The Rural Voice, 1994-12, Page 31but 15 per cent of hogs were taken
off the open market. Small "domestic
packers" eventually agreed to the
process but the large packers claimed
the arrangement was illegal and said
the producer levy on each hog was
actually a tax, which should be under
federal not provincial responsibility.
Through their Meat Packers Council
they took the case to the Supreme
Court, but lost.
n 1958 there was a producer
plebiscite to vote on continuing
the hog producers marketing
plan. A 66 per cent vote was
needed to continue the agency. The
vote was 68.2 per cent in favour. In
areas like Perth, where there was a
packing plant right in the backyard,
many producers wanted the freedom
to direct directly to the plant rather
than go through the assembly yards.
A group of 600 farmers called the
Free Enterprise Hog Producers
Group set out to challenge the vote
but eventually withdrew its
challenge.
In 1958 the Hog Producers
Marketing Board and the Meat
Packers Council were at loggerheads
again over pricing, with the packers
wanting an open auction and the
producers wanting something similar
to the Dutch clock method.
Eventually the teletype auction
system was proposed. But now the
farmers faced new legislation from
the government of Premier Leslie
Frost, Bill 86, that would have
curtailed the powers of marketing
boards. Eventually a compromise
teletype system was put in place.
Today, of course, many pork
producers are again questioning the
worth of their marketing board.
Others chafe at the restrictions of
marketing boards and the Wheat
Board.
Will the lessons of the past be
learned? Powers believes there are
still attempts by big companies
behind the scenes to undermine the
attempts of farmers to gain some
control over prices. "The younger
generation doesn't know what went
into getting those organizations.
They'll find out when they get down
the road (and end up dealing with
companies directly) that they have
absolutely no control."
In Bruce County, at least, the
story of the struggle is down on
paper for those who want to take the
time to read it.0
Perth County
Agricultural
Seminars 94 - 95
Ask for a brochure from
OMAFRA Stratford
If Your Mail Box Copy
Went Astray
519-271-0280 or
1-800-265-8502
Seasons Greetings From 211
of vs To 2(1ofYou
PROGRESSIVE
FAR\IING•
R.R. 2, Wellesley 519-656-2709
n
111I1411111lmfl111 . VII• .11I1l1"
Mllin� I'u„''li �1
•
Merry Christmas
And the happiest of holidays
to you and yours. We greatly
appreciate having good frienif_s
and customers like you.
Mervyn Erb, CCA Michael Hunter, CCA
at at
HURON
AgVise..
Brucetield, Ont. NOM 1J0
(519) 233-7100
NAICC
and BRUCE
AgVise
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT CROP ADVISORY SERVICES
RR 4, Ripley, Ont. NOG 2R0
(519) 395-0254
PROFIT
STRATEGIESI s
DECEMBER 1994 27