The Rural Voice, 2001-05, Page 53are being urged to participate in "gate
to plate" marketing but with the
power of large retailing chains to
demand payment for "shelf space" in
supermarkets, "the odds are stacked
against producers who want to get
products to the retail level." Faced
with the power of the retailers,
processors are also getting bigger to
play on an even field, leaving farmers
locked into lower prices.
Calder said the issue "interests me
a lot". He noted that many farmers
are turning to contracting with large
processors in order to buy a piece of
the market but he wondered if a
farmer could pay the cost of a large
barn over a five or six year contract
period. Meanwhile smaller producers
are having to operate on the open
market and try to find a market share.
"Their days could be numbered," he
said.
The provincial government came
under fire for high requirements for
setting up co-operatives. Ralph
Dietrich said the government's
proposed "red tape" bill needs some
serious looking at. Following the
Federation's "Taking Back Your
Livelihood" conference in March, a
group of people had been meeting to
try to find ideas that could mean
more food processing in Bruce
County. "Some of the ideas we came
up with have limitations that can kill
it before we get off the ground," he
said of the expense of setting up a co-
op.
Another speaker pointed out a co-
op can be required to come up with
$200,000 to register with the
government before it can even start
business, far more than shareholder
companies.
Both Helen Johns, MPP for
Huron -Bruce and Bill Murdoch,
MPP for Bruce -Grey asked for more
information on the situation so they
can look at the problems.
On a related topic, the
Federation's brief asked governments
to make available economic
resources to assist local leadership in
the establishment of regionally based
production and processing clusters
that can help stabilize rural
communities in the county and
enable primary producers to move
News
farther up the processing chain.
On the environmental side, the
Federation called on governments to
require everyone applying nutrients,
including golf courses, to track
application and uptake of nutrients to
reduce impact on the environment.
Enforcement of Nutrient
Management bylaws and legislation
will require training and monitoring
costs the province needs to support,
the brief said.
On the federal side, the brief said
it "is imperative that federal and
provincial governments continue to
work towards securing long-term
funding for the Environmental Farm
Plan. We urge the government to
offer further incentives to farmers
who are implementing environmental
improvements on their farm."
There were several calls at the
meeting for quick passage of the
Ontario Agricultural Operations Act
with Murdoch saying he hoped the
act would be presented in the spring
session of the legislature from where
it would go to the committee for
study and likely consultation with
farm groups.
The Federation's brief argued that
any capital improvements necessary
for farmers to meet the requirements
of the legislation will be more of
benefit to society as a whole, not to
the farmer. As such it should be
supported either through capital
grants, perhaps through the
province's Healthy Futures initiative,
or by creating a 50 per cent or higher
capital cost allowance and/or an
investment tax credit program.
Both the Federation and the Bruce
County Wheat Producers called for
the coverage under the Market
Revenue Insurance program to be
increased to 100 per cent from 85 per
cent. The Federation pointed out that
because of good yields in 1999, the
Market Revenue payout for 1999
covered only 60 per cent of one
director's corn crop and 73 per cent
of his soybean crop. U.S. farmers
meanwhile can expect close to a 100
per cent payout.
The brief also argued the federal
government is twisting NISA
deposits data to show there is no
pressing need for more aid to grain
and oilseed farmers. By using total
deposits the figures are distorting the
situation because some established
farmers have accumulated large
deposits but those who really need to
make withdrawals because of the
current crisis with low prices have
long since withdrawn their money,
the brief said.0
Study exposes
myths about local
health status
Anyone who harboured illusions
about the superior health of people
living in rural areas would have them
dashed by a study of health
behaviours in Huron, Perth, Bruce
and Grey Counties.
The study, released by the Grey
Bruce Huron Perth District Health
Council and the health units in the
four counties, shows that local
residents generally are in worse
shape physically than the general
population of Ontario. For instance,
among residents aged 20-64, 35 per
cent of the population was
overweight compared to 28 per cent
across Ontario.
Among males 12-19, only 64 per
cent of people took part in physical
activity 12 times or more a month,
compared to 75 per cent in Ontario.
Only 30 per cent of people were
termed to be active compared to 39
per cent in Ontario.
Among smokers in the four
counties, 82 per cent started smoking
at or before the age of 18 compared
to 75 per cent elsewhere. Only 29 per
cent of employees reported working
in a completely smoke-free
workplace, compared to 43 per cent
across the province.
More local people drank and drove
after drinking •than elsewhere.
Among males under 20, 62 per cent
of males reported having five or
more drinks on one occasion
compared to 45 per cent across the
province. Among young adults the
ratio was 57-49 and among male
drinkers it was 56-49.0
MAY 2001 49