The Saskatchewan Party was first past the post, but will it put the fence post first?
Gregor Beck doesn’t think his Rouleau, Sask., grain farm will become more profitable with the change in government.
“It’s something I would like to think. Farmers like to think many things might happen,” he said of Saskatchewan’s Nov. 7 election.
But Beck fears the lack of interest in agriculture shown by political parties during the recent election campaign will translate into another government that fails to look at farming’s long-term sustainability.
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The grain farmer said while all governments in Saskatchewan talk about rural roads, schools and other public infrastructure, in practical terms few things are delivered.
“I see the Saskatchewan Party supporting what they call a market based system. That’s not a change. As a Saskatchewan farmer I’ve always had that. Right now grain is up, but so are costs. Markets come and go. Farmers need sustainability and predictability, not feast and famine,” he said.
Michael Burgess of Big Beaver, Sask., said on his cattle ranch the issue of sustainability has never been more important due to the low prices for beef cattle.
“Fairness in education tax on farmland, that will help. But what we need are long-term plans by governments of any stripe that encourage producers to enter and remain in this business. It isn’t just another industry,” he said.
“I thought Mark Wartman (NDP provincial agriculture minister) got it. I don’t think his party understood agriculture and rural issues as well. They were more interested in urban and industrial aspects of the economy,” he said.
“But I didn’t hear much out of the Sask Party about ag during the campaign either …. I do hope that the Sask Party’s close ties to the Harper Conservatives will mean that we can get our voices heard in Ottawa a little more clearly,” said Burgess.
Both producers would like to see fuel tax relief, improved roads and government commitments to agriculture policies that financially recognize farming’s fundamental role in the security of the economy and the environment.
Nettie Wiebe, a Laura, Sask., farmer and federal New Democratic Party candidate, said the province’s farmers have seen 20 years of mainly tough times, especially in the grain industry.
She said whenever agriculture is doing well, producers are told it is because of their own good management practices. When markets decline, they blame governments, federal and provincial.
“In reality governments have failed to provide support for agriculture. The markets are international,” she said.
Glen Blakley of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan said he hopes the Saskatchewan Party will have a better relationship with the federal government than the NDP did.
“But we need to see the provincial government use their relationship with the Harper Tories to help livestock producers,” he said.
Bill Jameson, a Moose Jaw cattle feeder and president of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, also said the new government needs to act immediately to assist the cattle industry.
“The reality is that we may not all survive this one. We need some long-term disaster planning, and barring some sort of economic miracle, short-term government help,” he said.
Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association chair Mike Bast said he hopes the Saskatchewan Party will not only drop the province’s court appearances to protect the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly, but side with the association on the future of the board.
National Farmers Union president Stewart Wells said despite the Sask Party’s lack of support for the wheat board, farmers would end up needing support programs due to federal and provincial government policies.
