The Rural Voice, 2005-04, Page 39Photo courtesy OFA
large and small, there to tell Paul
Steckle, and Carol Mitchell, MP and
MPP respectively for Huron -Bruce,
that the farm crisis goes much
beyond the farm gate.
Many were critical, for instance, of
the blue-ribbon committee set up by
Steve Peters, Ontario Minister of
Agriculture and Food after the rally
to look into the financial concerns.
Several speakers complained the
people chosen were no longer active
in farm groups and weren't up to date
on the issues. Mitchell herself said
she had made it known she didn't
support thepanel.
Nck
Whyte, HCFA president
set the context for the
meeting by pointing out
Ontario net farm income had
plummeted from an average of $311
million in the five years up to 2003 to
a $36 million loss in 2004 and a
projected loss of $194 million in
2005.
"The level of frustration and fear in
rural Ontario is real, as witnessed by
the tremendous response to the One
Voice Rally on March 2 at Queen's
Park," he said in his written
presentation.
Wayne Hamilton, HCFA second
vice-president suggested the
Agriculture Canada projection for
2005 may be too optimistic because
it counted on the reopening of the
U.S. border which now has been
indefinitely postponed.
Farm group after farm group stood
up to call for government assistance
to avert an economic catastrophe.
"We're in a real crisis here," said
Peter Heinrich of Londesborough,
chair of the Huron County Wheat
Committee. Farmers have asked for
$300 million in short-term support to
get crops planted this spring he said
but they also need Tong -term support.
There had been a good plan in place
with the Market Revenue Insurance
plan which the government
abandoned, he said.
"People are desperate out there,"
Heinrich said. "We don't have any
clear indication whether we're going
to get help or not."
He worried about the future of the
industry. "I'm 35 and have a young
family. I'm working for them so they
have a future but right now I don't
know if I have a future."
"We're going to lose a generation
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