Ontario
Grains & Oilseeds Update
|
Most grain and oilseed
farmers are gearing up for another spring of seeding right about now.
In recent springs, we have gone into the fields This season is a
little more hopeful. We have seen the prices for corn and soybeans rise
for the first time in five years. Also, the federal government has decided
it’s going to battle the US through the World Trade Organization
to put an end to its disastrous policy of distorting the world’s
commodity pricing with massive domestic farm subsidies. Before we head into the field again for another season, it’s time to take stock in what’s going on in Ottawa and Queen’s Park. We’ve made a lot of progress building bridges with government over the last nine months. Has this resulted in a Risk Management Program? Has the federal government agreed to fund companion programming so that concepts like RMP can go ahead? The answer is: Not
yet. But that’s better than the answer being a definite “no.” The provincial and federal governments came out with budgets within three days of each other this year. We had high hopes these two important documents would deliver the long-term stability for family farmers that we’ve been demanding for several years. |
 |
These announcements have
traditionally snuffed out our sense of hope. But this year was a little different,
if only because of upcoming federal and Ontario elections.
For two years, grain and
oilseed farmers have been pushing hard to get the McGuinty government to implement
a Risk Management Program (RMP) for our commodities. It would be a stable, longterm
replacement to the current spate of ad-hoc government aid
programs that are always unpredictable, and delivered too late.
The provincial budget delivered
by Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara did not include an RMP announcement.
Ontario Grains and Oilseeds officials are confident that the McGuinty government
knows it’s the right solution to combat the depressed world prices of our
commodities. The government also understands that all Ontarians want to see
the family farm survive and thrive.
We’re also prepared
to work with all Ontario parties to achieve a unanimous understanding on the
need for RMP in this election season.
We understand Ontario’s
Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky when she says that Ontario needs a full
partnership with the federal government to seal the fate of RMP.
This brings us to federal
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget. As we all know, Ottawa has a lot
of money to initiate these kinds of programs, while Ontario’s treasury
is very tight.
Mr. Flaherty was not afraid
to throw this surplus cash around, especially in the form of massive transfers
to the provinces.
Grain and oilseed farmers
were exceedingly modest in their hopes from the federal budget. They were looking
for a commitment to companion funding to be made available for provincial programs.
This would give the provinces the flexibility to move on commodity-specific
programs like RMP affected by world prices.
Again, we’re concerned
that the federal government steered clear of the long-term solution farmers
so desperately need.
We don’t really need
a lot of money. The funds needed to start an RMP for grains and oilseeds, with
provincial and federal cost-sharing, would not be considerably more than what
is currently spent on insufficient and haphazard ad-hoc aid and the Canadian
Agricultural Income
Stabilization (CAIS) program.
Our overall concern is
that both governments seem to be addicted to ad-hoc aid when it comes to agriculture.
But farming isn’t an ad-hoc business. You can’t just grow your crops
when prices are good and leave the fields fallow when the prices are bad. You
have to commit through good times and bad.
What we need is political leadership, committed to long-term, stable, flexible programs that are there when farmers need it.
