Garry Fairbairn

Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief earned a lot of praise when he announced in mid-December that there would be $1.5 billion in federal and provincial aid for grain and hog producers. The praise-givers, however, might well be wondering whether they made a mistake. Perhaps the minister, having already achieved his moment of glory, feels he doesn’t […] Read more

Here we go again. A year ago in this space the forecast for 1998 included: “Debate will continue on world trade rules, Canadian Wheat Board marketing powers, income safety nets, global climate trends, genetic engineering, hog barns, the grain-handling system, rail-line closures, animal rights, rural services, agricultural input costs, and many other familiar subjects.” And […] Read more

As much of the world celebrates Christmas and prepares to enter a brand new year, the globe is still wracked by death and misery. Once again, technological marvels of missile science have rained down on Iraq, where millions live in fear of an insane dictator. Dozens of civil wars fester, from Yugoslavia to Ceylon. Terrorist […] Read more

Last week’s announcement of $900 million in federal aid to farmers is welcome news. In the words of president Jack Wilkinson of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, it “will make the difference for thousands of farming families who were facing the very real prospect of losing their livelihood, their homes and their place within their […] Read more

Last week’s Canada-U.S. agreement on agricultural trade is good news for Canadian producers, even though it may mean more American grain and livestock entering Canada. U.S. farmers will be able to deliver grain to selected elevators near the border, and U.S. swine for slaughter will not have to face the same testing and quarantine requirements […] Read more

Prairie farmers may be in an uphill struggle in their campaign to get government support to offset plummeting farm income. It is not just a matter of overcoming bureaucratic inertia or political indifference – farmers also face active opposition from eastern sources. One example of that was a recent editorial in the financial section of […] Read more

Federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief just doesn’t get it. One of Canada’s most important economic sectors, agriculture, is facing disaster. But all he seems to be doing is telling farmers to tighten their belts. Despite frightening forecasts of sharp drops in farm income, Vanclief said farmers should not expect any emergency federal aid. In one […] Read more

Why do political parties attack each other instead of co-operating pleasantly? After all, every party shares the same official commitment to economic growth, job creation, alleviating poverty and reducing crime. The trouble is, as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. One party’s prescription for economic growth is, to another, a recipe […] Read more

While Western Canadian farmers are preparing to elect their first wheat board directors, farmers in New Zealand are debating whether to change their Dairy Board’s export monopoly. There are probably just as many complexities in that debate as in the debate here over the wheat board. But sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of basic […] Read more