A commission that spent more than a year holding hearings on the future of agriculture in Quebec shocked Quebec farm leaders by suggesting the powerful Union des Producteurs Agricole lose its legislated status as the sole voice of the province’s producers.
Taking note were farm leaders across the country who often look enviously at the Quebec model of strong farm representation and close collaboration between the provincial government and the UPA.
“This country needs stronger farmer organizations, not weaker ones,” Keystone Agricultural Producers president Ian Wishart said last week. “There are fewer and fewer of us. Each province has its own system of farm organization but the last thing we need is for farm organizations to become weaker.”
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Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Geri Kamenz said the Quebec monopoly model would not work in his province but Ontario farmers admired the strength that the UPA gives to Quebec farmers.
“And a strong provincial voice like that makes all of us stronger through the CFA (Canadian Federation of Agriculture),” he said.
While the Quebec commission also acknowledged the need for strong farmer representation, it argued that UPA’s legislated monopoly is too restrictive and undemocratic. Every farmer must pay dues to the union, although they are not forced to join. Close to 95 percent of farmers who pay dues also have joined.
The three-member commission, including former senior UPA official Mario Dumais, said farmers in all other provinces have more freedom to choose who represents them. They particularly singled out Ontario where the government requires all farmers to join a provincial organization but gives them three to choose among.
“In every instance outside of Quebec, there was more than one farmer association,” said the 250-page Quebec report. “Farmers are free to join the association of their choice and may change allegiance as they see fit.”
While the commission made recommendations on topics as varied as financial programs, the organization of the Quebec agriculture ministry and developing a Quebec label for locally produced food, the recommendation on farm organization structure created the most buzz.
The commission said opening up farmer freedom-of-choice in representation was part of a broader proposal to reduce regulation in Quebec.
“The thrust of this report’s recommendations is to open up food production, marketing, processing and distribution systems and give entrepreneurs greater freedom.”
However, the minority Quebec Liberal government quickly said it will not move on the UPA file and the proposal appears likely to collect dust.
