EDMONTON – In the two weeks leading up to the election call, the Alberta government doled out money faster than a 10-inch auger.
Money was given to seniors’ housing projects, to rural school upgrades, to arts centres and to hospitals. More than $1.8 billion was pledged, reannounced, and promised to provincial organizations.
But agriculture was passed over, and that didn’t go unnoticed by farmers at FarmTech 2008, a conference designed to make farmers even more efficient.
“As a member of the farming community in Alberta, I find that for the wealth that we have, the government doesn’t seem to be supporting agriculture,” said Don Boles, a Three Hills, Alta., grain farmer.
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“We’ve lost our district agriculturists. They seem to be whittling away thing after thing after thing when we’re swimming in a pool of money. I just don’t understand their lack of support for agriculture.”
On election night, Boles would like to see a minority government to force Alberta politicians to be more attentive.
“I’d be surprised, but it would sure be a fun election night wouldn’t it?”
Gordon Tuck of Lavoy, is also disappointed with the elimination of the provincial agriculture specialists, who were replaced by a call centre in Stettler.
“That’s still funded, but whether it’s giving us really practical on-farm stuff, I question that. I don’t think we’re getting what we need,” said Tuck, a member of the Pulse Agronomy Network, formed to help share information after the loss of provincial extension services.
“I’d like to see the agriculture industry to be treated like we’re still here and we’re still in business.”
He said he expects the Progressive Conservative government will be re-elected for an 11th term.
Humphrey Banack of Round Hill expects agriculture to take a back seat to more urban issues during the 28-day campaign.
“There’s only a small number of people in Alberta that are farmers,” said Banack. He wants to see long-term government support for the troubled hog and cattle industries.
If government is promoting biofuel, it should support the livestock industry harmed by the biofuel boom, he said.
Without a vibrant livestock sector, workers at the Olymel hog plant in Red Deer or the Tyson meat plant in Brooks could be in trouble, creating urban problems, he said.
“They need some long-term financial support to run those industries,” said Banack, president of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers.
He believes there is desire for a change in government, given that the Conservatives have held power in Alberta for 36 years.
Lynn Jacobson of Enchant said he wants the provincial government to recognize that all Alberta farmers are not against the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk selling monopoly and wants an end to the anti-CWB stance taken by a succession of provincial agriculture ministers.
Garry Gurtler of North Star in Alberta’s Peace country said the election will be won or lost in the two major cities.
“There’s not enough votes in rural Alberta to make a difference,” said Gurtler, who is switching much of his land from grazing to grain to improve his bottom line.
Despite troubles in the livestock industry, Gurtler predicts most of rural Alberta will continue to vote for the Progressive Conservative candidates.
“It’s a pretty sure thing the Conservatives in rural areas will get in,” he said.
