The Rural Voice, 2000-05, Page 23in terms of its benefit to the economy
as a whole," Cummings said.
The statistics in the study are
based on telephone interviews with
250 of the 686 businesses in the
county that dealt with farmers. Those
businesses did $462 million gross
business of which 50 per cent, or
$234 million, was estimated to come
from agriculture. When the numbers
were extrapolated to all the farm -
related businesses it was estimated
they did $652 million in sales to or
from farmers and provided 3,100
jobs because of their business with
farmers.
n. addition, the government,
education and health sectors were
estimated to create 3,000 jobs in
serving the farm sector and farm
people. Added to the 4,935 direct
farm jobs it totalled to 11,000 jobs.
The study only estimated the
impact of agriculture on the local
economy. Not included were jobs
created by agricultural goods
produced in the county but exported
for processing. "I purposely tried to
be conservative in exports,"
Cummings said.
The business operators
interviewed by the team of
researchers certainly knew the value
of agriculture. The study was
unveiled in the repair shop of
Stratford Farm Equipment and the
company's Dan Brown, a member of
the committee overseeing the study,
told those on hand to look at all the
people busy in the sales, parts and
repair divisions of his firm as they
left the building. All of them owed
their living to agriculture, Brown
said.
Another of the businesses
interviewed noted that "when farmers
do well financially, they spend it on
goods. When they don't, they don't
spend. So my business is affected."
Another business leader noted the
importance of the survival of the
independent farmer. "This is a small
company and it is the independent
farmer that keeps me in business."
The study may help to impress the
importance of farming on others in
the county who may not have been as
directly dependent on agriculture.
One county planning official on hand
said he knew agriculture was big
business in Perth County but "this
puts a real perspective on how
Harry Cummings: Agriculture a big
player in job market.
important it is." It also emphasized
how important it is to protect
farmland, he said.
Warden Shearer said he was really
looking forward to having these
figures to show how important
agriculture .was. It was the first time
he'd have statistics to back up his
feelings about the industry, he said.
John Bancroft, Perth County Ag
Rep, said the study shows the impact
of agriculture beyond the farm gate
and it can be used to tell the story of
agriculture. "We have a diverse
agricultural sector," he said pointing
out the area has a wide variety of
livestock and the land can grow
many different crops. It allows for
more risk management than if one
kind of farming dominated, he said.
It also gives the whole local economy
a good mix that creates stability, he
said.
Andy DeVries, president of the
Perth County Federation of
Agriculture, which backed the study,
pointed out that it was the institution
of stable funding for general farm
organizations that made it possible
for such studies to take place. (Major
funding was also provided by Human
Resources Development Canada
under the Local Labour Market
Partnerships Program.)
Vandewall emphasized that many
of the issues affecting rural. Ontario
today such as rural schools could
harm this rural prosperity. Mary
McIntosh, co-chair of the committee,
added the needed infrastructure
extended to other rural needs, like
adequate health care.
"Politicians must realize that
when they invest in agriculture
they're investing in community,"
Vandewalle said.°
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