by BETTER FARMING STAFF
The spokesman for Conestoga Meat Packers and Progressive Pork Producers Co-operative Inc., isn’t ruling out an appeal of this week’s Tribunal decision on pork marketing.
The board will meet to discuss the issue next week says Bob Hunsberger, while expressing his disappointment in the Tribunal’s decision.
“I think the Commission made a business decision and the Tribunal made a political decision. It leaves the industry in a great state of uncertainty for a couple of years,” says Hunsberger.
“We don’t know what is going to happen,” he explains. “Ontario Pork has 18 months to decide what they want to do and they go to a producer vote at some stage. What the terms of that vote will be we don’t know. Theoretically we could be back to where we were in 1990.”
“We have long believed that (Progressive Pork Producers) should have an exemption from Ontario Pork,” Hunsberger says. “We don’t want to have an exemption and continue to pay the fee. There’s nothing (in the Tribunal decision) to say the fee will be reduced.
“This has probably cost the industry a few million dollars” in terms of excess fees and double fees, he says. Since the Commission decision in 2008, Conestoga has set up to do direct settlement with producers and so are other packing companies.
“We will be paying for Ontario Pork (to make settlements on sales) and we will be paying for us to settle it.”
Hunsberger also expressed disappointment in changes ordered in the Hog Industry Advisory Committee. The Appeal Tribunal had ordered that a new chairman be named to the committee and that its structure as set out in regulations be maintained. “I think (the HIAC committee) will be a less effective group and unable to make effective recommendations,” he says. The structure set out in regulations “has not been followed for 25 years.”
The Tribunal heard complaints last December that only large producers were represented on that committee that set directions for the industry following the Commission ruling in 2008. Hunsberger disputed that claim during the hearings. BF
Comments
First my apologies to the Tribunal.
Mr. Hunsberger does not speak for all the members.
As a member who has been led down the garden path by Mr. Hunsberger for the last number of years, I think he needs to understand that what he feels is right for Conestoga Meat Packers is not the same as what may be right for the Industry at large.
I place the largest portion of blame the dismal ability of Conestoga to provide a price to its members that is even equal to a pool shipper who has no investment squarely on his shoulders.
From the rumblings in the countryside, I have heard it suggested that there was one participant at the HIAC meetings that was a major obstacle for the process.
Now there is one individual who again wants to try stopping the process, again to pursue his own idea of what the world should be.
Mr. Hunsberger is now making comments on the direction Conestoga 3P will consider before even getting direction from his board of directors. I often wonder who is really running the show.
Mr. Hunsberger move on and I do not just mean from the tribunal issue.
Given the drama, and outright-nonsense, this whole situation has presented, it's not surprising that name-calling would get to be part of the process.
However, in a process like this one, hiding behind an electronic veil to take advantage of a very-visible, and very-active, individual, is simply a cheap shot, and always completely unacceptable.
I notice that ALL of the replies to this point are not signed
Thomas Sewell once stated "There are only two ways of telling the complete truth, - anonymously and posthumously"
It is truly representative of the reasons why our industry is unable to achieve its potential when I see the bitterness behind these comments. some of this stems from the deep personal toll survival has taken on producers in ONtario
Long term success seldom springs from a single platform. It is Time for this industry to focus its collective wisdom and energy on collective solutions, that work for all producers, not Recriminations
Curtiss Littlejohn
As a PPP member I believe we still need the porkboard .PPP has done alot for the ontario porkindustry with very little help or support from the porkboard in its early days .But up until now PPP has proven very little to me as a member with a sizeable investement in PPP . I have shipped hogs to PPP and pool plus in the same week and recieved up to $12.oo less from PPP than pool plus .The idea of PPP is still agood one , but as an investement it was apoor one .But then on the other hand we need to clean house in Guelph at Ontario Pork too, and get rid of some of the deadwood too.I think it is about time that Ontario Pork starts worrying a little more about the producers it is supposed to work for instead of the packers , because the way the industry is going they wont have any producers left to worry about in 5 years time . Just my 5 cents worth on the state of the ontario pork industry .And for as far as the transition buyout , goes to show we are just abunch of cheap prostitutes for the governement.
Sometimes someone doesn't have to sign their message, you just know who they are. The pork industry is a small world in Ontario. As a member I have at times recieved $15 more than pool. Over the last 4 months pool has been the highest price and there are reasons for this. Conestoga price has been lower and there are reasons for this. Times aren't great for any of us as producers (or packers). PPP is still a good idea and if the Burlington plant closes it will be the best investment I've ever made. The PPP board of directors have always had the support of members and will continue to recieve my support, and I believe the support of all members. It's wonderful to have a board of directors representing me, with a focused goal (as opposed to OP).
After reading Curtiss Littlejohn in a magazine article state that either the gov't has too step up too the plate and help or get out of the way and let our industry crash and burn. The "pork" business had always been a business where you could start on any scale and grow as you could afford or want too,, with the hog transition funding program the gov't would rather pay a small pittance too have ones leave the business and be done with them. My next door neighbour who is an energetic 34 yr. old who has built up an impressive cash crop and 600 sow sew unit has decided to take the 'buy out" , here we are losing our best and brightest future for the sake that CAIS doen't work for him and for the sake of a little financial support on the pork side gov't would rather he quits and with that goes tax base ,employees ,feed companies,vets,ect....I wish 3 p the most success but why do you and a small handful of "large" producers want to rip collective,single desk selling from everyone?? when we where shipping our market hogs too Swifts in louisville,ky. I spoke with producers close by too there plant and we where getting more dollars that the US producers..would we have seen those returns without ONT PORK,,I think not,,you try to negotiate with a packer,,there is none,take there offer or walk...Ontario Pork farmers need more Curtiss Littlejohn ' s
regards- K G Kimball
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