Bread prices doubled, but farmers get less The price of bread in the ing and processing ingredients United States last fall, on the other than wheat. The U.S. Department of Agri- Close public scrutiny on food | | costs to show where dollar goes Between 1961 and 1971, the Canadian food bill increased by $4 billion, while realized net farm income during that period rose $660 million, or 16% of the rise of the cost of food. These were among figures released by Charles Munro, President of the Canadian Federation of Agricul- ture and President of the Inter- national Federation of Agricul- tural Products. Mr. Munro was addressing the third annual Uni- farm convention in Edmonton. Mr, Munro said _ inflation RATE REPORTS CORPORATE George Weston Lid. 0 ropa for nine months en REVENUE extraordinary gain 916,000 on the 00% George Weston has or $1.04 a share fo f 'To- Srey ggi.000, up from $!- nists Becker profit $1,6ll,14 FOTO months end’ $795,635.00 $142,842,000 pared with e : < he eae) figures exclude a1 year age. Profit fig € $12- ures indi S yperly erating ° Cif ‘redit share. Profit : Sejs J ed yes a sha’. could account for a part of this rise, and that ‘increased farm prices were alsd a factor. He stressed that the farmer was not benefiting from these in- creases. “Total net farm income in Canada was lower in 1971, than it averaged over the years from 1965 to 1969,” he said, adding, “Farmers have long borne the costs of efficiency and increased productivity in the form of in- tolerably low net incomes. Get- ting the facts straight about the { \uvidends tua pility of this alt Al tr Oe protit of $12, e nine months subsidiary is al- santinuing intense vo Tablaw Cos. Lid. totall CORPORATE REPORTS elements of food costs wor be in all our interests.” Mr. Munro said food co have risen while the eo share of the consumers’ A has declined — particularly), bread and cereal products least on beef, pork, and pow! products. He suggested th were indications that there be a close public examina! of food prices, which sit isolate the elements of the of food. . incon Sept. 30: ° Other investment Inco T YEAR AG LATES FEOF ITO 998,000 12,064 0000 ue ; $ SHARE profit from GY som. ‘of a $1.04 0.86 vents a shi <28s fe, - z.. Up from $987,502 ed April 30: Becker Milk Co 5 ak carborough for peers see average, was 24.7 cents a loaf, about twice as much as in 1948- 49, says a recent press item. Of the 24.7 cents, the farmer got 4.1 cents for farm produced ingredients, of which wheat ac- counted 3.1 cents. Eight-tenths of a cent per loaf went to the miller, 13.5 cents to bakers and wholesalers, and 4.5 cents went to retailers The remaining 1.8 cents went for such items as culture says the farmer’s share of the price of a loaf bread has declined in the past 25 years, from 27% to about 17% at present. Lest one weep for the poor miller (in Canada we have such giants as Ogilvie and Maple Leaf Mills) it should be kept in mind that there are many more loaves of bread in a shipload of flour than on the local groc- handling, transporting and stor- er’s shelves. KRAFT BOYCOTT STILL ON—SUPPORT IT! Although it’s the middle of winter, when, so the story goes, farmers get to do nothing but roast their toe’ in front of a roaring fire, the Trib reminds its readers that - the Kraft Boycott, sponsored by the National Farmers Union, is still under way and farmers are very active. As the National Farmers Union points out, “In boycot- ‘ ting Kraft, the Union aims ultimately to establish the ~ farmers’ right to collective bargaining. At present, Kraft ‘has the cooperation of the Ontario government in a policy of virtual price-fixing. Present structures of the Ontario Milk Commission and. the Ontario Milk Marketing Board allow the farmers no real power in determining price levels. Farm incomes are declining and hundreds of fami- lies are forced to abandon their farms as Kraft and other corporations increase their profit margins and their control of the markets. . “Kraft was chosen as it is the largest dairy corporation -in North America. It is the thirty-second largest corporation of any kind with sales in 1969 of $2.6 billion. In the food industry, Kraft’s total sales rank second only to the huge Swift Packers monopoly. But Kraft has net profits more than three times as large as Swift’s. _ Some figures that might interest all of us who pay in- flated prices at the supermarket: Commodity Farmer Receives Consumer Pays Milk 16¢ quart 27-36¢ quart Cheese 38¢ pound 99-$1.29 pound Eggs 28-30¢ dozen 54¢ dozen Strawberries 35¢ quart 69-85¢ quart Bread 2.5¢ loaf 24 to 36¢ loaf And many more. The same food corporations exploit the shopper and the farmer, so low prices on the farm don’t mean low prices at the store. We can fight back. Boycott Kraft and all its products. There are alternatives. Help keep prices down, and sup- port farmers in their fight for collective bargaining and . decent prices for their produce. . LATEST e PRoriy’ EAR AGO a (pp Ord SL611,144 $987,502 oo SAY: SHARE ioe ee oa Qua 0.9 se vis ‘3 1.55 gt 4 4 ii if fey SALE : 3 : : “ $ : “ Ww bure J, 5 iM Hi : $63,470,017 $ ‘064 Sh Te Hein, , ee ai: 56.956, 164 000 0 Port. Co. = 1 of $87,500 or eo 5. Drop 2 Piga td iS Mon? Cent.» ttt J tdviais a Tue fon “O4d May 3 Pare v 5 © comet $81,441,103 °A ES YEAR Ano sind looks f a PROFIT Se $4,159,176 $1,720,189 $66,204,933 : brought fin of Canada $0 to $1,075,002 the Year tare. The com- wa strong fi- “itowth. Inflation hits food production By W. C. BEECHING SASKATOON — 1973 begins, notwithstanding man’s scientific and technological achievements, the level of man’s knowledge which has rapidly increased be- cause of science and technology, as a challenge to the survival of human decency, said Roy Atkin- son, president of the National Farmers Union, in a year-end statement. He said, “As 1972 closes, there is the insane, barbaric and racist behavior of one of the greatest powers on earth, the United States, toward the people of Vietnam through genocidal bombing of the population and mass demolition of its land resources. “As a farmer who has a deep appreciation of nature, the life- giving qualities of land and of life itself, I find the submissive tolerance we hold as a nation toward such wanton destruction incomprehensible and_ intoler- able,” he said. “As a farm leader,” Mr. Atkin- son said, “I am not unmindful that the vast majority of people in that ravaged land, too, are farmers. with families, whose only concern is to produce life from the land as has been their tradition for centuries. It is a concern all farmers can share.” He called for all farmers to change “man’s inhumanity to man” by “world opinion based on an appreciation of mankind and love of one’s fellowman,” which would not be realized, he said, “if farm people and others are preoccupied with the price of their product. They must be met through understanding and respect for one another, free from racial, religious or political discrimination, for only based on these principles can the solu- tion to world socio-economic problems be solved, for we are all citizens of the world.” Mr. Atkinson pointed to the improved prices of some farm products, notably grain, fine seeds and potatoes. But, he said, 1972 was not a good crop year, weather conditions were so ad- verse in some areas that har- vesting has not been completed. So, he said, a favorable price situation without a product to sell is not too meaningful. “It is perhaps regrettable that our farmers can only experience more favorable market prospects when world conditions experi- ence the adversities of drought, war or Starvation, rather than as part of national policy or de- sign,” he said. : “We are moving into an era” Mr. Atkinson believes, ‘‘where world agencies such as thi ed Nations, will be increé stressing the importance ( and the need for expandé production and a worl reserve as protection | famine.” It is his opinion that tht is facing a shortage of stuffs, notwithstanding t in world food produ through greater applica’ science and technology. kinson pointed out that tl highly developed countri pay the present high pr foodstuffs; but that the ‘ ing countries could not, @ combined with an ove! tion of the “so-called Gr volution” could _ bring mass starvation as a re bilitv. ; “Our country,” he sal all its wealth, has one highest rates of unemf ever. Farmers face bal as costs rise or crops fé tion continues unrestra’ malnutrition is a realit: the people of low incc year 1973 will be a ver year for farmers aro world to produce the f¢ ed to sustain life, wh¢ is situated in the so-¢ fluent part of the wo the developing world.”