The Rural Voice, 2006-12, Page 51News in Agriculture
Ag bureaucrats must be held accountable
Geri Kamenz
Canada's agricultural bureaucrats
must be held accountable for their
actions — or inaction, says Geri
Kamenz, newly -elected president of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Speaking to the annual meeting of
the Bruce County Federation of
Agriculture in Formosa, October 27, as
OFA vice-president, Kamenz responded
to frustrations expressed at the meeting
by Larry Miller, MP for Bruce -Grey -
Owen Sound over the inability to get
changes in farm programs.
"I can tell you as a farmer the
frustration is every bit as high on my
side (as other farmers)," Miller said.
"The bureaucracy and red tape is the
most frustrating part of the job. I've
been pushing it and trying to get it
changed. The will is there (from Chuck
Strahl, federal minister of agriculture)
but I'm not getting the feeling he is
getting the support from the
bureaucracy."
But Kamenz said the bureaucracy
has to be held responsible and if
they're not doing what the politicians
want, they have to be replaced. "It's
their job to serve the politicians."
"There's a line-up of people
(bureaucrats) who are ready to do what
needs to be done."
He contrasted our governments'
attitudes with that south of the border.
The United States decided it was a
super power, he said, and realized its
responsibility to provide its citizens
with a secure supply of American food.
"It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat
or a Republican, (they accept) 'we owe
it to the American people to provide
them with a domestic supply of food
that is safe'."
And so even with a $700 billion
deficit, "the U.S. farmer is not going to
be let down."
While the American government in
trade discussions speaks about
reducing production subsidies, they
will find some other way to help their
farmers, Kamenz said. "U.S. farmers
know that if the government reduces
production subsidies they will find
some other way."
And that will be a brilliant solution,
Kamenz said. "We'll have to search to
find it."
Canada recorded a $13 billion
surplus last year, Kamenz said, and yet
the government is saying it can't afford
to help farmers.
Canadian consumers take for
granted their right to cheap and safe
food, he said. The cost of food in
relation to average income has dropped
to the point just 9.3 per cent of income
is used to feed Canadians. "That is just
not sustainable," Kamenz said.
"We need a vision for agriculture,"
he said. "Where do we want agriculture
to fit in? Do we want agriculture in this
country? That's an issue we have to
raise in the next federal and provincial
elections. We need to hold the
politicians accountable for it."
1
It
When farmers get profitable prices
everybody wins, he said. But if we
want to grow our own food, then
Canadian farmers must have an
effective suite of support programs to
help farmers through the downturns.
Different commodities need different
programs. CAIS works for some
commodities but not for grains and
oilseeds. If the Risk Management
Program proposed by farm leaders was
put in place, it wouldn't cost anyone a
cent in a couple of years when prices
recover, he said.
U.S, farmers have just experienced
their best three years in history while
Canadian farmers have had their worst
three years. "The difference is that they
(the American government) value
agriculture."
"The crunch time has come," said
Kamenz. "It's time to say Canadians
have got their priorities mixed up.
What Canadians deserve is home-
grown quality food.
"It's going to cost us, but only
dollars, not our standard of living. It's
going to take the backbone of our
politicians (to accomplish it)."0
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DECEMBER 2006 47