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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-02, Page 33The Farm Edition, Week of April 2, 1980 • 3 Hydro should share decisions with farmers: Porter Ontario Hydro has finally been put in its place by the recommendations of the Por- ter Royal Commission on Electric Power Planning, ac- cording to spokesmen for the farm community. "For more than six years we've been saying that Ont- ario Hydro planning and de- cision making is lousy," said Lloyd Moore, Chairman of the Food Lund Steering Com- mittee. "Food land has been ignored and big mistakes have` been made. Butnow we have been vindicated." Porter has recommended a joint planning process and that real decision-making authority should be shared with fagners. The Food Land Steering Committee is an umbrella group for seven farm organ- izations including the Ont- ario Institute of Agrolegists, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the National Farmers. Union, and the Christian Fanners Federa- tion of Ontario. "It's a break through for us," sais Elbert van Donker- sgoed, Secretary -Treasurer of the Committee, and the Committee's representative at many, of Porter's hearings throughout the five years of the Royal Commission's life. "Porter has -taken a careful look at the decision-making process of the past and found that the concerns for food land and of the farming com- munity have been ignored. The only way to change this, is to have joint planning and shared decision-making. The Food Land Steering Committee met near Listowel to review the Porter report the clay after it was released. •`We've'agreed," said El- bert van Donkersgoed, "to seek an early meeting be- tween ourselves,. senior Ont- ario Hydro management and Dr. Porter." Porter recommends that more initiative be left to citizen representatives. "We've decided to take the initiative" said van Don- kersgoed. "We want to work out the details of this joint planning and shared deci- sion-making immediately.No Financing should be based on ability to repay The amount of credit re- quired to finance your farm operation should be suffic- ient for your needs and should be based on your ability to repay the borrowed funds. Some farmers "finance as they go" -- with no over-all plan of action or commitment of credit to meet their fin- ancial needs. This may result in an "on-off" credit situs: tion which may limit future growth. A better way to meet your over-all financing needs is "line -of -credit" financing. This method of borrowing establishes your total farm credit requirements each year; a number of approp- riate "credit lines" are set up for you, depending on your ability to repay rather than being limited solely to the amount of collateral sec- urity you can put up. A package of this kind of credit consists of separate authorized "lines" to prov- ide you with operating credit and facility to purchase capit- al items, such as machinery, breeding, stock and land. , Once they are established, the credit lines can be used as you need them throughout the year without further authorization by the bank. Until you actually -:borrow or use these funds, you do not pay interest charges. The credit lines are re- viewed each year and in- creases or decreases are made in accord with your neeeds .and' repayment abil- ity. Obviously; since line -of - credit financing is geared to your ability to repay and your track record, it is to your advantage to borrow from a single lender. This type of financing lets you plan with more confid- ence since your credit needs have been identified for the ' entire year. It also lets you operate on a cash basis -- taking advantage of price discounts and special "buys" that may arise. It lets you proceed on schedule with growth- orr development projects, without having to worrY whether the necessary cash .orcredit will.. be mail- able. There are four basic steps in setting up a line -of -credit and your bank manager can help you with them. First, a budget of hext year's operation is required to estimate your probable net_ farm income and the related debt repayment capacity. Second, you must esti- mate your, total' investment capital needs for the .year, including purchases of mach- inery, buildings, breeding stock and land. Establish single milk standard "Implementing a single — - -goal ty-standard4or•-atl -farm--• milk and farm premises must encompass, at the same time, one pool pricing for all milk producers 'in the prov- ince.," says Fred Kabbes, Chairman of the National Farmers Union Dairy Com- mittee in Ontario. The Ontario Milk Market- ing Board has decided on a program which will require all Group two , mol producers to meet:the quality standards of the Group one pool producers, with complete conversion by September 1, 1981. Mr. Kabbes, an Arthur, Ontario area dairy farmer, said he agrees there are benefits that go along with one pool quality, with sub- stantial savings in. trucking -arid _ administration -fees,- "But, after .more than 14 years . in operation . the -O : M :•M -B :~ can=nvw--etrds--it' discrimination of Group two I producers and accept one price pooling for all quality milk." According to an O.M.M.B. information bulletin the• plan is: commencing Feb. 1, 1980, all milk will be -required to meet Grade A quality re- quirements, (less than 100,000 bacteria per ml,);' commencing Sept. 1, 1980, the milk quality penalties applied in the Group one pool will become effective for the Group 2 pool; and, commenc- ing Sept. 1, 1981, all prod- ucers will be required to have farm premises that meet the Grade A standards. "A great. many Group 2 pool shippers already qualify for Grade A standards, and have -'_for _some time there- fore they are entitled to a Turn to page 110 - Third, a cash flow analysis is needed to determine the amount of operating loans you will require to meet your peak seasonal needs. This information is used by you and the bank manager to, set up realistic line -of -credit for the year, tailored to your debt handling capacity. more Ontario Hydro projects should go forward without the new decision-making process being in place." Farmers were pleased that Porter is predicting a much slower growth in electricity needs than Ontario Hydro's predictions in the past. This confirms the views of farmer spokesmen throughout the hearings that Hydro's for - casts were unrealistic. Spokesman fox the Huron Power Plant Committee, also participants in the umbrella group, were pleased with the strong recommendation ag- ainst another power plant along Lake Huron. Lied Farms Now Available Grass seed, seed grain, seed corn, chemicals, fertilizer, spreader chains, water bowls, farm gates, pig feeders, big round and square bale feeders, cattle mineral feeders, cattle oilers, animal health products, baler twine and binder twine. Allan Miller R. R. 5 Lucknow 528-2299 ..-N.ow wyou can._use.Rou.ndup`".to control many tough annual and perennial weeds in forage systems. Now, you can actually control many of those tough, emerged weeds - weeds that aren'.t only an eyesore, but cut into your profits - with a treatment of Roundup' her- bicide by Monsanto. The use of Roundup"in forage systems to control tough weeds like quackgrass and Canada thistle can lead to: • An improvement in -forage quality; • A reduced irivestment in protein supplements • And a clean, well-managed 'appearance in the field. Applied directly to actively -.--groWing labeled weeds Like - quackgrass and Canada thistle, at the proper stage of growth, Roundup will "translocate" (cir- culate) down into the treated weed's; root system, destroying the entire plant. You can apply Roundup: 1) prior to planting forage legumes and grasses, or prior -to planting a label- ed cover crop which will be overseeded with a forage crop; 2) prior to emergence of zero -tillage seeded legumes into established sod for pasture renovation; 3) as a spot treatment in established forage crops grown for seed or for grazing. To learn more about the use of Roundup in.forages, see your farm chemicals dealer. Get your copy of Rounrltip is daroijis7rit!dtiu marl oTMonsaiiti dei MunsantoCciiiipani Ted;: AL WAYS RF. AD AND f OLl OW THF LABF I. f OR ROUNDUP. , Monsanto Canada.ln<. Montreal. Lemonto. Van<ouoer. Winnipeg RC5 BO the label --for Roundup the herbicide that gets to the root of the problem. Monsanto There's never been a herbicide like this before.