The federal government has cast a wide net to solicit opinion on the
proposed new agricultural policy framework.
Critics have blamed the government for its hurried approach to
framework discussions, and for a lack of detail about what is being
proposed.
But it would be tough to say the government has fallen down on the job
when it comes to seeking input from the agriculture community.
Over the past month Agriculture Canada’s policy people have heard a
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cacophony of complaints, suggestions and comments about the proposed
new framework.
About 800 people gave the government a piece of their mind at 42
commodity-specific sessions that wrapped up April 23.
In addition, there have been about 200 one-on-one sessions with various
industry players over the last two months. Federal and provincial
agriculture ministers have also had a few round table discussions with
invited guests.
Senior government officials say the feedback will be used to shape a
new agriculture policy that they hope to have in place for the annual
meeting of agriculture ministers in Halifax in late June.
Farm groups that complained about the rushed nature of the
consultations and the lack of information on the new framework have
also found fault with the extensive consultations. They say it’s
another tactic by a government that has already made up its mind what
it wants.
“It’s likely that the people writing the report will be able to
cherry-pick what they want to hear because they probably heard just
about everything,” said National Farmers Union executive director
Darrin Qualman.
But Agriculture Canada’s director general of policy planning and
integration said the ministers fully intend to incorporate what they
hear from consultations into the new policy.
“Governments have made a commitment to take all those views into
account as they develop the policy,” said Simon Kennedy.
Federal and provincial ministers of agriculture will be discussing the
results of the consultations May 6-7 at a meeting in Ottawa where they
hope to make some critical decisions on how to build on the policy
framework released last month.
