Times-Advocate, 1988-03-30, Page 12Times -Advocate, March 30, 1988
No other farm writer in this coun-
try has supported farm marketing
boards as consistently as I have in
the last 25 years.
I have felt that the individual
farmer is incapable of competing
with big business and international
-industries. Marketing boards, in my
opinion, have been essential tools
for farmers, even those boards with
the great power to use supply man-
agement, a system whereby the
farmers decide how much of their
product will be produced and the
price they will sell it for. Those arc
monopoly powers.
So be it. Farmers needed it. I am
convinced that many more farmers
would be bankrupt today under any
other system: Even with -marketing
boards using .supply management
techniques, some -farmers are still
going broke. The tobacco industry
is a classic example. Tobacco was
one of the first commodities in
Canada to use the legislation pro-
vided under the farm products mar-
keting act more than 30 years ado.
Yet, tobacco farmers are in deep,
deep trouble today because of inter-
national competition, extra -high tax
levies and an increasing number of
non-smokers in our population.
I aim also convinced that the On-
tario Milk Marketing Board_has
done a superb job in the 20 years it
has been in operation. Other coun-
tries study the Ontario system to ra-
tionalize milk production. Al-
though some mistakes have been
made, it is still a model for the rest
of the world.
1lowever, one arca where market-
ing boards have tended to ignore
some disturbing signs is in the
feathers industry: poultry, in other
words.
For a number of years - five or
six, at blast -- the producers of
broiler, chickens, for instance, have
been told and told by the retail in-
• dustry and by the processors that
leaner, better quality birds arc need-
ed. Chicken farmers arc paid on the
basis of weight, not grade or quali-
ty, and this gives them no incentive
to produce lean chickens. Feed ra-
tions, for instance, arc designed to
put on as many pounds as possible
in the shortest number of days. It
stands to reason, as a report in an
Your Farm -Guard policy with
The Co-operators protects
buildings, contents, livestock,
produce and machinery. For
complete farm insurance protec-
tion, call about Farm -Guard
today.
Bob Lammie
00 the
t0 co -open tots
Insurance Services
Exeter
472 Main Street - 235-1109
1111 HOMI AUfl) ((1MMf R( 1AI f ARM VRAVf
ne foot in the
furrow'furrow': ala
t,ue�s ae app•ec s't 2 t. er Ewa, Ra
Agriculture Canada strategy paper
Suggests, that this type of manage-
ment is going to produce a chicken
with an amount of subcutaneous fat
that is in excess of that required for
a Grade A bird.
Consumers have complained that
they are paying for needless, excess
fat.
I havc-also heard on reliable au-
thoirity that such places as Ken-
tucky Fried chicken outlets and
Swiss Chalet restaurants have
pleaded with producers and the
chicken marketing board for
months trying to get the right type
of bird at the right weight for their
restaurants. • .
In another vein, the way in
which quotas ate allocated across
Canada is sten as harmful to prop-
er production - met ices, The system
by which a certain number of
pounds is given to a province
seems to be written in stone. Onta-
rio, for instance, is growing. More
Lim.., Ont NJB 2C 1 J
people comc here than to -any other -
province yet for Ontario to get an
increase in quota seems an impos-
sible chore because the other prov-
inces are too protective of the
pounds they already have.
To change the national agency
plans, everybody from the bottom
to the top of the production totem
pole must agree and they ain't
about -o, unfortunately.
Greed, of co •e, is the rricitiva-
tor here: 1 know Ontario doesn't
have enough quota but if I give up
some of mine, I may never got it
hack.
The, solution to some of these
problems'.' The strategy paper sug-
gests wider consultation through-
out the poultry_ industry, -including
processors, retailers and consu-
•
mers �.
Sounds like a good idea to me.
These farm marketing boards are
far too narrow in their perspective
for my money.
`SPECIAL GUEST - Carl Hegier, the paraplegic who Lew his uiaalight air -
I craft to Expo '86 in BC, gave a travelogue of his adventure to those attend -
t ing the Hardi Sprayer seminar held at the Exeter location of Exeter Farm
' Equipment. He is shown with Bill. (left) and Bob Becker.
SPRAYER SEMINAR SPEAKERS - At Friday's Hardi..Sprayer seminar
at the Exeter location of Becker Farm Equipment, Hardi territory manage;
Bob Trimble and application technology specialist Bruno Quanquin chat
with Bob Becker.
Ducks Unlimited here
According to Dave Long,'Chair- Huron Committee of Ducks Unlim-
ilia n of the newly organized South iced Canada, folks from Exeter and
surrounding areas interested in par-
ticipating in a practical conserva-
tion program will be given an op-
portunity to do so, come this fall.
As a local representative for .the
international waterfowl conserva-
tion organization, Long said,
"When it comes to conservation,
there -are a .lot of good people out
there with good intentions who
Would really like to make a positive
difference in how wildlife is perpet•
-
uated on this continent, but just
don't know how- to go about it."
Long went on to say that he volun-
teered to help Ducks Unlimited be-
cause of the organization's impres-
sive track record.
Since- 1938, this private non
profit organization has constructed
more than 3,000 wetland projects .
throughout Canada. As a- result,
Ducks Unlimited has reserved over
three million habitat acres and creat-
ed more than 13,000- miles of .cru-
cial nesting shoreline .for waterfowl.
"Our CQI11QiiUce will soon be
calling on conservation -minded in-.
dividuals within the community to
help support our Ducks Unlimited
fund-raising banquet scheduled for
Septetnbcr, in Exeter," Long said.
"1Vc're going to have a lot of
good focxl, good prizes and good fun
for everyone and those who attend
can rest assured the dollars we raise
.tic going to a very good cause.
ASK ABOUT BIG SAVINGS ON OUR OTHER BIG PERFORMERS! Long can be reached at 262-3432.
SAVE UP TO 20` A LITRE DURING
OUR BIG LUBE SALE! Russell
Fuels Ltd.
1:titi()I.11 X1)-3
1."~(11.1 111
111"11KU 1
1 N. 1101
R.R. 2 Dashwood. Ontario
Phan• 238 2481
AT SPRAYER SEMINAR - At Friday's Hardi Sprayers • at Becker Farm Equipment , area farmer Bob
Down chats with Becker employees Ed Skinner, Wayne Dencn • e and S:u McLellan.
1
CUSTOM CLOVER
SEED APPLICATION
• March &April is the time to apply clover because it will get a
better catch in the spring
• Our Honda ATV & broadcast spreader offer an even spread with little
soil compaction.
• Applying clover now means that yc;1 can apply "N" at your leisure.
Vreatic,- PS`O'N< BOMB L1IMITE
D
Hensall 262-2527
Port Albert 529-7901
• NATIONAL -*Al, TRUST
APRIL, 1988:
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Rite. (ure.t to change
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Exeter - 425 Main St. 235-0530