The Rural Voice, 1983-05, Page 23IN THE NEWS
Seen at right are Dave McIntosh, herds-
man at Bodmin Farms, John Wood-
house, Fieldman for Ontario Swine A.I.
Association and Lori Cameron from
Be/grave enjoying a chat while waiting
for the equipment to be set up for the
first ever Ontario All Breed Swine Video
Sale at the Stratford Coliseum on April 8.
The first gilt offered on the video was
from the Bradford farm of Murray and
Allan Faris and sold for $1,000. to Lloyd
Heldmann.
AT THE
VIDEO SALE
Despite the newness of the selling
system, a large audience of buyers from
Ontario and Quebec bought 71 gilts and
boars at the first video hog auction held
at the Stratford Coliseum.
Organizers explained the system's
biggest attraction is that hogs need not
be trucked to one location for an auction
where they mingle and often spread
diseases.
John Archibald, president of the swine
association, said disease prevention is
the main benefit of video sales which
come at a time of industry -wide concern
about disease control.
The same technology is already being
used for beef sales. A videotape made at
the home farm is played to an audience
and then the auctioneer conducts normal
bidding while the tape replays in the
background.
After the sale, buyers have a week to
arrange transportation with the seller.
Southwestern Ontario farms provided
most of the animals sold Friday.
Bidding on the first animal slowed
several times, and the auctioneer nearly
settled on a price of $500.
But Len McQuay, secretary of the
Ontario Swine Breeders' Association and
a veteran hog breeder, stressed the value
of buying the first video auctioned animal
and sparked renewed bidding.
Video sales of weaner pigs will begin
at Ontario Livestock Exchange stock-
yards north of Waterloo in June during
the Pork Congress.
Jim Wideman, manager of the Ontario
Livestock Exchange said many commer-
cial hog farmers who buy and fatten
weaner pigs have already showed interest
in the system because of concerns about
diseases when they buy hogs in a
stockyard.
Most of these farmers have long-term
arrangements with specific suppliers,
but often must go elsewhere to get
animals to keep their barns running at
capacity.'
THE RURAL VOICE, MAY 1983 PG. 21