The Citizen, 1991-09-18, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,1991.
Steady demand for cattle at Brussels sale
Sales at Brussels Livestock for
the week ending Sept. 14 were:
slaughter cattle, 750; cows, 165;
veal calves, 220; lambs and goats,
60; pigs, 125; Stockers, 800.
Slaughter cattle sold on a steady
trade.
There were 510 steers on offer
selling from $82.30 to $84.80 to
the high of $91.25. Forty-four
steers consigned by W. B. Pletch
Co. Ltd., Rockwood averaging
1230 lbs. sold for an average of
$84.50 to a high of $86.30. Forty-
nine steers consigned by Cunning
ham Farms, Lucan averaging 1310
lbs. sold for an average of $83.96
to the high of $89.
Forty-five steers consigned by
Maple Ridge Farms, Brussels aver
aging 1267 lbs. sold for an average
of $83.10 to a high of $86.25. Six
steers consigned by Bill Sproul,
Aubum averaging 1300 lbs. sold
for an average of $83.05 to a high
of $84.40. Eight steers consigned
by John M. Perrie, Brussels averag
ing 1345 lbs. sold for an average of
$80.35 to a high of $83.
There were 240 heifers on offer
selling from $82.10 to $86 to a
high of $88.
Six steers consigned by Ray
Sykes, Mitchell averaging 1197 lbs.
sold for an average of $84 to a high
of $84.20. Five heifers consigned
by Mike Dalton, Goderich averag
ing 1110 lbs. sold for an average of
$80.45 to the high of $83.75. Five
heifers consigned by Terry Dalton,
Lucknow averaging 1060 lbs. sold
for an average of $81.40 to the high
of $81.70.
There were 165 cows on oiler
selling from $54.30 to $57.50 to a
high of $63.25.
Federation names regional directors
Huron County Federation of
Agriculture held its Annual
Regional meeting at Hullett Central
Public School in Londesboro on
Thursday, September 12.
Elected as Regional Directors for
the four regions of Huron county
were: Huron Northwest, (Ashfield,
Colbome, Goderich, East and West
Wawanosh) - Chris Palmer, RR 5,
Wingham; Huron Central, (McKil-
lop, Hullett, Stanley, Tuckersmith)
- Joanne Kirkby, Box 31, Walton;
Huron Northeast, (Grey, Turn berry.
Six cows consigned by Home
steader Holstein Inc., Lucknow
averaging 1423 lbs. sold for an
average of $56 to a high of $57.75.
Six cows consigned by Portina
Farms, Monkton averaging 1680
lbs. sold for an average of $56 to a
high of $57.50. Three cows con
signed by Maurice Hallahan, Bel
grave averaging 1387 lbs. sold for
Morris, Howick), Heinz Claus, RR
1, Fordwich; Huron South:
(Usborne, Hay, Stephen), Bob
'Down, RR 1, Hensail. These direc
tors are elected for a one year peri
od.
Delegates to the Annual OFA
Convention on November 25, 26,
27 were also elected at the meeting.
They are: Walter Elliott, RR 1,
Lucknow; Mason Bailey, Blyth;
Ralph Scott, RR 3, Blyth; Chris
Palmer, RR 5, Wingham; Brenda
McIntosh, RR 4, Seaforth; Bill
Wallace, RR 4, Seaforth; Larry
an average of $59.90 to a high of
$63.25. Three cows consigned by
Terpstra Drying Inc., Brussels aver
aging 1133 lbs. sold for an average
of $56.10 to a high of $59.75.
One cow consigned by Adrian
Verstoep, Monkton weighed 1350
lbs. sold for $58.
There were 220 veal on offer
selling from $86.80 to $98 to a
high of $120.
Plaetzer, RR 1, Auburn; Jeanne
Kirkby, Walton; Bob Harrison, RR
1, Monkton; Doug Gamiss, RR 4,
Wingham; Kirk Hussey, RR 1,
Fordwich; Heinz Claus, RR 1,
Fordwich; Harry Dougall, RR 3,
Exeter, Jody Durand, RR 2, Zurich;
and Bob Down, RR 1, Hensall.
Speaker at the meeting was Jack
Wilkinson, first, Vice President of
OFA. Jack spoke on ahe severe cri
sis in agriculture today with much
optimism for a change in the very
near future.
Comparing prices
can make farmers blue
Like many of you, I go into the grocery stores fairly frequently. I
actually enjoy grocery shopping for it seems every week they add several
new products to the thousands and thousands already available. It's fun to
compare prices, but many times it’s sometimes tough to make a selection,
there are so many products available. Take the cereal section for instance.
Now if you were coming from another planet and someone told you to go
in and buy some breakfast cereal, where would you start?
And those of us who shop regularly also see the prices of food edging up
bit by bit almost weekly. But even with those small increases, Canadians
spend less on food than any other country in the world, except the United
States. In 1986, Canadians spent an average of 11.5 per cent of disposable
income on food which was a drop form 13.4 spent in 1984. Americans eat
the cheapest, at 10.4 while Greeks spent 34.6 per cent.
Still, many Canadians still think food is too expensive in Canada, and do
their shopping in the U.S. With food costs increasing, however modestly,
consumers are asking why farmers are still crying the blues about
depressed prices and going broke in record numbers. Well, until very
recently, it was a difficult question to answer clearly, but a new study by
Federal MP Ralph Ferguson, a former Liberal agriculture minister, is
revealing at the same time it's damning of the Canadian food system,
particularly after it leaves the farm gate.
The study, called Compare the Share, graphically illustrates the
differences betwen farm prices and wholesale and retail prices. And it's
shocking. Ferguson's well researched study carefully shows that processors
are not necessarily to blame, and like farmers, they too have been closing
in record numbers. In many cases, the price increases of the product after it
leaves the processor and is bought by the consumer far exceeds the rate of
inflation on an annual basis. The total sales of one large grocery chain
alone ($7. lbil’ion) were 32 per cent more than the total value of all the
chicken, turkey, eggs and milk produced in Canada, he says. Ferguson has
grave concerns about this concentration of power in the hands of a few
buying groups.
His study of the comparison of the costs of various food items clearly
shows that over the ten year period from 1980 to 1990, farm gate prices
increased very little, and in fact in the case of grain prices, actually
declined from 1984 to 1991. These lower prices, however, have not made
it to the grocery shelves. Ferguson's study shows, for example, that a box
of com flakes increased by 94.5 per cent from 1980 to 1989, while a box
of soda biscuits went up by an astounding 235 per cent, and cookies
jumped 135 per cent. Chicken prices jumped 87 per cent, while farmers
only received 25.8 per cent more. There were more modest increase in
eggs — 18.3 per cent in the stores and 14.1 per cent to the farmers, but
turkeys were up 12.8 per cent more to the farmer and double that — 25.8
per cent — to the consumer.
Even supply managed marketing boards, which have been attacked by
consumer and industry alike recently, are very efficient in keeping food
prices down. Canadians farmers have increase their productivity per cow
by 73.5 per cent since 1971, compared with only 46 per cent in the U.S.
and 3.5 per cent in Western Europe.The situation is just as bad with red
meats. While farmers only received 6.2 per cent more for their pork and
beef, consumers paid a whopping 49 per cent more.
Boiled down to basics, farmers only saw their revenues go up by a
miniscule 0.2 per cent between 1981 and 1989, while their input costs
went up a staggering 16.5 per cent. It's no wonder they're going broke, and
as Ferguson justifiably points out, Canada cannot expect to have a viable
agriculture industry if farmers' incomes are left to the whims of world
markets or a few very powerful corporations, some of whom are not even
Canadian owned and who ship their profits outside Canada..
Farmers, Ferguson rightly contends, desperately need a fair share of that
consumer dollar, or they're going to disappear. He makes nine
recommendations, the strongest of which calls for a Royal Commission of
Inquiry to examine the consumer price increases during the period of the
study, with special emphasis placed on the concentration of the power in
the marketplace and the distribution sector.
"The government needs to decide to give Canadian farmers the ability to
maintain or expand a viable, prosperous agricultural production and
processing industry, " says Ferguson. To which I might add, of not, then
who will feed our future generations?
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Telephone:
356-2292
Walton
527-1540
887-9261