Before building the future,reinforce the foundations of the present
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2002
A MESSAGE FROM THE CFA PRESIDENT BOB FRIESEN
"Beginning next week the federal government is scheduled to start cross-country consultations on its long-term agricultural policy framework (APF). The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has for some time called for a long-term approach to agriculture. But discussing the long-term must not be a means of avoiding or obscuring short term needs. One is no good without the other.
The success of the APF is contingent on getting the industry there.
The Uruguay Round, with its agreement on agriculture, has facilitated other countries spending huge amounts of money on subsidies. Farmers have faced a huge deterioration in grains and oilseeds prices. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) estimates that 25 per cent of the reduction in prices between 1995 and 2000 can be attributed to trade injury, which works out to a loss of $1.2 billion per year for grains and oilseeds farmers. This also puts Canadian livestock producers at a disadvantage against their U.S. counterparts, who get low-cost, subsidized feed.
Furthermore, parts of Canada have suffered serious drought. There was less rainfall in 2001 on the prairies than in any year of the dirty thirties. This is being touted as the worst environmental disaster in 70 years which has affected agricultural producers in all sectors across Canada. The climatologists are already telling us that this year will be as bad, if not worse. Admittedly there are programs currently in place such as crop insurance. But in some areas crop insurance programs have been downsized. Even where they have not been cut, crop insurance compensation is based on current prices - prices forced artificially low by foreign subsidies.
In the federal budget last December, we heard the government commit to financially backing a long-term plan for agriculture. Finance Minister Paul Martin reaffirmed that commitment in Regina recently. This is encouraging news. But the government needs to recognize the immediate need.
In Regina, Mr. Martin said, "We've demonstrated in the past that we've stood behind agriculture, and we're prepared to come in, but I don't want to get into a hypothetical." This is not a hypothetical situation. The need is very real.
When your foundation is crumbling, you don't continue to build the rest of the house. Canadian farmers are committed to working with government to build a successful, sustainable agriculture policy. We need a commitment now from the government to shore up the foundations so the house will stand. Governments must address short-term needs if there is to be an industry left to build for the future."
Bob Friesen President
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Founded in 1935 to provide Canada's farmers with a single voice in Ottawa, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is the country's largest farmers' organization. Its members include provincial general farm organizations as well as national and inter-provincial commodity organizations from every province. Through its members, CFA represents over 200,000 Canadian farmers and farm families.
Contact:
Kieran Green, CFA Communications Coordinator, (613) 236-3633, info@cfafca.ca
Bob Friesen, CFA President, (204) 724-0824 (cell)
Brigid Rivoire, CFA Executive Director, (613) 236-3633 / (613) 715-3113 (cell)
