In less than a few weeks, Canadians will cast their ballot to determine who will form our next federal government.
As farmers, we need to stress to each candidate the importance of the farm vote and insist our collective voice is heard in government.
The new government can have a significant positive impact on the sustainability of Canada’s farm and food industry. Farmers and consumers alike should be concerned if any party does not recognize that the future of food production is an important issue to all Canadians.
Working in partnership with the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is adamant that the new government take immediate action to preserve local food production and ensure a sustainable and profitable future for all sectors of farming and all Canadians.
The first step is to commit to transfer payments that will enable predictable and bankable programs in each province for our farmers to insure against market fluctuation. Just last month Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released three reports about the future of Canada’s agriculture sector.
The reports gave glowing reviews of net farm incomes projected for 2010. However, those numbers were much higher than AAFC had previously predicted; a previous AAFC report on the Ontario Net Farm Income for 2010 predicted a devastating loss of $500-million. It clearly points to the extreme unpredictability and volatility our industry faces each day.
Agriculture is one of few industries that cannot adequately mitigate its risks. Our success hinges on many external pressures: increased fuel costs will increase our production costs; extreme weather patterns can impact our yields; our commodities are at the mercy of market fluctuations; and the list goes on and on.
We fought hard to advocate for change at the provincial level and are proud to say that it worked.
Earlier this month, the Ontario government tabled its annual budget and announced full support for permanent risk management programs to safeguard our farmers from these unmanageable risks. But that will only cover 40% of the public cost for adequate programs, and without support at the federal level, the remaining burden is left for farmers. That is not acceptable. Agriculture is a federal and provincial responsibility – farmers are in, and the province is in; now it’s the federal government’s turn to act.
The new federal government must provide the transfers needed to secure a program that will work for each province according to the needs of that province. Current Growing Forward programs simply do not deliver what is needed. OFA asks each candidate and all parties to support the new programs and commit to transfers that will address the unique needs of our farmers from province to province.
We cannot do it alone. We urge you – Ontario’s farm families – to make our vote count in this federal election to ensure that agriculture concerns are top of mind. Be sure to visit www.farmersmatter.ca/petition to pledge your commitment to making farming and food production a key electoral issue in this year’s federal election.
While it’s a shame that support for our farmers has become an election issue, each of us has the opportunity to raise awareness for the issues that matter most to us for a profitable future for our families. If we work together, our voice can be heard.
Bette Jean Crews is president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture
