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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-01-17, Page 19„ 9, Russian involvement in Afghanistan is cause 8 GODERICB srottargia'r- Huron county' farmers wifl tult likely escape the eConomic hardships grains producers are new aufferit* through as a result of United States, economic san.ctions • against Bussia. Mike. Miller of the. Cligtori office of the r • Ministry •ot Agriegitnie, and Food said' iyionday that while the world economic ,plight has * '‘" caused problemsto surface in many areas of agriculture the U.S. move against Russia "essen- tially involves grain prices". The U.S. embargo of wheat slated to be sold to Russia was a surprise move to farmers in both the United States and :Canada. Protesting, A • Russian involvment in Afghanistan Preaident .Tinarax_Carter , halted all shipment of wheat to' the Comniunist nation dramatically changing trends in ngriMllture in both nations.. Miller said ' grain, -traditionally sold on a uwerld market, is priced atcording to supply and demand. He said the demand was high becaOse 'of purchases made by Russia but said that quickly changed when those purchases were outlawed. He said supply is now high which translates to low prices. Miller said other prices affected by the. RuSsian- American standoff are probably' stiort term reactions to pelitical crisis., lie said prices fell oft in pork and cattle markets but added that both those areas are expectedto pick up in the near future. - • But grain prices cannot be predicted. Miller said • the big problem with the current soft Market for. grains - is that no one knows' "how much lower. prices will go and how long they will stay low". • • He said low grain prices will. ,eventually have an impact on the price of pork, beef and other livestock products. Miller said that as long as grain is cheap farmers will either keep what they have or buy grain to feed livestock hoping to. Make up defitits. He said pork producers have already begun to show Signs of. reacting to the grain price. He said many • farmers Who normally would have sold out their livestock have • kept them and have even expanded livestock operations: He said pork produc- tion traditionally follows a four year cycle. 'That , cycle -ranges from a low, which is presently being •experienced, to a high which was enjoyed two years ago. The cycle usually follows production levels. Miller explained that two years ago when prime' were high more farmers began raising pork to im to build trade skills BY JEFF SEDDON Representatives from the major industries in Huron county are meeting Wednesday afternoon to try to develop training programs aimed 'at retlucing a shortage of skilled labour in the county. A one day session will be held in Goderich with the aim of forming a Huron County Com- munity Industrial Tr ai - Com m itt ee That committee, madeitp of representatives from industry, the county development office and Canada Manpower, will he charged with the task of developing training programs to develop' skilled labour. Spence Cummings, the Huron ceunty develop- ment officer, said the project is, a co-operative • effort by his office, representatives of Canada Manpower and Don Longwell; director of training and development at Champion Road Machinery. He said similar committees have been formed in other areas of the province and' have enjoyed some successes in developing a pool of skilled labour. In -a letter to 26 in- dustries in 'Huron Longwell outlined the purpose of the training committee. He said the goals of the, cernmittee lliLbe-to--identify-preserlt- and local shortages of skilled workers, to examine alternative methods for meetin-g these shortages, to recommend the best design for .any training programs and to bring to this area the best possible training facilities and personnel to, meet the 'needs of Hurbn industry. Spence Cummings, the Huron county develop - Ambulances" now central • Ontario's 'new central ambulance dispatch , centre • was officially opened last week by Health Minister Dennis Timbreli. The centre co- ordipates . all long distance aTh and land ambulance services in southern and nor- theastern Ontario, "Through the use of a • complex telecom- munications network, this dispatch centre acts • as the contact point in times of disaster," said Mr. Timbrell. "Its emergency capability includes a mobile communications vehicle and emergency support units that can be dispatched inimediately • anywhere in - • the province. We are able to ensure that long distance • services are, not duplicated by using it as the central., control point." He said where a patient is transferred from one 'city to another: the dispatch service tries to ensure the_ ambulance doesn't return home empty and on long trips the service can ' co- ordinate a series of ambulances, in a relay system, allowing each of them •to return ' to their home base quickly. "Since operations commenced, this centre has helped to reduce the average claim for in - province air carrier cost from $312 to $272 by using more effective co- ordination of air and land ambulance services." "An inventory of Turn to page 14A • !vent officer, said he 'hoped the training committee could be formed Wednesday: He said he hoped at least half the committee was from localindustry and the Other half from provin- cial and federal gover- nment offices and from the board of education and community colleges. The development of -.1, ficer said Monday if representatives from local industry did not • support the concept of the —training 'eonini Wednesday's session it, would not 'get off the ground. He said he has no indication of whether the project will be favorably received .claiming all he could do was "wait and see what the peOpie say when they get there". Cummings said a program to develop skilled trades would have to cone from industry. 'He said if pressure for the .program was' exerted on government by industry it would be done adding there was little chance government Institutions would •go ahead with any • training program without supportfrom industry. • "If they're interested' it Will go if not it won't," said the development ()Meer. ' He explained that , "skilled labour shortages are common in Ontario in areas " away from' large centres. He said • in- dustrial cities have enough skilled labour, or training programs aimed at suppling skilled labour, to meet their needs.' But fringe areas, like Huron county, have almost no skilled workers available to industry. He added that if a skilled work force could be developed in Huron it may be all that is needed to attract more industry here. He said one reason industry overlooks the county is the fact that any workers hired for jobs would' have to be trained before any expected production • levels could be Achieved, take advantage of ' that situation. That increased production slowly caused prices, tg f_a11 as demand felibelow.supply, Miller Said that cheap feed combined with low pork 'prices prompted farmers to keep their animals in the barn. He Said those factors will probably combine •to lengthen the low cyole pork ' production, is •pr eseiat ly in. Cattle follow a similar cycle to pork except it is mach longer. LQW beef prices and high feed costs made cattle an unat- tractive commodity for farmers several years ago according to ministry - agriculture figures. Miller said that fact will probably reduce the impact', the present economic trends will, have on beef production. • He said a change in market conditions usually takes one or two years to affect beef prices because the number Of beasts on the market this year was determined early in 1979. He said breeding practices and feed availablity and cost last,year would have been used in determining production slated for 1980 meat counters. Miller said the one thing that surfaced over the American embargo of wheat is that farmers will now have to be prepared to accept political affairs as having as much im- pact, on agriculture as weather: He said political situations in the past five years have had a greater affect on agriculturethan ever before. He.said in the past the only, thing that affected agriculture was war but that has changed dramatically. He said farmers will' have to be "more aware", of international politics DAVE HAYLOW 0,411.¢..444[126.10.tr ELECTRICAL Serving Industrial, Commercial, Residential Needs 524-6038 JAN -A NATURAL FOODS 75 HAMILTON ST. 524-7561 HOURS: 9:30-5:30 WED. 9:30-12:30 CUSTOM KILLING & PROCESSING SPECIAL BEEF KILL Month of January. We will slaughter animals for you at NO CHARGE PORK KILL We will charge for slaughtering of animal, but any curing will be done at NO CHARGE MEAT SPECIAL 50 LBS. PORK 5 LBS. - Baran 5 LBS. - Ribs 5 LBS. - Liver 5 LBS. - Leg of Pork Roast One- Low Price 5 LBS. Picnic Shoulder Roast 5 LBS. - Butt Chops 10 LBS. = Loin Chops 10 LBS. Dashwood Sausage $52P Dashwood MEAT MARKET 2374677 f/2 '094 $ Ourb 0 ORS h it044:1' $ .>8 K41,01101: hen • . . . ' • _ when reedit:1g the raaticet. 14e added it was 'Past "one more hazard" for far- mers. He conceded, that the one problem farmers , can't overcome is that international politics is very volatile and there is no way of predicting what will happen in any given year. He explained that a farmer noting that Russia experienced a drought last year should not assume that the nation will be in position to purchase grain the following year. Fie said thatpractice is "too uncertain". A • IrVt. . Bob ioxan.de1 ROdelierktifil • cleiRrOntlal , • OCOXISO 040101410-. New WR°rekent'o' Celli: 5244492. 1''‚t ,,,,,,,..", ..5.•,,...,. • t • ... te, r.. ,. ..,:n, r •.., ..•••• s.nnt. 1 Anstett Jewellers II ALBERT ST., CLINTON LIMITED 4112-3401 OPEN WEDNESDAYS For Your Convenience HOURS; Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday nights 41119 p.m. t.torttr••••• • ' 4.- ViyeHo & Fentherwale ;• • ..; P.S. Closed Friday nights during January 8. February • SHOPPERSC)tJAI2E, GODER1CH 524-7260 SHORTCAKE -BISCUITS Shoulders $1 93. 250m1 Lotion • or 140 ml Tube mirErit.actrg 250 ml BENYLIN COUCH SYRUP I /11.34ollt 114011.10 Myr Fl. MOM .1110 Or MOM DOI to cottrt GILLETTE RIGHT GUARD 1.33 150 ml COLGATE TOOTHPASTE 77c loom 'BIC' ROLLOR BALL POINT MARKER WONDRA SKIN CONDITIONING LOTION BENYLIN COUGH SYRUP $2.29 -250.1 . q• I h.. +.4 Pa nip e r s Daytime 30's Extra Absorbent 24's GILLETTE 'GOOD NEWS!' RAZORS 230 PACK OF 2 NEO CITRAN '1.49 fog's' GUARDIAN A.S.A. TABLETS $ 35gc'osrng au Registered Trademark Of Drug Trading Co. Ltd 1.461444 3443 rm. l4 NAKAMURA:PHARMACY IN THE SUNCOAST MALL - GODERICH 524-219S. • • SUB POST OFFICE Junco() all OPEN MON. - FRI. 10-12, 12:30-6 WEEKDAY EVENINGS 6:36P.M. - 9 P.M. SATURDAY 10-6' NAtOSOAcE LIMITATIONs ANci AVAILABILIYY AT TIME •••:)F SALE ttEMs sHovV4 MAY NOT ALL BE AvAILAbLt AY ALI LOCATIONS. f