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B8 The Acton Free Press Wed August IB The beef story One mans meat anothers downfall By Jennifer A glance at grocery lisements will tell con the time to buy beef is now Prices haven t been so low for years or more With rising consumer costs this news is bright but what about the beef producer What is happening to his prices Naturally when retail prices arc down it the farmer who absorbs the cut not the packer or marketer This year is the third in a row of catastrophic beef prices to the farmer prices barely covering half the production costs according lo a recent news releast from the Ontario Cattlemen At the of July Toronto paid Ihi farmer to 37 per cwt liveweight compared to per in 1974 per is con sidercd lo be the even rate by producers when can recover thtir costs Callle feeding operations marketing over 1 head per year ire facing losses from toa quarter of i million the new release states Always subject to cyclical production demand the beef farmer is now suffering from over production brought on by rapid expansion of breeding herds mtheeirl 0s say the In spite of w irnmgs from producer spokesmen at that time governments wire encouraging explosion and instituting programs lo offer encouragement Such program is the tow calf subsidy instituted last and paying i premium foreverv producing cow and a guarantee of Wc a pound for calf reithing lbs Government loans ire available for breeders at low deferrable interest Pat a cowcalf producer of fine purebred Ihe program is a good thing and he received approximately from the government in subside during iny vice dent of of Canada Mr Patterson has nt head of prize cattle on his Hal ton farm though ho exports bulls to Japan and Brazil and gels prices like for some of them he still feels the pinch The small breeder is being hurt despite Ihe sub sidy he says and needs a good cash crop to get him through But calves will always sell for price he comments With so much investment the producer usually opts to wea the bad years according Mr Patterson you lose on Ihe apples this year you pick up on the oranges next year Mr Patterson has opinions about existing import regulations governing the recent vast imports of cheap from Australia and New Zealand He feels import controls are a must He says Politicians hive got to keep their hands off and not worry about whal it means at lop level refernnj to the delicate balance of trade between Canada and the US If quotas and prices on imported beef were intro duced he explains the Cana dian beef producer be so vulnerable The Federation of would like to be involved in cattle business says Mr Patterson bul the Catlle men Association wants to go it alone There is presently no beef marketing board As Patter son says Nobody knows what a marketing board would have However he feels import control is mandatory in help the farmer command a price thai will his rising costs Over lis One man well aware of rising feed costs is Donald I of Seventh finishes lot steers it lime and tries to lurn them over four months He held some bick because of low market and now has animals that ton per day at per Ion His GOO acres produce the silage haylagc and oats he feeds but he s losing money and worries about his con investment in machinery and housing The is the main reason why he s hanging on The automated part of his huge barn was only com a year ago and he hates to see it losl I have a considerable debt load he comments Over of his arc fed on contract They are owned elsewhere and Mr Black paid for gum II s still a gamble but at least he doesn have lo put the money for he says lies culling costs by not finishing the cattle as well as he d like Grain consumption has been cut then it takes longer to finish the animal lo market weight He still losing moneylots of money Mr Black wonders about the future of beef as a product and suggests there might be future in a return to forage anil pasture beef He d like to see some controls to help the farmers Its always a boom or a bust he grins It would help if we knew what would happen Farmers arc tradition independent which is part of Ihe problem he lys but Ihe farmer is the most pro ductive business man there is lie feels there is a need for some cycle control but sees enjoy farming he com and I interested in producing a product at a fair price charolals breeder Even the hobby farmer is coping with record breaking losses farmer George Milne has a herd of cattle and handles his beef from birth lo market ago he received per steer This year he lucky to get He running in the red and subsidises his with his own salary in addition to the government cow calf program He just keeps buying and waiting for the He oats mi his and is well known for his of lire id the In si icks rounding his plate He find- it to indk Ins crop in the and blown method of storinc A special lifter This- business of farming John of Hilt Radio discussed beef pro on his program This business of Guests included Gordon Hill President of the Ontario federation of the Honourable Willi im New I his irnliles Ihe illli in in no end In cowlcd Susan of the Beef in 1 1 tie in tint Mm and hood and Km Oswald President of s Hill opened his rem irks commenting beef pro hurting ind hurl He fell the far mers were not producing en beef for the and there was something wrong in the He said the beef producers must organize make some eh in lo avoid the yo She beef is ind tiled ilin f sirloin sic iks it lb this compared si price of 4 harks Grace Secret if ihe on Mir Mr New The said foreign anada as dumping ground for cheap imports and urged introduclion of such a as soon as possible It had be federal he s and hid feder il minister I Wheldii at resident there no simple solution to the pro prices were lower thin they be due lo over production Ile ilul chain stores who kept their markup down have definite influence Dominion ind Miracle Marls kept their markups as low is in per cent he said while I In and I m irked up meat is much as 40 per cent Ik so accused restaur ints of keeping prices Iht inflated surcharges f Iw years ago commented on world beef the pro Hem of world surpluses It the first this is all it once lie When Japan and shut ihe door on imports in he said Australia ami New Zeal lost their major buyers ind exported beef li We regulate the price imports but not ihe intit hi went on me picked worse time to have surplus I of the Pakcers Keith I iki i inled to see the cattlemen sta in business the pack rs dipt on sup plies He told listeners the m irkup on fresh beef was low ind imported l hid much on price which relit lo pi He i low levelof on imports was icceplable to the packers and commented ihi market would hive turned Hit corner Mil Iht problem would then hi in supplying rithtr in finding a market will Mr I indsiy is nol losing his shirt in the beef business although his profits are low his entire livelihood depends on his beef He has a cheap ind undisclosed source of protein food and econo mies gram costs bul he he wouldn I know how to keep gome if he fed a conventional diet The cow calf subsidization has come at the wrong time he eels Strong import ilions would help more lit siys the marketing cycle his always been problem but right now distribution is more of a problem He refers to closed import of I and Japan cutting off Hit buyers for and New Zealand These lountnts ire now selling to at prices less than the fur ther Ihtv Iht government should let it alone lo sort itself out subsidies don I help I indsij It like a drink of liquor it may help for the moment but re sorry Boom or bust If it I for my teach mg job I of business now says in i beef producer Keith Black His position is i high s at High helps to ketp him sol vmt wink he struggles lo kiep his highly automated fiedlotonh s f jusl north isl of In fact he says he m i not last if market cit lotr he has thi i of i friend is novel Do program for People ire lo hi- firm and pi their own beef Help Iht while helping jour Ins id says iv their own hut His It a way of life he says matttrof I it We have a happy home we just got lo pay the price All the farmers interviewed agreed government import controls must be menlcd soon if the market was to recover But Ihey all felt the cycle was due for an upswing and prices would up once more How does this affect the consumer Bill of Al Custom Meats on Trafal gar Road advises customers lo fill their freezers as soon us possible He believes the price will go up in September and October Mr is currently selling a side of beef for pound for which he pays a pound from the packer a mark up of a pound for culling and wrapping How evei few people are taking advantage of Ihe low prices he feels his business is better lhan most Most farmers are holding back their wailing for higher prices he says and the beef is over finished and loo fat dressing out as grade or Meats sells Grade 1 so his supplies haven 1 been heavy either lovell of Bros butcher shop Mill SI thinks the price is as cheap as its going lo get Ile follows the markeLs and has heard that the experts think the lower price will last for quite a while yet His advice lo people to fill their freezers do it by November There the story The individual consumer can do little to help the farmer buying beef now more demand and the consumer can cash in on the extra savings Fill your frtei rs now Forecast Grand flow rant of has been lo the Grand River ition Authority for a river flow opera Hie plans to hire an Ihe river and a to estimate flow heights inrtelotily There suit will hi in improved river flow lorcc isling operation improved operation of water control structures and ad mimstrition of fill re lions lotal ited cost of the project is Mo WALLTO WALL BEEF on the farm of Keith Black Erin Eramosa Mr Black is currently advertising these cattle for sale to vale buyers wishing to fill their freezers hoping to recoup some of the losses incurred by continual low beef market prices Still meeting Missed Your Free Press Please Let 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