The Rural Voice, 2000-05, Page 46rural caucus of the Liberal Party has
held several meetings on the issue.
"I think someone has been sleeping
at the switch," he said, saying some
farm groups seemed to be in favour
of the regulations. There had been no
representation from beef or poultry
producers on the issue, he said. "It's
beyond my wildest imagination why
anyone would agree with this."
But Linton, quoting Carl Moore,
Ontario Pork's representative on the
Canadian Pork Council, said the
regulations agreed to by that group
and the final legislation announced
were entirely different. That's led to
an assumption that the big feed
companies saw an opportunity of
making more money by shutting
down on-farm feed manufacturing,
Linton said.
Others supported the conclusion
that the regulations changed at the
last minute. "Just because you agree
in principle doesn't mean you agree
with the final results," said Bob
Down of the Huron County Corn
Producers, who is also a beef and
pork producer. "The devil is in the
details."
Jack Flanagan of the Huron County
Beef Producers said beef producers
had only just learned about the
problem and hadn't had a chance to
react.
Steckle said the issue showed how
important it is for all the groups to
form a united front in approaching
government.
At the Grey County meeting with
members on April 7, Wayne Caughill
of the Grey -Bruce Pork Producers'
presented a brief that pointed out not
only the arguments made by Huron
producers but pointed out greater use
of manufactured feeds would put
more wear and tear on municipal
roads.
The costs of upgrading on-farm
mills to meet CFIA standards would
be a financial burden, the brief said
and farmers have no ability to pass
on those costs, leaving many people
no alternative but to leave the
business, the brief said.
Pointing out the fact that quality
assurance already protects the safety
of consumers, Caughill's brief
wondered if meats imported into
42 THE RURAL VOICE
News
Canada will rneet the same standards
for the control of drug additives.0
Johns promises
meeting with FPMC
After hearing several farm groups
express concern over the Ontario
Farm Products Marketing
Commission (OFPMC) overstepping
its mandate, Huron -Bruce MPP
Helen Johns has promised to set up a
meeting with officials of the Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs to discuss the matter.
Mark Allen, representing Huron
County's egg and pullet producers,
told Johns at the Members of
Parliament dinner, March 25 that
while Premier Mike Harris has
openly supported supply
management, actions taken by the
OFPMC were undermining
marketing boards. "There's a sense
that the people on the commission
don't have a grasp of the issues," he
said.
Allen's comments raised concerns
from others at the meeting, which
was sponsored by the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture.
"We are concerned ... that Farm
Products is exceeding its mandate as
a supervisory board," said Alex
Westerhout, representing the Huron
County Chicken Farmers. "We feel it
is getting too involved in everyday
issues which it may not fully
understand and that should be left
with the Boar'ds to whom the
authority is given to deal with them.
We're also concerned when other
parties who would take advantage of
weakening farmer marketing systems
are also allowed to get involved in
these issues."
Poultry representatives pointed out
that supply managed boards are par
of a national system and if Ontario
producers are ordered by the
commission to take one direction, it
could cause problems within the
'national system.
Others worried about marketing
boards being undermined by
OFPMC. orders to allow direct
contracting between producers and
buyers. "Those boards are going to
die if we allow contracting outside
the board," warned Jim Love, reeve
of Hay Township. "We need to get
back to the basics that either we
control the industry of you're going
to lose it."
Representatives of the corn
producers also expressed concerns
about the commission.
Johns wondered if there were
problems with those being appointed
to the commission. She offered to set
up a meeting with ministry officials
if the Huron Federation put together
a group of commodity
representatives to voice their
concerns.0
Gas storage scheme
has farmers alarmed
A scheme to store natural gas in
underground wells has landowners
from Grand Bend to Dungannon
being approached by leasing agents,
some of whom won't take no for an
answer, leaders of a landowners
group told Huron -Bruce MPP Helen
Johns, March 25.
Fred Dutot, who owns land in the
middle of the area in question near
Bayfield, told the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture's Members
of Parliament dinner the plan is to
use old gas wells as underground
storage for natural gas which will be
piped in from western Canada during
the summer then sold in the winter.
In the field near his farm the
company in question plans not only
to use existing wells but to drill three
new vertical wells, from each of
which three horizontal wells will be
drilled to increase storage capacity.
That means the water table will be
crossed 12 times, he said.
Water quality was of concern to
Marilyn Broadfoot, the Huron
federation's representative on the
landowners group. While similar
plans have been carried out in
Lambton County in the past, people
there get their water from a Lake
Huron pipeline. "We're concerned
because this is .he first time they've
come into an area of good water."
The landowners are also worried
about the effect on livestock from the
noise of compressors needed to pump
the gas.