The Rural Voice, 1986-04, Page 66FARM NEWS
Perth federation receives grant
The Perth County Federation of
Agriculture (PCFA) will receive a
grant from the county, but not as
much as they requested. PCFA has
the largest federation membership
in the province and is very active in
the agricultural and tourism -based
county.
Council had turned down their
request for funds for the past two
years. To complicate matters fur-
ther, there was the possibility of
conflict of interest under the
Municipal Act; of 14 council
members, nine are members of the
federation. The number that
declared a conflict would affect the
vote.
Council consulted its lawyers on
the conflict of interest issue. A let-
ter from their solicitors, Stratton,
Barenberg & Goodman, basically
told councillors that as members of
the federation, they do have a
pecuniary interest, thus a conflict.
On the other hand, the pecuniary
interest may be so insignificant
that it doesn't require declaration
of conflict. The letter suggested
that the decision was a matter of
conscience for each member. This
left council where they started.
Hans Feldman, Fullarton
Township reeve and an active
member of the federation,
declared a conflict as did Hibbert
reeve Roy Swart. Warden Ron
Denham apparently the most likely
to declare a conflict as warden,
federation member, and father of
Bill Denham, PCFA second vice-
president and one of three PCFA
executive members who made the
request for funds, did not declare a
conflict.
It was suggested that council's
response to the conflict of interest
issue (Municipal Act, 1983) could
set a precedent especially if all
farm members had declared a con-
flict. Would it mean they should
likewise declare conflicts on re-
quests from 4-H, pork producers,
agricultural societies, and many
other farm or rural organizations
which they or their families belong
to? Other rural -based counties are
faced with similar situations
periodically.
Nonetheless, after the for-
malities of voting were determin-
ed, council voted. The federation
requested $6,000. They will receive
about $3,700 resulting from a
resolution from Elma Township
reeve John Vander Eyk patterned
after his own township's approach
to federation grant requests.
A grant of $3 per member will be
given to the federation; with a
membership of about 1,254, the
grant will be about $3,700 this
year. The resolution provides $3
per member to the Perth NFU (Na -
Cheese taste test for princesses
Ontario Dairy Princess Allyson Hagerman of Oxford County, and Perth
Dairy Princess Debbie Tinholt of Listowel area taste test Perth County
cheeses. Photo by Phyllis Coulter.
tional Farmers Union) and the
Perth CFFO (Christian Farmers
Federation of Ontario) upon of-
ficial request.
The funding grant won by a nar-
row margin of 15 to 13 and will net
the federation more than twice as
much funding ($1,175) which they
raised from township councils, last
year. ❑ PC
Manitoba signs
hog agreement
Manitoba Agriculture Minister
Bill Uruski signed a hog agreement
bringing the province into the na-
tional tripartite stabilization pro-
gram with the federal government.
With the inclusion of Manitoba,
this brings the number of par-
ticipating provinces to five. On-
tario and Alberta have signed
agreements covering hogs,
slaughter cattle, feeder calves, and
lambs. Saskatchewan has signed
hog and lamb agreements, and
Prince Edward Island the cattle
agreement.
"Participating provinces now
hold between 60 and 75 per cent of
Canada's hog, fed beef and Iamb
production," federal Agriculture
Minister John Wise said.
The program is a three-way,
equal partnership between the
federal government, participating
provinces and producers. It is
designed to protect producers
when the market price of their
commodity falls below the support
price set for it.
Participation by producers is
voluntary but leading red meat
producer groups support the pro-
gram and most farmers are ex-
pected to take up the option to
join.
The national schemes for hogs
and cattle go into effect for the
first quarter of 1986. However, in
Manitoba, the hog scheme will
take effect July 1, 1986 to ease pro-
ducers' transition from the provin-
cial to the national plan. The
scheme for lambs takes effect
March 1, 1986.
The signing of the tripartite
agreement does not affect the
stablization payments for hogs an-
nounced last November. They are
proceeding as planned.0
APRIL 1986 65