by BETTER FARMING STAFF
The Farm Products Marketing Commission’s October 2008 decision to revoke Ontario Pork’s monopoly powers to market hogs suited “10 per cent” of producers, taking away from the other 90 per cent, Appin area pork producer Rein Minnema told the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal in Guelph today.
“We are losing everything we have in our collective marketing powers and we get nothing in return,” he testified in the opening day of the hearing scheduled to run until Dec. 4.
Minnema initiated the appeal last winter and was joined by Huron Pork Producers Association and Districts 10, 11 and 12 in appealing the Oct. 6, 2008 decision of the Farm Products Marketing Commission to strip the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board of its monopoly powers to market hogs in Ontario. The hearing opened today in the same rooms in a Guelph hotel as the Commission held the hearings in July of 2008, and also where the Tribunal heard arguments that led to the hearing de novo that began today.
Consultant Elbert Van Donkersgoed is representing Minnema in the hearing.
Respondents include Ontario Pork, Zantingh Direct Inc., the Open Marketing Group, Quality Meat Packers, Synergy Swine, Paragon Farms, RFW Farms and the Progressive Pork Producers Cooperative.
Interveners in the hearing include Dewetering Hill Farms, and Maple Leaf Consumer Foods.
The hearings are scheduled to continue until Dec. 4 at the Best Western Royal Brock Hotel and Conference Centre on Gordon Street in Guelph.
According to a provincial government website, the Tribunal provides an impartial appeal body available to any person who feels aggrieved by decisions of marketing boards, the Farm Products Marketing Commission or a director appointed under the Farm Products Marketing Act. BF
Comments
I just don't get it - the pork industry would be in equally dire straits today, with, or without, so-called "collective marketing powers". More to the point, those farmers who want to turn back the clock should ask themselves two questions:
(1) would collective marketing posers have done anything to prevent the current crisis?
(2) would collective marketing powers lead the industry out of the current crisis any faster than any other method?
Since the answer is a resounding "NO" to both questions, why doesn't everybody just go home?
Ontario Pork has never used it's monopoly power to leverage better prices. It was attempted when Carl Moore was chair and that ended up in front of the FPMCommission which gave us open contracts (as approved by Ont Pork). The only time I know of that OP tried to not approve contracts was with the meat & bone meal fiasco. That ended with Packers refusing to renew contracts and forced OP to cave in. OP does not have supply management powers and will never get them, so this idea that regaining monopoly powers will somehow improve prices is a myth. While the theory may make sense to some, in real life OP has never "marketed" hogs. They have allocated them, they have gone to Quebec Packers and asked what they would pay to have OP organize loads. This is not marketing and never was. In my view we have lost nothing with OP losing monopoly powers, we have gained the potential for "marketing" to take place.
It is amazing we have producers with a short sighted vision. If there is any hope for the future the oppmb needs to maintain their powers under the regulations given them. They may be required to increased to have any hope of a recovery plan working and have a future for young producers. They are not a monopoly. They allow contracts and have a dual marketing system in place.
--single desk selling is the only hope for family farm..how do I negotiate with Quality or MLP on my own...can't be done..we need Ont. Pork voice-advice,etc...hey I am even agreeing with Rein
Post new comment