Loading...
The Goderich Signal Star, 1976-03-04, Page 25Its.. their r..muita wer0 wrQn "The Consumers Association of Canada ad- mitted that their criticisms of the. Canadian Egg Marketing Agency's cost • of, production 'formula were inaccurate,"` "CAC. admitted that their opinions were based on discussion with, p,eeple they. knew in the egg business and three. • phone calls to producers ",hesaid. says Gordon. Hill; .Ontario Mr, Hill, atte•nded'..the • . 'Federation of Agriculture,- hearings on .behalf •of QFA•. 'president.. • •- along'with executive member. Mt. Hill, reporting on the 'Jim; McGuigaq. and•presented National ;Farm. Products a.brief to;the submission.. Marketing Council's hearings The O 'A, brief defended the. on the C> MA -formula, which .CSMA • formula, but, ac, took ' place on Thursday,' cording .to 'Mr. Hill, - "We February 26 in Ottawa ex- argue , that the labour rates piained, ".Under cross are too low, that the amount . examinationby the CEMA, ..of capital investment is un counsel, representatives of derestimated and. that CAC admitted that'they bad a•,' depr,'eciation charges have copy of -the---latter—fallen l eh-ino r -during --t Two weeks ago, the final report of the now -defunct food prices reyiew beard .vas released. The board has gone theway of all- fle3h and a good thing, teo. ' Any more horrendous reports such .as ' e.,last one and farmers, Gould -justifiably descend on Farb -neat Hill. like a gang of vigilantes ' • • . • ' In essence; the report Said that -marketing iooards --- farm marketing, boards -.* were chiefly responsible 'fot; thein.-. crease in food, prices. In fact, the report said only one villain was `found 'in the food. chain and that' villain was • marketing boards. • Such rot: - • • I would. like to'knew how much resear n was done along the toed chain: A few weeks ago,. this, column suggested, that ripoffs are not coming at the farm gate. All` farmers are trying to do is get a .reasonable return on their labor d investment, an investment :these days that can reach . :250,000 in a very short time. ' he The farmer gets one prix • for his produce, the price paid when he sells it. But those huge -food chains get a bite of profit all the way a•kmg the line. The degree of Manipulation can .be amazing,'when you are dealing with conglomerates: And most of. the officers of those companies have been char: •acteristically reluctant to give any information to govern- ment researchers or even government inquiries. For instance, Loblaws-says it has to get 'more money ' for: bread because Loblaws has to pay more to -its suppliers. • The bread comes from Westons. •Westons_.o_wns Loblaws. Westons says more money is necessary because of in- creased costs of milk and sugar. But where does Westons get milk"and sugar? From.Donlands Dairy and Royal Dairy. and West Cane Sugar. r - B'ut who owns these firms? Westons,-that's who. '- •The price of flour for the bread went up, too, because it was bought by Westons from McCarthy Mill or the Soo Line, But they, too, are owned by Westons. . .• Distribution costs increased. too, of course. Which meads distributors such as' National Grocers or York. Trading had to .be paid more Money, -But.rwho controls York Traci.' ing and National Grocers? • reports of . ,P,S. Ross, recent,. still continuing, in • - developers of • the CEMA - formula, their opinions about efficiency • ratios in the in=' dustry, would have been different. For example, their.. opinions on'the hours of work required to keep • 1,000 hens and the- quantity •of feed required to produce a: dozen eggs would have been dif- ferent." flationary period." Mr. Hill said in summary, "There is a need for equity is pricing, It must be realized -N that an extra cent a dozen Means -an increase of $1,900 a year for a farmer with 10,000' hens and Means only an extra 74 cents 'a- year ,to,a family of four in their egg purchases." Planning review committee adopts. four new points Huron Pork Producers Lette&S:'arerapprecaated by Bob Trotter. Eldale Rd . Etrrrtra. Ont NOB 2C7 Westons, that's who. As well as O.K. Economy Stores,. L -Mart; Super 'Valu, `Economart, Zehrs and Shop -Easy. • . And Red` &. White Stores, Lucky ,Dollar Stores and Shop Rite• .. ' t ou'ye got, the pictuj ,Surely. Every one of these firms: (gets a"`kick at the.food pot from the time it leaves the farm gate and every penny of profit goes. igto•.the same con glomerate pocket. • ; ; ' • 1i this. sounds as though you have. heard it before. you have, Yeti -read it in' this column five months ago. But•it. is v✓drth repeating, tow ., • Ivy simply cannot understand the fat Mer"scan be blamed - how marketing boards. -operated. by farmers for increased'food costs. And why just pick on marketing boards? Teachers, doc- tors, lawyers. civil servants set fees and salary schedules.. Every sector of the • economy with a • few •exceptions set salaries and fees. The only reason farm marketing board -s and, by' implication, farrrlers, get singled out is because everybody has to eat three`squares-a day and food• is so: 'visible. l Food and- farmers are 'being blamed for contributing 50 per cent of the increase:in the cost of living. Some poli- ticians are even quoting 60 and 70 per cent. It simply is not true. From 1970 to 1975, food prices' contributed 37.9 per cent • to. the .increase in the consumer price index. Taken •over five years,.that's Less than eight per cent a, year. How many union contracts: were .settled inthose years for a paltry eight per cent? I can't think of any- • During those 'years, too, production costs in the faun sector skyrocketed. Any farmer can tell you about repair. • costs, bale twine increases, energy increases. labor in- creases, tax increases, fertilizer increases and everything else that is used on a modern, technology -oriented -farm of The Plannang Review income security was needed Committee • established by the for farmers if land is. zoned ���out penalt Minister. of HouSing met in . Agriculture. The' C.F.F. felt , the Town Hallin W ingharh on. they would take their chances Tiuesday, February 25 with in the. Marketplace. • The meeting was a learning process for the committee and thefarmers . were' satisfied that they had gotten • some of their points a cress. :;This was the first of many 'meetings -.which will be held across the Province by the Planning Act Review Com- - inittee. Phase ..One ,is .the meetings with farm'" organizations, Phase Two Will be with:. municipal • . governments. Members' of • three :farm organizations'- the National. -. .F- Triers`Unton-the-Ontario_- Federation : 'of Agriculture and _-the Christians Fari aers Federation. • . • ' The 20 farmers attending. represented - roughly all of - Western Ontario. , Lorne 1 Luther and John Austin of Local 335 •as. well as N.F.U..' members, from other counties attended. The. .Planning Act was adopted iri 1946 and municipal -planning which comes under the Act •.has not 'undergone any comprehensive review since then.' . • The three members of t'he Review Committee and their counsel " were seeking in- formation from the farm organizations on ' how municipal planning has been operating and what changes, if any, should be made..•. • All three farm A- FOR SALE Attention Farmers 7 organizations agreed that: (1) Part` of .the Planning - la • Penalties for ••overweights hogs seemed to bethe main. issue' at the Huron •County Pork Producers A-ssociation. Annual, meeting held 'in the Clinton Legion Hall ' Wednesday, February 18.' A resolution w;as:passed to have a -discussion with the,, •packers, raising the question of increasing the penalty'of' overweight hogs :gradually as the weight increased: The producers --were' also concerned with ' the. meat - . eat. packing plants. there are only 11. plants left with teletype• machines. President Eric Moore,said,' I have been concerned with the - nuinber of packers dropping by the .wayside. Act, at least that. part - " regarding the zoning of 1,000 BALES of barley 61 -raw Agricultural land, should . for sale. Phone 524-8016.-10 come under. the Ministry ,of • Agriculture•.and Food; (2): That the •. .Ontario Government should have an overall. policy concerning land • use „to serve as a guidelihe for municipalities; " (3) That society hasto take a part in .preserving farm land for food •production ; • s -net be perriiitted on a farmfor additional' houses; where an • I° additional house°is required. the lot' remain 'part of -the farm with- 'a lease arrangement. The O.F.A. and the N,FgU. agreed that some ; kind of CLAY .— • Silo Unloaders Feeders - Cleaners Stabling Log Elevators ' • Liquid Manure Equipment Hog Equipment -FARMATIC.— Milts Augers, etc. ACORN - Cleaners " -_Heated Waterers ZERO — . Bulk Tanks - Pipeline &Parlour 'Equipment WESTEEL-ROSCO-Granaries B & L - Hog Panelling Bulk Tank & Pipeline cleaning, Detergents, Teat Dip, etc. Bovadine Dyne . Losan U.ddersan Foanicheck Kleeneasy COWRY FARM SYSTEMS 'RR 1, Kincardine, Ontario ' „' Phone 395-5286 TEN TON mixed .grain far. sale. Phone 482-3349..-10 When I . began -',as president, there were 24 meat packing plants .with •teletype ---ma-chi nes: r7Niow :-d-ue-, to amalgamation, there are only 11 left. I.f any :more of the packing' plants amalgamate, we'll •have .to do something to keep up the bidding prices." Huron County 'Zone DirectorAdrian.Vos said, !SO fat' the competition, sys-tem :has been working. There are still enough bidders to make Toronto the Highest market in NorthAnrerica." ' In other . business,, .an' alternate 4irector was elected to. 'replace Alfred Warner of Goderich township who died recently. Don Henry, also of Goderich _ova Ducharme Excavating -Dashwood 236-4230 .TRUCKING - BACKHOE - & DOZER 5 ICE GADtDE H RNICK DOWHANIUK 524 6240( GOtC I'm" glad the food prices' review board is defunct.. Any More reports like the last- one and farmers would throw • up. .. ' ..• C OOERI.0 i�s. for too fat hogs township, was. -elected- to serve the remaining one year of the term. - =G -nest -speaker JohnIEel1,ra trust officer with the Victoria and Grey -Trust Company .in Stratford, • discussed. the -' importance of • estates arid wills. Jerry Bluhm, secretary to the Ontario Pork Producers' _Marketing Board' was also present at the meeting. He spoke to the producers- about hog cycles. . ."A. computer program has been developed',.he said, "which ca -n predict hog. .. Cycles. Going out ' of syn- chronization with the cycle • can give a producer. much -better results. A study shows ORDER NOW '111Er2$% • NITROGEIt FOR...BEST RESULTS ON WHATfoma .BARLEY. : Contact ENSALL DISTRiCT CO OP For Custom Application 2b2-3002 HENSALL } ,51ON-1-STAR, THURSDAY, IVA ,G 9', Latest modern equipment Domestic • Industrial -Municipal Free. Estimates You and your family deservethe best of water so don't hesitate to call. PHONE -524-6 41 NORTH ON HIGHWAY 21, GODERICH there is a benefit for• moving out of synchronization. If a hog producer, expanded, in a low^pric-e-period,_.j_t_has. been :. proven that more- money.can be' made," replied M.r•. Bluh- m.: . - • . - • He also predicted that the fourth quarter of 1970.is not going 'to be as bad as was originally, thought. The computer output stated that prices could drop into the $50 per hundred weight but not the $40's as was thought. ra Help your Heart Fund tit Put: punch Into your corn ;program with these high .performance hybrids 110 2700 C H U Y.i R221 "2875 CHU •-R144. 2700 CHU Pride'has 'an impressive line of best-selling single, double, and three-way crosses. They're ideal for -combining,• picking or silage production For the best quallty Certified No •1 Seed choose Pride •aria for the best service-, call' -bur -local- dealer Y now. WALLACE WILSON RR' 2 AUBURN 529=7580. • • WALTER McIWAIN RR 2 GODERICH ••524-6879' • LEONARD LOBS S. RR 2 CLINTON 482=9'016 We're offering special low prices on all new MF farm tractors under 80 pto hp, -plus new MF industrial units, in stock: check how much you can save: MODEL ' ' YOU CAN NOW SAVE $400.00 $400.00 MF 235 TRACTOR • MF 255 TRACTOR MF: 7 1 1 B SKiD STEER LOADER MF 30 BACK HOE LOADER MF 50A BACK HOE LOADER 5400,00 $900.00 $9©0.00 Limited to available inventories until Ari 30th, 1976 We've got other bargain machines in Stock . at -prices you'll. tinti hard to believe. Come see,--' come SAVE! • GEORGE WRAITH 2 Mi. East of Goderich Hwy; No. 8 524=7351 , 8-6 writ,