The Rural Voice, 2002-05, Page 51Ag News
Grey and Bruce farm groups press safety net issues
Federal and provincial members
of parliament were reminded of the
importance of safety nets when Grey
and Bruce farm groups presented
briefs at the annual Meet the
Members dinner, April 5 in Durham.
The only federal member present
was Paul Steckle of Huron -Bruce
(Murray Calder was at a national
rural conference in Prince Edward
Island, Ovid Jackson was with the
prime minister on a tour of Africa
and Paul Bonwick had a serious
illness in the family.) The only
provincial member present was
Huron -Bruce's Helen Johns but that
turned out to be fortuitous when she
was named Minister of Agriculture
and Food nine days later.
"Governments need to partner
with farmers and develop adequate
safety net programs to help the
industry cope," the brief from the
Grey County Federation of
Agriculture stated. "Farmers know
the risks that are faced in this
business, and who better to help
develop the future safety net
programs."
The brief reiterated the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture's proposal
that existing support programs be
continued and enhanced through
2002 and that unspent funds from
prior years be carried forward into
these programs. It also called for:
1. An increase in matched
contributions to six per cent of
eligible net sales for NISA.
2. Enhance Market Revenue with a
support price developed considering
historical prices and cost of
production and a strong link to
NISA.
3.,Continuation of crop insurance
with 4/4 Self -Directed Risk
Management.
4. Continuation of the Disaster Relief
Program, with an exploration of
negative margin coverage with a
strong link to crop insurance.
5. Extension of the Healthy Futures
program to continue to provide funds
to improve the environment in and
around rural communities. The brief
complained, however, that
administrative demands were so
Paul Steckle
New tax would support agriculture
restrictive they made access to funds
difficult.
Johns said her government has
approved a "made in Ontario" safety
net program and put it forward to the
federal government. "I'm still
hopeful we'll get a comprehensive
safety net program," she said. The
federal government has so far
approved two years worth of market
revenue program support, she said.
Johns promised provincial dollars
would be flowing to farmers within
the next two weeks. While she said
she was optimistic a "made in
Ontario" safety net could be worked
out, "We need a longer term plan so
we don't have uncertainty every year
(about whether the program will be
renewed)."
Steckle, who recently returned
from three weeks of travelling across
the country with the parliamentary
agriculture committee and hearing
300 witnesses sounded pessimistic
ih )ut what he'd heard.
"It makes one wonder what is the
future of agriculture," he said.
"Agriculture is at a crossroads.
Unless Canada decides that
agriculture and food security are first
and foremost we're not going to have
an agriculture industry in this
country."
Canadian farmers are getting new
competitors every day, he said.
noting that Brazil has 50 feet of top
soil compared to seven inches in
Ontario and farmers can crop 12
months a year instead of growing just
one crop.
Steckle came under fire from Bob
Emerson. vice-president of the Bruce
'County Federation of Agriculture for
not mentioning the unfair
competition Canadian farmers face
from high subsidies in the European
Economic Community and the
United States. "We're expected to do
more and more with less and less."
Emerson said. "You do less and less
with more and more."
Steckle said it was hard to find the
funds to support for agriculture when
there doesn't seem to be a belief in
Canada that we need food security.
then he raised a suggestion he's made
before about a small food tax to help
pay for farm programs. A one -per-
cent tax on food. would raise $5
billion for farmers, he said.
He warned, however, such a tax
would meet opposition. "Many
people don't care where their food is
produced. They know there is food
(in the supermarket).
Continued on Pg. 48
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