(OTTAWA) – The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is complimenting the members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture for their work on the next generation of agriculture policy. The Committee has tabled a report containing the findings from the cross-country consultations it conducted earlier this year. CFA believes the report represents a valuable contribution to the process of developing the next generation of agriculture policy.

“This report hits the key issues facing farmers and makes good recommendations for addressing those issues,” said Bob Friesen, CFA President. “The Members of Parliament on the Committee, from all parties, must be commended for the content of this report, and for the overtime they put in to ensure it was tabled in time to make a difference in the process.”

CFA is pleased the report supports a new vision for the Canadian agriculture industry that puts farmers first and addresses the central issue of farm incomes. Among the important specific issues the report addresses are competition, the need for clarity on ‘Made in Canada’ food labeling, support for a national animal health strategy, measures to assist young farmers entering the industry, support for ecological goods and services like the Alternate Land Use Services program, and a commitment to a long-term, predictable and bankable safety nets program.

“CFA is particularly pleased the Committee report addresses the issues of farmer empowerment in the marketplace and orderly marketing, competition, and policies to assist young farmers. With the incorporation of these issues, the Committee report is a strong complement to the ‘Growing Forward’ document presented by the federal-provincial-territorial ministers last week,” said Friesen.

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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.