2000 County Meetings Focus on Safety Nets and Biotech

By Don LeDrew, OCPA General Manager

Safety nets, biotechnology, and marketing genetically engineered (GE) corn – these are the key issues to be discussed at the OCPA annual county and regional meetings this winter. As we usher in the new year, we have to deal with some of the most complex issues we have faced since the inception of OCPA. We strongly encourage OCPA members to attend the year 2000 county meetings and participate fully in these critical discussions. The following is a listing of some of the issues, concerns, and questions to be addressed:

Safety Nets-Overall Strategy - The OCPA board of directors considers crop insurance, market revenue insurance and NISA to be the core safety net programs of primary importance to corn growers. Less attention has been devoted to disaster-relief programs introduced in late 1998 – with their 70 %-of-three-year-average base, OCPA believes these programs offer limited benefit to most field crop producers.

Crop Insurance - OCPA wants to maintain crop insurance and increase participation. We are pleased the Ontario corn acreage enrolled in crop insurance exceeded one million acres for the first time this decade, due primarily to lower premium prices. Premium costs will be down again in 2000, with more coverage choices. The Optional Unit Coverage pilot project will continue. The chief concern is high premium costs – participants paid premiums at the 90 per cent rate for 85 per cent coverage. What other concerns do OCPA members have? If you don’t participate in crop insurance, why not?

Market Revenue Insurance (MRI) - Next fiscal year (2000/2001) will mark the tenth program year for Market Revenue Insurance – a success story in longevity, at least for Canadian support programs. We believe there is strong justification to build on this successful track record and continue the program. The good news is that the federal finance minister has approved the retention of $112 million in the MRI fund for an additional two years (program years 1999/2000 and 2000/2001). The not-so-good news is that this extension does not match announced projected termination dates for the U.S. transition payment program.

Recent calculations by Ridgetown College’s Brian Doidge, summarized in the December Ontario Corn Producer magazine, show that a Michigan farmer would receive substantially more support dollars per acre than an Ontario farmer (both growing the same acreages of corn, soybeans and wheat). What can be done about it? An increase in the MRI coverage level to 90 per cent? An elimination of premium deductions? What other suggestions do members have?

NISA - NISA continues as a good basic income support program. It is now easier to withdraw money from NISA accounts quickly. What other improvements are needed?

AIDA - Although OCPA acknowledges that AIDA/OWFRP has been of value for many farmers, especially those in pork and beef production, tinkering with AIDA is not the answer for addressing the effect of U.S. and EU programs on grain and oilseed producers. What are OCPA members seeking to address disaster relief?

Biotechnology - OCPA believes strongly in the benefits biotechnology can deliver to consumers, processors, producers and the environment. OCPA also believes developing a marketing system capable of channeling specific corn to specific end users is crucial. We seek your comments and ideas on the following issues which are occupying a very significant portion of OCPA’s time:

The difficult ongoing communications battle in informing the public about positive aspects of agri-food biotechnology.
The expanding use of biotechnology as a means of combating corn rootworm, new types of which are expected to reach Ontario in two- to three years.
Developing technology for biotechnology-based resistance to Fusarium moulds and mycotoxins.
Food labeling - OCPA has taken the position that if food is to be labeled, the scope must include all foods which have been genetically engineered, and not just those which activists have targeted.

Marketing GE Corn - There are no easy answers to the question “What should I plant in 2000?” Discussions at county meetings will centre on the following:

Price differentials may become established between GE and non-GE crops; the size is hard to predict.
How do producers weigh potential marketing restrictions for GE corn with the benefits, including better pest control and lower costs of production?
Proposals have come from Europe of a one per cent tolerance. What does this mean? How will it be measured? What are the implications for the elevator trade, processors and corn producers?
How do I identity preserve my crop? This involves hybrid selection , isolation, clean-out at harvest and trucking, segregation at the elevator, etc.
What are the trade implications?

Other Issues - In addition to the previously mentioned issues in this article, a number of others will be discussed at the county meetings:

Research contribution on seed corn.
Where are research dollars being allocated?
Probe sampling and the code of practice (see December Ontario Corn Producer magazine).
Fuel ethanol.
New products from corn.

And, of course, whatever other issues you bring to the meeting. We look forward to seeing you.