The Rural Voice, 2003-08, Page 47Ag News
Sheep, cattle prices continue to slide
Beef producers who had pinned
their hopes on a government program
to bring stability to the industry
following the loss of export markets
because of a single case of BSE in
Alberta had those hopes quickly
dashed by plummeting prices.
"As soon as the funding was
announced, packers dropped the price
for live cattle," said Paul Coultes,
president of the Huron County Beef
Producers. "The ($480 million
federal -provincial) package is not
going to do what it was meant to do."
By the July 15 sale at Brussels
Livestock, steers were selling from
$40-$47 with sales to $50.50 down
from $105-$110 with sales to $129
the week prior to the BSE discovery.
The July 15 sale saw 1,897 head of
cattle sold, down from the pre -BSE
sale of more than 3,000 head but
Custom Application Of
Fertilizer And Herbicides
Sprucedale Agromart Ltd.
has 7 sprayer units for timely application
of herbicides, 2 airflows and one spinner
unit to spread fertilizer when and where
you need it.
Ask us about our nutrient
management services
• We can sow your wheat
• Leading varieties of seed
wheat available
AgromUart
ORO
Sprucedale
Agromart
Limited
Hanover Tara
519-364-4070 519-934-2340
44 THE RURAL VOICE
much stronger than the 1,300 head
the previous week.
Meanwhile the bad news spread to
the Iamb market as prices tumbled
$42.12 per hundred in one week in
mid-July, according to John
Hemsted, chair of the Ontario Sheep
Marketing Agency.
Cathy Lennon, OSMA general
manager, noted the gross price for a
72 pound lamb dropped from $104 to
$77 in one week.
With no certainty about when the
border will reopen Lennon could
only advise producers to maximize
returns. "Finish your lambs well and
ensure that your lambs are clean and
shorn three to four weeks before
marketing."0
Legislate septic
cleanouts,
study urges
Continued on page 43
Huron Councillor Joe Hogan
wondered about provincial grants,
Mike Fairbanks of International
Water consultants said he considered
protecting water sources as a type of
water treatment and money could be
raised from water charges.
The consultants recommended that
some kind of organizational structure
be created to oversee implementation
and continuity of groundwater
protection and to obtain co-operation
between area municipalities.
They also told councillors they
need to investigate the feasibility of a
county -wide inspection and pump -
out program for septic systems,
noting these can pollute the
groundwater if not properly
maintained. A large percentage are
more than 25 years old, they noted.
"You have the power under the
municipal act to require septic tank
inspection and pumping out," said
Pearson. While admitting it would be
a tough political choice, he noted
that people in urban areas do not
have the right not to be connected to
a sewage treatment system so why
should people be able to continue to
use faulty septic tanks.0