The Rural Voice, 1998-07, Page 62People
Stafford attends IFAP meeting in Manila
John Stafford of Wroxeter was
one of 18 Canadian delegates to
the International Federation of
Agriculture Producers (IFAP)
held in Manila in the Philippines
in early Junc.
Stafford, and other Canadian
delegates from organizations like
Quebec's UPA, the Prairie Pools
and Manitoba's Keystone
Agriculture Producers, wcre on
hand to support the candidacy of
Jack Wilkinson of the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture to
become president of the
organization.
Wilkinson's campaign was hurt
when a candidate from France
withdrew from the race, Stafford
said, leaving the European votes
to fall to Gerald Doornbos of the
Netherlands. Doombos
campaigned on his proximity to
IFAP headquarters in Paris.
Wilkinson was subsequently
elected one of the vice-presidents.
Stafford enjoyed the chance to
meet and talk with other
producers from around the world.
Many share the same complaint
about unfairly subsidized food
trade coming into their country.
Of course no one complained
about the help their governments
gave them to export products, he
observed wryly.
Stafford took time to tour
Manila, do some white -water
John Stafford: Attends world farm
conference in Manila.
rafting and go out into the
countryside to visit some
plantations where he found
farming on a whole different scale
than in Canada.
One lasting memory had
nothing to do with farming,
however — it was the traffic of
Manila. Stafford pledges never to
complain about Canadian traffic
again. "We've never seen traffic
compared to over there."0
Tim and Rosa Small given top award
Tim and Rosa Small, owners of the
Godcrich Division of Swine Genetics
Ontario Inc. (SGO) were recently
honoured by the Canadian Yorkshire
Club at the annual meeting in Red
Decr, Alberta.
The Smalls received the award for
the highest indexing registered
Yorkshire gilt in Ontario in 1997.
Naturally Princess 12001F had an
EBV Index of 166, and was retained in
the nucleus herd.
SGO has received the award for the
highest indexing Yorkshire gilt the last
four years in a row, and the award for
the highest indexing Yorkshire boar
three of the last four ycars.0
Cheryl Brine joins
Walkerton OMAFRA
staff at RCA
Cheryl Brine, formerly Rural
Community Advisor in Perth County
and other locations in western Ontario
has joined the Walkerton office of the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs.
Brine, who will serve as Rural
Community Advisor in Bruce,
commenced her work on June 15.0
Western Ontario
cattlemen head
new feeder group
A new group of Ontario feedlot
operators has been formed and will
be headed by two western Ontario
men.
Dave Gardiner of Kirkton was
chosen as the first president of the
Ontario Cattle Feeders' Association
after the formation of the group in
April. Ron Bennett of Gorrie is the
vice-president.
Mission statement for the new
association is "to improve and
maintain a more competitive and
viable beef feeding industry in
Ontario." Objectives are similar to
cattle feeding associations in Alberta,
Saskatchewan and British Columbia
— to promote and protect the
business of cattle feeding, to provide
education opportunities and to work
with all sectors of the industry that
have similar objectives.
A nine -member steering committee
was formed to consider the name,
constitution and membership fee.
Other members of the committee
included Murray Legge, Chesley;
Barry Pletch, Rockwood; Jim
Cooke, Walkerton; Doug Kaufman,
Woodstock; Charles Burks,
Springfield; Brent Cavell, Harriston
and Paul Coultes, Brussels.
The committee is proposing a fee
of $150 per year for feeders with less
than 500 head on feed, $300 for 500-
2,000 head and $500 for over 2,000
head on feed. Associate membership
fees for those involved in other
aspects of the business will be $300.
The board will be made up of 11
directors with nine being elected
from four districts and two being
elected at large.
A general meeting is being planned
for late August in midwestern
Ontario at which time membership
fees will be collected. The regular
annual meeting will be held in early
winter.
The group hopes to work with the
Ontario Cattlemen's Association on
issues that affect the cattle feeding
industry.0