The Rural Voice, 1999-05, Page 56Advice
working- ens irunment. Explain the
risks of exposure to dust. noise and
toxic materials, and provide workers
with the appropriate protective gear.
• Maintain adequate supplies of
personaV protective equipment. It is
the employer's responsibility to make
sure employees wear suitable
clothing for the environment in which
they are working.
• Workers should know how to use
fire extinguishers. A small
extinguisher in the hands of a trained
individual can save thousands 01
dollars worth of assets.
• Instruction in proper lifting
techniques is vital to prevention of
back injuries.
• Equipment operation and other
complex tasks require more
comprehensive training. "Do's
and don'ts" of safe machine
operation must be specified. Make
sure that appropriate warning decals
are in' place, and insist that all
workers read such information before
operating equipment. Employees
should be aware of maintenance
requirements for the equipment they
operate.
• Encourage workers to report
unsafe conditions and equipment.
Timely reaction to problems can save
the employer money. and reduce
potential for lost -time injuries.
Hazard recognition becomes
automatic with well-trained
individuals.
• Define what action employees
should take in the event of an
emergency. More than one employee
or family member should be trained
in first aid procedures.
• Employers must comply with the
requirements of the Workers'
Compensation Act when hiring help.
Full details of employer
responsibilities under the Act may be
obtained from local Workers'
Compensation Board offices (listed in
the blue pages of your telephone
directory.) •
• Every year, hundreds of new
employees are injured on the job.
Many lost -time injuries can be
directly attributed to lack of worker
knowledge.0
52 THE RURAL VOICE
Grain Markets
`Missing' acreage
drops prices
By Dave Gordon
Last month, grain markets peaked
prior to the USDA planting report on
March 31 as many short positions
were covered just in case the USDA
survey showed any bullish news. The
report in itself was slightly friendly
until analysts realized that five
million acres was unaccounted for.
This missing acreage will surely be
planted to some combinations of corn
and soybeahs and trades are of the
opinion that this will be nothing but
negative to the market.
Ontario producers should be
cognizant of the fact that the
Canadian dollars is strengthening and
could lower basis levels although
local supply and demand will
override a weaker corn basis until we
reach import levels.
CORN
On March 31 the USDA released
the planting intentions and quarterly
stocks reports. Corn acreage was
reduced by almost two million acres
to 78.22 million acres but this
number will increase if the spring
offers good planting conditions. Corn
stocks as of March 1 were higher
than trade expectations at 5.696
billion bushels and this fact led to an
increase in projected year-end
carryover of 88 million bushels. I
think the stocks numbers had more
impact on the market than the
average figures did but, no matter
how neutral the data was, there was
no information to keep the market
going higher.
In Ontario, basis levels have
firmed up considerably because of
slow producer selling and steady
demand. Prices in Ontario are now
well above export levels but not quite
up to import. But with the Canadian
dollar strengthening, Ontario prices
could be at import parity by the time
you read this.
Right now, old crop basis at
elevat.)rs is $.75 to $.80 over May
futures with new crop basis sitting at
$.70 to $.75 over December futures.
Look for the new crop basis to
weaken once the crop is in the ground
and the acreage is established in
Ontario. Today new crop basis is
quite strong in U.S. funds compared
to historical values.
SOYBEANS
The USDA increased soybean
acres on March 31 but by less than
one million acres, which was a shock
to most people in the trade. However,
once again, the missing acres caused
traders to believe that eventually
acres will increase. Projected soybean
ending stocks were reduced by 40
million bushels but still leave a
massive 430 million bushels and
coupled with increased acres, the
carryover in September 2000 will be
an all time record high unless
something drastic happens either to
reduce production , or increase
demand. As long as new crop prices
stay as low as they -are, producers will
count on the loan program price
($5.25/bu) to bail them out.
In Ontario, the soybean trade is
very active with a good crush and
good demand from the Pacific Rim
for specialty soys. Old crop basis
levels at Ontario elevators range from
$1.92 to $2.07 over May futures and
new crop basis sitting in a range of
$L77 to $1.95 over November
futures. Right now the new crop soy:
corn ratio favours the planting of
corn, so we may see lower soybean
acreage in Ontario this year.
FEEDGRAINS
Once again, I may sound like a
broken record but feed grain prices
have remained steady and still aren't
competitive to corn. Western feed
wheat is priced at $175 mt and
Western feed barley is selling for