Huron Expositor, 2007-08-15, Page 7The Huron Expositor • August 15, 2007 Page 7
News
Producers urged to pressure MPPs on risk management
Many farmers at last week's information meeting remain unconvinced
Aaron Jacklin
While grain and oilseed producers
are being asked to help pressure the
provincial government into imple-
menting the risk management pro-
gram before a provincial election is
called, many aren't convinced the pro-
gram will work.
Producers crammed into the
Seaforth and District Community
Centre last Tuesday to learn about the
proposed program.
Leo Guilbeault, chair of both the
Ontario Grains and Oilseeds Group
and the Ontario Soybean Growers
talked about the political side of the
program, stressed the importance of
producers visiting their MPPs in the
next week.
`Tell your farm's story and how your
family's being affected by internation-
al farm subsidies," he said, noting pro-
ducers should remember to thank
their MPP for the June RMP
announcement.
"Stress the importance of getting the
RMP implemented before the provin-
cial election is called. We need to have
it implemented in the next two weeks,
certainly before the end of August."
Guilbeault recounted the political
history of the development of the pro-
gram while Peter Tuinema, programs
and policy manager for Ontario Wheat
Producers Marketing Board, talked
about the nuts and bolts.
During the question and answer
period, many farmers raised their con-
cerns with the program.
"What about beginning farmers?"
asked one. "1 haven't heard one thing
about that."
In response, Tuinema said that the
three-year pilot program is set up so
that if you enroll during the first year,
you're locked in the second and third
years. "If you don't apply the first
year and you start farming the second
year or you just decided not to go the
first year, you can apply the second
year or the third year and get in."
Since beginning farmers wouldn't
have a history to base their numbers
on like the program calls for, Tuinema
said they'd be set up the same way a
farmer would be
for production
insurance, with
average farm
yields.
Another farmer
asked if the pro-
ducer has to put
their premium in
every year, does
the provincial and
federal govern-
ments have to put
in theirs ever
year?
"What's not the way it's set up right
now," said Tuinema, which -prompted
a follow-up question.
"So it's basically going to be producer
funded then?"
"Well, it would take a lot more than
producer funding to fund the pro-
gram," said Twnema.
Robert Emerson, president of the
Bruce County Federation of
Agriculture was also there with a
question.
He said that two years ago corn was
calculated at $4.25 per bushel..Under
the current proposal, it's $4.08.
"How are we going to get close to the
cost of production?" he asked. `That's
the challenge out there facing every
farmer in this province. And $4.08 a
bushel for corn just doesn't cut it. I'm
not trying to be critical. If you'll show
us the way, we'll sure as hell support
you."
He received applause.
"The $4.25 number we put out two
years ago wasn't a cost of production
number. That was a number we came
up with based on some cost of produc-
tion information, what they were get-
ting in Quebec and what they were
getting in the US."
He said they were touting it as a tar-
get numlmr.
"When the government gave the
announcement, they said they wanted
it based on cost of production."
He said there is still some distance
to go in calculating those numbers
and doesn't know where they'll end
up.
Many farmers took great pains to
commend Guilbeault, Tuinema and
the rest of the people involved on the
work they have put into the RMP to
date.
During the first part of the meeting,
Guilbeault explained that Ontario
Grains and Oilseeds had formed a
new organization with the Quebec
based FPCCQ called the Ontario
Quebec Grain Farmers Coalition after
hearing about sector specific problems
in both provinces.
"Artificially low prices depressed by
the impact of EU and US subsidies
were one of the main culprits in our
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plight," he said.
Guilbeault noted how the Canadian
Agricultural Income Stabilization pro-
gram (CAIS) didn't and continues not
to respond to their needs.
"The market revenue insurance pro-
gram, which did respond to our needs,
was cancelled," he said.
Since there wasn't a better solution
available, Guilbeault said they decid-
ed to form their own, which is what
they've been working on for the last
two years with the risk management
program.
He said they've been working with
the provincial government to develop
the program.
"We were always told by the provin-
cial government that we need federal
participation," he said.
Minister of Agriculture Leona
Dombrowsky announced in June of
this year that Ontario would fund
their share - 40 per cent - of a risk..
management program as a three year
pilot project.
"The original draft was prepared
over two years ago now," he said, not-
ing they had to "tweak" it so it would
fit with both what the government
needed and what they needed.
"What we've been asking for is a
long term commitment for the risk
management program beginning with
the 2007 crop," he said.
They're still hoping to "close the gap"
for the 2005 and 2006 crop years.
"Believe me, we haven't forgot about
those two years," he said. "The two
worst years in the last 10 and they
haven't been addressed yet."
Guilbeault said they like the risk
management program for a number of
reasons.
"It's got a good payment mecha-
nism," he said. "It supports adequate,
long-term funding. It's delivered
through Agricorp using average farm
yield, current acres and target prices."
fre said the payments will go to the
farmers when it's needed, right after
the harvest and then six months later.
Peter Tuinema outlined the nuts
and bolts of the program.
He explained that while CAIS is a
"whole farm program" that takes the
entire farm into account, the RMP is
commodity specific.
"If you grow corn, wheat and soy-
beans, it is specific to those three
See RMP, Page 20
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