The Rural Voice, 1988-01, Page 64BRUCE COUNTY Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 519-364-3050
ANNUAL MEETING
The Bruce County federation's an-
nual meeting and banquet was held
November 13 in Chesley. President
Grant Collins welcomed the approxi-
mately 140 people in attendance.
Among the foremost concerns for
1988, he said, are the tax changes pro-
posed by federal finance minister Mi-
chael Wilson and the free trade deal.
The county and the OFA are work-
ing to stop the tax changes before they
become law, Grant said, and Canada has
little to gain from a free trade deal. Our
products, he added, are attractive to the
U.S. because of the lower Canadian
dollar value.
The number of farmers is decreasing
each day, Grant said, and those left must
be united — maintain a little heart and
spirit to keep our communities alive.
Grant introduced the new secretary -
treasurer, Donna Spitzig, and wished
her well in her employment. He also
presented a gift to Mary Harvie on be-
half of the Bruce County Federation of
Agriculture. Mary kept everyone on
track, he noted.
AUDITOR'S REPORT
Duncan McCallum noted that the
funds in reserve were now gone but
monies received from the county level
had increased. He said there is every
reason to support the OFA. Agriculture
requires a strong voice today.
It was moved by Byron Monk, sec-
onded by Ted Zettel, that the financial
statement as printed be accepted.
Don Ahrens moved, seconded by
Dave Keith, that Duncan McCallum be
nominated for auditor for 1987-88.
Duncan accepted.
ELECTIONS
Positions were declared open, nomi-
nations called for three times, and nomi-
nees asked for acceptance. Gary Fischer
moved, as per our constitution, that both
spouses vote, seconded by Byron Monk.
President: Lynn Fielder nominated
Grant Collins — will stand. Grant
Collins was acclaimed as president.
First vice-president: Brian Ireland
nominated Ron Garland — will stand.
Bill Davis nominated Ted Zettel —
declined. Gary Fischer nominated Bill
Davis — declined. Ron. Garland was
acclaimed first vice-president.
62 THE RURAL VOICE
Second vice-president: Gary Fis-
cher nominated Bill Davis — will stand.
Ted Zettel nominated Jerry Poechman
— declined. Bill Davis was acclaimed
second vice-president.
AWARD OF MERIT
The Award of Merit, formerly
known as the Farmer of the Year Award,
was presented by Brian and Gisele Ire-
land to Beth Slumskie, a founding
member and long-time president of
Concerned Farm Women. The group
formed in Bruce County to provide
support for people suffering financial
difficulty caused by high interest rates
during 1981 and 1982.
WILKINSON RECOGNIZED
Jack Wilkinson was presented with
an engraved stein in recognition of his
work for the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture. Jack, the liaison person for
the OFA executive, is leaving to farm in
the New Liskeard area.
GUEST SPEAKER
Ron Garland introduced Wayne
Easter, the guest speaker for the eve-
ning. Easter is president of the National
Farmers Union and owns a dairy farm in
North Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island.
Speaking on free trade, he said the
bilateral trade pact threatens basic ele-
ments of Canadian farm policy. "Itis the
destruction of 60 years of farm struggle
from the 1920s until now," he said.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
bypassed Parliament to get the deal and
the federal government is attempting to
sell it now by dividing Canadian farmers
into interest groups and providing mis-
leading information about the deal's
long-term consequences, Easter said.
Referring specifically to the bilat-
eral talks, he added that when free trade
was first talked about, farmers were told
that agriculture was not on the table.
"You'll find now that it is and it is one of
the biggest items in terms of the free
trade issue," he said.
The real problem with international
trade, Easter said, "is who controls it, for
whose profit, and for what reason."
The removal of tariffs will destroy
the Canadian fruit and vegetable indus-
try, he said, and in addition the elimina-
tion of import licences for wheat, barley,
and oats, plus the end of the two -price
system for wheat, will eventually
weaken the Canadian and Ontario wheat
boards. Easter also predicted the end of
the Canadian dairy commission.
The real purpose of the American
export enhancement program and the
Farm Security Act, he said, is to imple-
ment a policy undermining world prices
for grains. The U.S. has long main-
tained that it wants to break Europe's
planned farm economy to gain better
access to export markets, he added.
For example, he said, five grain
companies control 85 per cent of the
world movement of grain. Those com-
panies don' t like European policy or the
Canadian two -price system for wheat
because they can't take advantage of
farmers the way they want to.
If we allow ourselves to be fooled
and destroy the planned market systems
that are in place in Europe, and to a lesser
extent in Canada, then we are bidding
for our destruction as fanners sometime
down the road because the people who
really control the world economy are
those economic forces like the five
major grain companies, Easter said.
The agreement does nothing to se-
cure access to U.S. markets, he added,
because Canadian products will only be
able to enter the U.S. according to terms
established by American law, and sup-
ply -managed commodities are not safe
because there is no protection for proc-
essed products at the retail level.
Secure access to U.S. markets for
Canadian hogs and cattle are not what
they seem, he said. Canadian farmers
now selling livestock in the U.S. are
vulnerable, and under the deal they may
lose one big trading advantage they now
have with the relatively low value of
Canadian currency.
Easter also said that proposed in-
creases in imports of ice cream and
yogurt will cut Canadian milk sales and
put pressure on the current pricing sys-
tem which guarantees farmers enough
money to cover production costs. And a
measure to increase poultry imports
displaces a market that should be avail-
able to Canadian producers, he said.
A brief question period followed.
Grant thanked the speaker on behalf of
the Bruce federation, saying that he cov-
ered the current issues and hit the nail on
the head in every case.0