Important meeting for agriculture
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2003
Farm leaders discuss BSE, business risk management and other issues
(CHARLOTTETOWN) - As the Canadian agriculture industry strives to deal with numerous challenges, farm leaders gathered in Charlottetown this week to debate policies and seek solutions. Representatives of farm organizations from every province, and representatives of major national commodity groups emerged from the Semi-Annual Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) with renewed consensus and resolve.
“This continues to be a difficult time for our industry: the BSE crisis must now be called a national emergency impacting every region of Canada, national agriculture policy is undergoing dramatic changes, international trade talks are at a critical juncture, and producers are responding to increasing consumer demands concerning the environment and animal care,” explained Bob Friesen, CFA President. “Producers must have a say in how we face these challenges.”
The CFA meeting agenda included issues such as: the continued closure of international markets to Canadian beef products because of BSE, industry concerns with business risk management (BRM) programs in the Agriculture Policy Framework (APF), international trade negotiations, food safety, and animal care issues.
The meeting opened with addresses from PEI Agriculture Minister Mitch Murphy and Solicitor General Wayne Easter. Delegates welcomed Minister Murphy’s comments about the need for true partnership with industry and insistence that CFA be included in all federal-provincial agriculture ministers’ meetings.
On the BSE issue, CFA urged the Canadian government to recognize this as a national disaster, and stated the government must effectively develop short- and long-term action plans to address this issue.
All CFA members expressed again their deep concern over the government’s BRM programs in the APF. The CFA has issued a statement restating its position and informing the federal government that, if it continues to ignore industry concerns and recommendations and chooses to move forward with BRM programs, it does so on its own without industry support. If the federal government chooses to proceed, CFA is calling for a yearly review of BRM programs with industry input. (See attached statement)
Canada’s chief agricultural trade negotiator at the World Trade Organization (WTO) reported that CFA’s work on trade, particularly the organization’s recent meeting with WTO Agriculture Committee Chair Stuart Harbinson, has been beneficial in promoting Canada’s trade position. CFA representatives will be heading directly from Charlottetown to Montreal next week to host an International Farm Leaders’ Summit concurrent with WTO Mini-Minsterial Meeting.
In relation to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, CFA members opposed ratification of the Protocol until key issues are properly resolved.
Other meeting highlights included addresses by International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) President Jack Wilkinson and United States National Farmers Union (NFU) President Dave Frederickson. CFA delegates also held a closed-door discussion session with Mr. Frederickson and other NFU representatives on issues of mutual concern such as country of origin labeling, WTO negotiations and BSE.
“The members of the CFA bring diverse viewpoints and a wealth of experience to our table,” said Friesen. “And at the end of the day we emerge stronger, and unified as an industry on all issues.”
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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)
