
MF 2705 and cab
DB 1410 and cab
Plus over
100 pieces
of
equipment
7 combines
Upcoming
Sales
Saturday, March 19
Brindley Sale Yard
10 a.m. sharp
Saturday, April 2
Sale of farm equipment and 235 -acre
farm for Tbm Hill on Highway 21 six
miles north of Goderich.
Auctioneer
Gordon 14. drindley
For further
Information, call
519-529-7625
519-529-7970
ONE MAN'S OPINION
Trade Restrictions
could kill imports
PG. 48 THE RURAL VOICE, MARCH 1983
by Adrian Vos
We have all heard how the European
Economic Community (EEC) protects
its farmers by the imposition of import
levies and supports them with export
subsidies, called 'restitutions'.
Fortunately, thus far, the United
States government has only retaliated
rather feebly. But they have put in the
so-called blended price support. This
helps producers of wheat, soybeans
and some other commodities.
Canadian grain traders are watching
such developments with concern and
there have been accusations that this
blend program has already caused
world prices to drop. This hurts Cana-
dian exports, especially wheat, with its
huge sales to the Soviet Union and
China.
A full fledged trade war in agricultural
products between the two giants, the
EEC and the US, would further lower
world food prices. A country with a
limited population as Canada, cannot
afford to supply the same support to its
farmers and will not be able to bring
domestic prices for farmers to a decent
level.
It is, therefore, imperative, that any
move here at home, to more protec-
tionism for agricultural commodities
should be vigourously opposed by all
Canadian farm organizations.
Other than the shoe and textile
industries, it is most often Canadian
farmers demanding protection against
foreign imports.
BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS
LTD.
Stockers
Feeders
arriving
regularly
Where buyers & sellers
meet every Friday at 12:30
FOR COMPETITIVE MARKETING:
BRUSSELS 887-6461
We must remember, that not only
prairie grain exports are at stake, but
also the huge exports of beans and
pork, plus the increasing export of live
cattle to the USA. If a producer of
pickles. for instance, should succeed in
stopping all foreign countries from
importing pickles into Canada, isn't it
likely that these foreign countries would
feel justified in refusing to allow Cana-
dian wheat or cattle to enter their
countries?
As Dr. B. Wadsworth, USDA, told the
Ottawa Agricultural Outlook Conference
last December. "We all want a free
export arket and a restricted import
market."m
The Europeans are beginning to re-
alize a trade war could be costly, but
from all reports, they simply don't
believe the Reagan administration
would want one either. But the blended
price concept shows that a trade war is
possible. If this should materialize, it is
Canada that will suffer most. There isn't
enough money here to fight a trade war.
The Americans are already assessing
the reasons why we have been export-
ing pork for at least five consecutive
years, in contrast to previous years
when the movement of pork see -sawed
from cycle to cycle. They could easily
invoke the argument that our feeble
stabilization plan is unfair competition.
And with their clout, they could make it
stick.
Thus it is imperative that we keep our
hands as clean as possible and not by
the slightest impulsive move, invite an
excuse for retaliation.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't do
something when our farmers are threat-
ened because of competition supported
by government funds. If tomatoes are
imported into Canada, at only the price
of transportation, we must demand
government action. In most cases, this
could be countervailing duties, at the
level of the subsidies. However, if we
should lose more than we gain, there
may be cases where we would be wiser
to let well enough alone.
Adrian Vos, a regular columnist with
The Rural Voice is a freelance writer
from Huron county.