The Rural Voice, 1991-05, Page 60PERTH'
Matt Crowley, President, R. R. 1, Gadshill NOK 1,10 393-5716
PCFA Office 229-6430
* The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
in Perth County by the PCFA
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
EXCERPTS TAKEN FROM OFA'S APRIL 3, 1991 BRIEF TO CABINET
Jobs, jobs, jobs.
A growing number of farmers are
taking jobs from city people to shore up
sagging incomes. "We need an eco-
nomically sustainable agriculture in-
dustry in Ontario that will allow (them)
to go back to the farms, and open up
those job placements in the rest of the
provincial work force," said president
Roger George.
i) Agriculture and directly related
industries accounted for $12.8 billion or
approximately 5.5 per cent of Ontario's
gross domestic product of $233 billion
in 1989.
ii) The food and beverage industry is
Ontario's second most important manu-
facturing industry in terms of value of
shipments, value-added, and employ-
ment. Top ranked is transportation
equipment, i.e. the automotive industry.
iii) In 1989, there were about
570,000 persons employed directly in
the agri-food sector in Ontario, 12 per
cent of the province's employed labour
force.
iv) If employment indirectly related
to the agri-food sector is included (eg.
jobs generated by the agri-food sector in
finance, transportation, and govern-
ment) then roughly one in every five
jobs in Ontario depends to some extent
on agriculture.
v) In 1987 there were an estimated
1,100 food and beverage processing
establishments in Ontario.
Fact: During the 1981-87 period,
which contained the sharpest recession
since the great depression, only 4,548
employees in food and beverages re-
ceived indeterminate layoffs. Mean-
while, in transportation equipment— an
industry barely twice the size in terms of
employees — the number of layoffs was
seven times as great. For electrical
products — an industry approximately
the same size as food and beverages —
there were four times as many layoffs.
i) In 1990 farm cash receipts in
Ontario amounted to approximately
$5.68 billion.
ii) Agriculture programs accounted
for less than one per cent of total Ontario
government expenditures in four of the
past six years.
iii) In current dollar terms, OMAF
expenditures peaked in 1987/88 at $411
million, and have fallen since that time.
iv) The decrease in OMAF spending
is more pronounced in real terms. Ad-
justing data for the effect of inflation on
purchasing power, dollar spending has
dropped to an estimated $327 million in
the current year, a 16 per cent decline.
SIGNS
Thanks to Gary West, Ken Weitzel,
and Bill Kloosten for installing member
signs in South East Hope Township,
April 3, 1991.0
Ken and Marjorie Hoshell of Elma Township, left, won the
OFA jacket at the Perth Farm Show, presented by Fred Jung,
director for Logan Township.
PCFA members and commodity groups had many topics to
discuss with MPP Karen Haslam, left, and Harry Brightwell,
right at a recent meeting. Centre is President Matt Crowley.
We welcome comments from any member, do so by contacting:
John Drummond, Newsletter Editor,
R. R. 5, Mitchell, NOK 1NO,
or
PCFA office,
R. R. 1, St. Marys, NOM 2V0.
56 THE RURAL VOICE