The Rural Voice, 1999-05, Page 53the' phosphorus in the lakes which is
down dramatically from a decade
ago. In Tight of coming
amalgamations, she said, "We need a
vision and we need to share it with
each other to see if we have a
common goal".
The Huron County Pork
Producers' brief praised both Steckle
and Johns for their willingness
to listen and to work toward a
solution. Dave Linton, the
pork producers' spokesman,
explained why large producers
do not get support from their
neighbours. A large producer
is shortsighted for he has no
neighbours, he said, he has
bought them all out.
The contract hogs are a
problem for the whole
community, Linton said. For
instance the Targe corporate
feed mill is St. Marys (which
supplies feed to contract
farmers) greatly increased
production and added 10 or 12
workers. But it means that local feed
mills lose these farmers as customers
and must cut back or close.
Family farms put 84 per cent of
their expenditures back into the local
community compared with 43 per
cent by corporations and they create
three times the jobs the corporate
contract farmer does. "This," their
brief said, "is destroying an open
market and putting independent
producers out of business."
Linton lashed out at some
bureaucrats who spoke at the annual
meeting of Ontario Pork in Toronto.
Influential people from the Farm
Products Marketing Commission
made outrageous statements, he said.
Johns promised to discuss these
problems with the minister.
Linton continued that U.S. studies
have shown that smaller hog farms
are more efficient by $10 per hog but
they get $12 a hog less because
integrators control the market.
Steckle remarked that he was
convinced that within 10 years the
hog industry will go the way the
chicken industry is in the US.
McCain's will do to hogs what
Cargill does to grain, he predicted.
Mason Bailey said that Ontario
News
has 20 per cent surplus of food
because we lose export markets.
Also, he said, we have to compete
with slave labour and with huge
European subsidies.
But Steckle was more confident.
He said that we have protection and it
will not happen.
Grey Township Reeve.Robin
program be continued. The present
program expires at the end of March.
The soybean board is working with
oilseed producers around the world to
come to an agreement called "Zero
for Zero": for example no import or
export tariffs whatsoever.
The Egg and P.ullet producers'
case was put forward by Richard
Kaatstra. He said that the value
of supply management is
demonstrated by comparing the
egg with the hog industry.
"We", he said proudly. "pay
taxes. Hogmen don't'."
There's a contrast with U.S.
producers who get export
subsidies of 99 per cent and
Europeans who get $2(10 an acre
plus commodity support.
Steckle believes the
Americans are out to get Canada
on supply management. He feels
support is needed from every
farm commodity from hogs to
grain. "If there is more we can
do, please, tell us," Johns said.
The Huron County Beef
Producers' Association brief was
presented by Kitty MacGregor. Her
first concern was the need to keep the
right to use medicated feed.
"We know we cannot over-
medicate" she stated. "No one wants
to put people or animals in
jeopardy."
Linton noted that during the price
crisis farmers had cut back on
medication and found it made no
difference in growth. "It's only drug
companies that benefit." he said.
Steckle said the federal
government is dealing with this issue
now.
The Beef Producers are also
concerned about Bill 25. the
provincial bill allowing conservation
officers to enter on private land. Now
these officials can go anywhere on
private land as a right to search. the
beef brief said.
Johns replied that people still will
have to have permission to search.
A line in the beef submission that
Canada's refusal to increased market
access and reduce tariffs on supply
managed commodities hurt the
chances of red meat producers to get
better access to other markets got
Helen Johns
Paul Steckle
Dunbar stated that what is happening
in pork is happening everywhere.
Large companies are taking over. He
asked Steckle, "Will you fight this?"
Steckle said that Canada is
concerned but that these are
international issues and must be
resolved there.
Inevitably the discussion turned
back to the environment. One said
provincial standards are needed: for
instance Bruce County is considering
banning all hog farms from within
five kilometres of the lake, he
claimed.
Johns said what calls she gets on
this are conflicting. "You should get
together and make up your mind. Get
a consensus."
Another one said that big farms
are very visible but that there are
more problems from small farms.
Ridder thinks that each watershed
should be studied according to what
it can handle, for example, how many
animal units.
Warden Mitchell said her mail
indicates that farmers don't want
regulations but that any solutions
should be voluntary.
Bob Hallam of the Soybean
Growers Marketing Board was
greatly concerned that the safety net
MAY 1999 49