The Rural Voice, 1985-09, Page 96BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
446 10th St. Hanover, Ontario 1•44N 1P9 519-364-3050
Greetings to all ISMs and those
who could be!
First of all, as was promised last
month, the BCFA would like to
thank the following businesses who
contributed material or money
towards our bus trip to Queen's Park
in July: McCullough Fuels, Paisley;
Lloyd Hutton Transport, Paisley;
Howson and Howson Mills, Cargill;
McArthur Tire, Port Elgin; Ross
Young Buslines, Tiverton; Stedman's
Store, Port Elgin; Ziegler Lumber,
Port Elgin; G.P.W. Holdings, Alex
McCullough, Saugeen Township.
There are many others who wish to
remain anonymous and to each and
every one of you we say a big thank
you. These people realize the impor-
tance of the agricultural sector in
their communities and that without
us their own businesses may not suc-
ceed either.
While we are referring to the
Toronto trip, how successful was it?
We may never be able to say definite-
ly, but it can be said that the Liberal
government has started to take action
to assist agriculture. One can only
IWWWWWWWVIAWARAIWAIWINI
NOTICE TO ALL
FEDERATION
MEMBERS
RE: EXTENDED
HEALTH INSURANCE
REMINDER
"Written proof of receiving ser-
vices for Extended Health Care
must be furnished to the In-
surance Company within 60 days
following the end of the member-
ship year of termination of the
membership in O.F.A.
Members may submit proof of
receiving services anytime during
their membership year and pay-
ment will be made promptly after
the deductible amount is
satisfied."
aiwwwwwwwwwwwwww
94 THE RURAL VOICE
guess whether we would have the
OFFIRR program yet if the OFA
hadn't shown up at Queen's Park.
It's true that the program is target-
ted and therefore will not help
everyone. The top and the bottom of
the spectrum is left out. The bottom
segment I feel sorry for because their
outlook has to be very bleak, par-
ticularly because it is not just young
fellows, who may be able to change
occupations without too much dif-
ficulty, but it is also those in the
50 -plus category. They have farmed
all their life and the farm is all they
have. Their options are much more
limited. These are the people who are
really hurt when the bank or Farm
Credit drops in and says, "We'll take
over now, you can move on." As for
the top end of the spectrum, those
with more than 75 per cent equity,
many of them claim to be making lots
of money now and don't want
assistance, so it is probably fair to
leave them out. But the farmers who
are helped by this program can
breathe a little easier for another
year. It won't make any of them rich,
but it will help to counteract some of
their losses from last year.
Mr. Riddell stated: "OFFIRR is
short-term help, the fulfillment of
your election promise for emergency
assistance. It will be reviewed in a
year in the economic context of the
time." I hope he has another $50
million or more set aside for subse-
quent years because unfortunately I
think Mr. Riddell and company will
find, as the previous government did
with OFAAP, that one year will not
solve the financial crisis in
agriculture. Sections A and B of AAP
helped to show the rate at which
farmers were petitioned into
bankruptcy. It would be more en-
couraging to see something that
would eliminate bankruptcy
altogether. That's probably too op-
timistic.
If the American government can
protect its primary producers, be they
farmers or fishermen or lumberjacks,
why can't our governments wake up
and see the future, find their
backbones, and do something for the
Canadian primary producer? ❑
BRUCE COUNTY
FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
REGIONAL
MEETINGS
Bruce, South & West: September 24, 8:30 p.m.
Teeswater Curling Club
Pork Barbecue
Bruce, North & Centre: September 25, 8:30 p.m.
Tara Community Centre
Pork Barbecue