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The Citizen, 2001-03-21, Page 6CIBC BLYTH awt eattuttattitf a it t e 213E Karen Jackson Heather Van Dorp • INVESTMENT & FINANCIAL PLANNING ADVICE • PERSONAL LOANS, LINES OF CREDIT & MORTGAGES • CONVENIENT BANKING OPTIONS Karen Jackson, General Manager is pleased to announce our new Account Manager Personal Banking Heather Van Dorp Blyth/Brussels Get trusted financial advice from Heather Come in and join us Friday, March 23rd, 10 am - 2 pm for CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY at our Brussels Branch to meet Heather Check out our WEBSITE at www.northhuron.on.ca Injuries kill more children under 19 than all other causes of death combined. Call Red Cross for courses near you. + Canadian Red Cross I P I L Keep Your Kids Safe - Learn First Aid PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY. MARCH 21, 2001. Huron's loss on federal shortfall could be $30 million Huron County's economy probably lost $30 million by the federal gov- ernment's decision to provide only $500 million to help cash-strapped grain and oilseed farmers, county politicians were told Saturday. Wayne Hamilton, Ontario Federation of Agriculture regional director, told municipal, provincial and federal representatives attending the Members of Parliament dinner that $30 million is the likely share Huron farmers would have received if the federal government had provided the $900 million expected instead of the $500 million announced by feder- al Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief. Hamilton bases his projection on the fact Ontari6 was expected to receive $300 million of the $900 mil- lion and Huron has about 10 per cent of the province's acreage of grains and oilseeds. Noting the amount farmers spend for supplies, Hamilton said: "That's Farm leaders attending the Huron County Federation of Agriculture's annual Members of Parliament Dinner praised the Market Revenue Program, expressed frustration with NISA and condemned the Whole Farm Whole Farm Relief Program (OWFRP). One after another, farm leaders praised the Market Revenue Program and complained there is no commit- ment in place yet for the 2001 crop year. Peter Heinrich of the Huron County Wheat Producers said his members are getting frustrated they haven't a commitment for the 2001 winter wheat crop already in the ground, let alone the soybeans and corn they'll be planting in the next couple of months. "The great benefit of Market Revenue is that it encourages the efficient farmer," Heinrich said. However Heinrich wondered if the coverage for the program couldn't be raised to 100 per cent in place of the current 85 per cent. He was support- ed by Stephen Thompson, farmer, farm accountant and • Federation executive member who pointed out U.S. competitors get close to 100 per cent full payout. "Market Revenue is not coming off the table," promised Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce. "It's the one program that works." $30 million we don't have to invest in our communities. This is not just about farmers. It's about the rural community. "When you short-change farmers, you're short-changing everyone. You're even -short-changing the gov- ernment because so much of it would go back to the government in taxes." Economic issues dominated the annual get-together where local farm groups present briefs to members of parliament. Outside the meeting at the Clinton OMAFRA office were several of the vehicles, complete with signs farmers had used in their day of protest March 14 in Guelph and Pickering. One questioner bluntly asked Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle: "What the devil went wrong that the government is not serious about agri- culture and food?" Steckle repeatedly expressed his own frustration with the decision to Steckle, however, quoted figures that there is still a $747 million pool of money in NISA accounts, to which farmers contribute (along with the federal and provincial govern- ments) during good times and are supposed to draw on in bad times. Of this, $279 million can be drawn on to help now," he said. Heinrich agreed that some farmers are using NISA as a retirement fund and that money should only go to those who would be staying in farm- ing. But Thompson argued that while the government is using NISA sur- pluses as a reason not to give farmers more support, most of the money is often held by older, more established farmers with high equity and cash- flow who aren't as likely to take money out, while younger, less established farmers, don't have money in NISA to take out when needed. As well, Evert Ridder, Ontario Federation of Agriculture regional director, said NISA has limited abili- ty to help in long-term problems. His family operation used most if its NISA savings with the disastrous downturn in pork in 1998 so had nothing left to help with poor crop prices now. While leaders saw good and bad in NISA, there was little support for give less than had been discussed. The $500 million figure had never been discussed at any level, he said. The Liberal party's rural caucus, which includes several supportive urban members like Dennis Mills, had been talking all along about $900 million. Vanclief had supported the $900 million suggestions, Steckle said. He hadn't found any cabinet minis- ters who spoke against the $900mil- lion, he said. But at the last minute someone (he hinted it was the prime minister's office), had come up with the $500 million figure. "We gave it every effort. The minister gave it every effort. The opposition gave it every effort." Helen Johns, MPP for Huron- Bruce, said the province has $100 million set aside to meet its commit- ment to provide 40 per cent of fund- ing to the federal government's 60. "We'd like to spend more (within the OWFRP. Thompson, in his brief, called it"the single most wretchedly designed, ineptly administered and politically spineless farm program in living memory". There were _excuses for the first yearof the project in that it hadbeen introduced in a hurry to help deal with the pork crisis, but two years later the problems are as bad as ever, he said. In the Huron County Pork Producers' brief, Dave Linton wrote of one pork producer who was told he didn't qualify for OWFRP, yet was so broke he had his assets seized and had to leave the family farm. Afterwards, when it was too late, OWFRP reassessed the application and sent a cheque, which went to creditors. Farm leaders were of two minds about the value of an interest free loan program that helps farmers buy crop inputs, then is paid back when the crop is sold. Heinrich said tlie program "just keeps us lingering for another year and we'll be out on 401 (protesting) again next year." Wayne Hamilton, OFA regional director, agreed that the loan pro- gram is "more of an enticement to plant something. At the end of the day we may not be able to pay the money back. We need it backed up with adequate safety-net money. We'd be better off not to plant a crop funding formula). We'd like the fed- eral government to give more." Johns said the province would like to get its share of the money out by March 31 (the provincial year end) but some things have to come togeth- er to make that happen. Steckle could give no details of when and how the federal govern- ment's portion would be delivered. The serious effect the current low prices and high input costs can have on the local economy were empha- sized by Evert Ridder, another OFA director when he showed the mem- bers figures that show that at current levels, Huron farmers will lose $170 on every acre of soybeans they plant this year, $182 on every acre of corn and $165 on wheat. Mason Bailey of Blyth, represent- ing the county's fruit growers, noted that in 1948 his father received the same price for wheat that Ontario farmers are currently receiving. At and see what the cost of food really is." Thompson said he did the figures on his farm and last year the interest- free loan program saved about $900. But Bob Hallam of the Soybean Growers said the loan program help keep banks and suppliers in line with their costs. that time. Bailey said, he was work- ing in an automotive plant earning a wage of $1.25 an hour. Now a loaf of whole-wheat bread costs half as much as a farmer gets for a bushel of wheat. Corrections Please make the following corrections to your 2001 phone directory • Email address for Ben & Chris TenPas Email • b.tenpas@sympatico.ca • Change Harmon Wm. R.R. 5 Brussels to Harmon J.M. R.R. 5 Brussels 887-6284 Please change these numbers in the front of the 2001 phone directory MNR - 482-3428 OMAFRA - 482-3333 Delete - Nicholls G & B R.R. 3 Brussels 887-9787 Add - Poortinga, Clarence R.R. 2 Brussels 887-9747 Add - Portinga, Jim R.R. 2, Brussels 887-6409 Correct - Prudential Heartland Realty 1 Albert St., Clinton 482-3400 Chinese dumping hurts fruit growers Farm leaders support Market Revenue grog. BRUSSELS MINOR HOCKEY We would like to thank everyone who supported Brussels Minor Hockey by purchasing tickets for its fundraising draw. The winners were: 1st Lisa Schnock 2nd Randy Zwep 3rd Mike Roychel - - 4th Steve Bower 5th Carl Sturgeon 6th Alix Sholdice 7th Chris Becker 8th Paul Johnston 9th Ben Terpstra 10th Jeanette Pinkney 11th Val Watson 12th John Exel 13th Dorothy Smith 14th Rick Smith 15th Kevin Pennington POTLUCK BANQUET Sunday, April 1 @ 5:30 p.m: BMG Arena Cheap fruit concentrate from mainland China is undercutting the price for Ontario's apples, Huron- Bruce MP Paul Steckle was told at the Huron County Federation of Agriculture's Members of Parliament Dinner, March 17. Mason Bailey, speaking for fruit growers, said the price of juice apples has dropped from $5 a bushel to $1-$2.50, delivered to the plant. Meanwhile in South America, apples are being picked by $7 a day labour- ers and packed and sorted On ships on the way to North America. "We can't compete with that," Bailey said. "They can wipe our whole industry out, all horticulture." Doctors are emphasizing the value of fresh fruit in a healthy diet, Bailey said, "but unless we can find a way to compete in this market it won't do us any good in this country. Ours is the safest food in the world." Steckle also touched on the topic of food safety and food security. "If ever there was a time that. Canada was in an enviable position it's now," he said. "We've been saved the embarrassment of someone getting sick on food we produce." If farmers were getting their real cost of pro- duction instead of Canadian con- sumers paying 9.5 per cent of their income for food or even 10.5 as in the U.S., they'd be spending about 13 per cent or more, Steckle said. Steckle said there needs to be a whole food policy created in Canada. "Sovereignty in food is a very impor- tant policy."