by SUSAN MANN
Ontario Goat is moving ahead with plans to develop a marketing board proposal for the industry and farmers can have their say during a series of public meetings later this month.
The four meetings are all being held from 1 to 3 p.m. Pre-registration isn’t required. They are scheduled for:
• Sept. 26 at the Russell Curling Club, 1076 Concession St. in Russell
• Sept 27 at the OMAFRA office, 322 Kent St. W. in Lindsay
• Sept. 28 at the AgriPlex Building, Room 136, 353 McCarthy Rd. in Stratford
• Sept. 29 at the Holiday Inn Express, 998029 Highway 11 in New Liskeard
Jennifer Haley, Ontario Goat executive director, says everyone is encouraged to attend whether they support the idea of a marketing board for the industry or not or they just have a lot of questions.
The meetings are part of Ontario Goat’s work to investigate the organization being recognized as an official marketing board under the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Act. “This is just one step of many,” Haley explains, adding once Ontario Goat files its information with the provincial agriculture ministry, the minister decides if there should be a producer vote to be conducted by the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission.
Haley expects Ontario Goat will file documents with the ministry this fall, likely in October. “We have no idea how long it takes after that because it’s out of our hands at that point,” she says. But there might be a vote in the spring of 2012.
Through industry focus groups, famers have agreed that a marketing board will give Ontario Goat the ability to address the long-term needs of the industry. A draft proposal has been developed and Ontario Goat is now working on a strategic plan that outlines specific powers and regulations for the proposed marketing board. Farmer and industry feedback is critical to make sure they support the proposed strategy.
Having a marketing board “takes the industry to that next level of being recognized as a legitimate commodity within Ontario agriculture,” Haley says.
Ontario Goat is a producer organization representing the province’s meat, milk and fibre sectors on matters, such as producer education, government lobbying, marketing and research. BF
Comments
Through industry focus groups, famers have agreed that a marketing board will give Ontario Goat the ability to address the long-term needs of the industry.
These people had better reflect on the past 25 year history of farm net income history of other sectors of farming witn boards,etc to see if the process is working in non supply management Ontario Farming IN THE BIG PICTURE AND NOT A CHOOSEN FEW WITH CONNECTIONS.
If not young people will be dragged in only to repeat the past .......... and many lives, communities scrwed up, all receiving the approval of OMAFRA and Farm Products. You think.
Dont count on the farm press to do any investigative reporting with alternative preventive lists, only will they give after the fact damage done stories. The questions need to be asked why,,, question mark
Confused the application for a marketing board is fine. Does not mean supply managment.Or does it??
The application to Farm Products Tribunal definitely does not mean supply management. Our industry has a critical need for infra-structure and effective leadership to address advocacy, vision and developement of producer dialogue with processors/packers to grow the industry. All this will actually foster the opportunities for young farm families to to devolope sustainable businesses in a sector that has signifigant growth prospects...but status quo will not be a wise strategy! I invite all to research this issue properly and not leap to conclusions without complete information.
Terry McNeely
Dairy Goat producer.
Lindsay, Ontario
Those of my tax clients who went into dairy goats, did so because they couldn't, thanks to supply management, get into dairy cow farming.
The same thing happened twenty years ago when people went into cream production and/or export milk sales, because they couldn't afford the quota to produce fluid milk.
So, if dairy goat farmers get a marketing board, and (shudder) quota, then people who are shut out of dairy cows, and/or dairy goats, will be left with only sheep to milk.
I checked the calendar - it's only September but I could have sworn it was April Fools Day.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
There will be no type of quota put in place as the commission does not distribute those types of power at this present time. It interferes with free trade and is no longer available.
The focuse here is to create some cash flow for Ontario goat, to be used to develop some generic marketing, reaserch projects, general infrastructure and leverage funding from the government to help this industry grow.
We need one voice that represents ALL goat producers in the province.
Jason Lyons, Caledon On
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