Clinton News-Record, 1985-4-10, Page 18Inn
THIS 'ORIGINAL DOCUMENT IS IN VERY POOR CONDITION
CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1985—Page 15
On the land
Image is farmer's responsibility
Consider
,Junior Farmers
"Self-help and community betterment° is
the Junior Farmer motto.
U you are between the ages of 15 and 29
years, and looking for an opportunity to
experience new challenges you should
consider joining Junior Farmers.
Locally, the Clinton Junior Farmer Club is
quite active in serving its members andthe
ommunity. Over the past several years, the
Club has helped in canvassing for the Heart
Fund, and has provided domestic help for
the senior citizens in the area. Also, fund
raising events have been held to make
donations to the Clinton Public Hospital, to
support foster children and to other
worthwhile local organizations.
Junior Farmers provide an opportunity
for its members to be involved in sports,
cultural and social activities. Members are
not only involved at the club level, but also
at the county, zone and provincial levels.
There are five clubs in Huron County; and
Huron County is one of four counties in Zone
7. There are seven zones in Ontario.
If you are interested in joining this
exciting organization plan on attending the
monthly Clinton Junior Farmer Club
meeting on April 11 at 8:00 p.m. at the
Vanastra Recreation Centre.
If you have further questions, feel free to
contact Allan- Laois at 482-7393 or the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
482-3428 or 1-800-265-5270.
Record high
• bankruptcies
A record 551 tarmers went into
bankruptcy last year—almost 28 percent of
them in Ontario; that's up from 488 nation-
wide in 1983 and 410 in 1982, the consumer af-
fairs department says.
Quebec agriculture was hardest hit, with
162 producers forced out of business last
year, compared with 125 in 1983. Ontario lost
154 farmers, compared with 165 in 1983.
Alberta recorded 74 bankruptcies (47 in
1983), Saskatchewan had 48 (45 the previous
year), and Manitoba had 62, the same as in
1983.
British Columbia lost 39 producers (26 in
1983), Nova Scotia lost five farmers (eight in
1983), Prince Edward Island four (two the
year before) and Newfoundland lost one, the
same as in 1983..
The Farm Credit Corp. says a survey it
conducted last summer shows that .J9,000 of
the country's 228,000 farmers are in severe
to moderate financial difficulty, and 1,700
could go under if market conditions don't
improve. It says many of the youngest and
most productive farmers are in danger.
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STANLEY TWP. - Farmers and farm
organizations have responsibility for the
manner in which government and urban
consumers perceive the agriculture in-
dustry, said David Imrie, Farm News
Director of CKCO-TV and radio stations
CFCA and CKKW in Kitchener.
The journalist was speaking to a meeting
of the Goderich, Tuckersmith and Stanley
Township Federations of Agriculture. A full
house greeted the speaker at the Stanley
Township Recreation Complex for the April
3 meeting. '
Mr. Imrie said part of the reason for the
current crisis in agriculture is the lack of in-
formation to which government and con-
sumers are exposed.
The white paper on taxation recently
released by the government was used as an
example. A furor has been created in the
province's capital because a discrepancy
was noted. "More farmers are claiming in-
come than there are farms."
According to Mr. Imrie, the government
neglected to take into consideration father
and son operations, with both claiming in-
come from the same farm.
"As a discussion paper, it certainly pro-
vided a great deal of fodder for discussion."
Another case used is an Agriculture
Canada outlook report. It states that prices
will increase by about 3.8 per cent in 1985, as
they did in 1984.
The news director stated that at the same
time, beef prices are expected to increase
marginally, dairy farmers will pay more for
exporting "so-called surplus", wheat will be
down and pork prices are hard to predict
due to a recent U.S. decision.
• Generally, farmers won't receive an in-
crease in income, and yet consumer food
prices are expected to go up by three to five
per cent, due to price increases by mid-
dlemen.
Urban consumers without the benefit of
adequate information look at farmers and
question whether the group is having the
problems stated or whether the industry is
the source of these increases.
"If farmers aren't getting any more then
why are others? Farm organizations should
be setting the record straight."
While disagreements are healthy, farm
organizations should keep them within the
group or industry. A united front is needed
to better present farming concerns. Pro-
blems will not be tackled if needless bicker-
ing keeps organizations from "geting down
to the brass tacks."
The industry has learned that increased
production or efficiency isn't the answer.
Putting in longer hours is failing to pull
many farmers out of their financial crises.
"We've learned the hard lesson that we
should be ready to act and react." Survival
of the fittest is still a governing precept for
farmers.
Part of acting and reacting is keeping the
fanners' image held high. Farmers and
organizations let too much go by, inferences
to "dumb farmers" as an example.
As a journalist, Mr. Imrie said he knows
that telephone calls and letters reach the
people who decide what goes on the air or in-
to print.
"Don't be afraid to complain because it's
your industry being bad-mouthed."
He also suggested members of the au-
dience "adopt an urban family" to counter
the image and information gap under which
most urban consumers are laboring.
"People are interested."
Show your visitors •around and answer
their questions. It may take an afternoon or
a couple of days, but it would give "our ur-
ban cousins" an idea of a farming family's
ups and downs, and perhaps that family
would learn about some of the pressures
their city counterparts have.
"It's up to you who should hear the story,
how the story should be told and what the
story is," he said.
"Talk to an urban person, make them
your friend, make them a friend of
agriculture , and get them behind
agriculture."
During the question period following the
speech, area farmer Gordon Hill stated that
members of -the petroleum and auto in-
dustries, among others, "don't give a damn
what consumers think. Why should we?"
Mr. Imrie said those industries care about
their consumer relations. He noted a great
deal of effort has recently been made to
reconcile those industries with their con-
sumers.
Hosts show
By Shelly Pearson
CLINTON - On April 2, the Sesqui
Stitchers had their fifth meeting. Before
they started, Kelly Vodden and Shannon
Preszcator explained the fashion show they
will be having on AchievementlNight at the
Brucefield School.
After that, the meeting started with the
pledge and roll call with 11 people
answering.
Linda and Joan had meeting six and
seven. The next meeting will be on April 16
at the Goderich Township Hall.
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