After listing several pages of multibillion-dollar United States government support programs for American farmers, it was clear that the Liberal Party agriculture task force had developed a case of Uncle Sam envy.
“As U.S. farmers plan their year, they are assured they will be supported when times are tough because the
U.S. is committed to its food security,” said the Liberal agricultural report published March 6.
The task force, headed by MP and agriculture critic Wayne Easter and west Quebec Liberal candidate and farmer Cindy Duncan McMillan, recommended wholesale changes in Canadian agricultural policy aimed at closing the gap with support Americans get.
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“You can see that through the U.S. farm bill and other programs, their government at the national level is there for the producer, the farmer, while our government is what I would call a laggard,” Easter told a news conference.
More cash should be made available to livestock producers, including special Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program advances of up to $100 per cow and $150 for feeder cattle, said the report.
Canada should not approve supplementary beef imports above trade deal requirements and an interdepartmental group should be established in Ottawa to promote foreign market access for Canadian animals.
Easter and McMillan recommended that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency receive more money for border surveillance, including charging inspection fees for imported product.
They suggested imported products should meet the same environmental and food safety standards that Canadian producers must meet.
The report suggested creation of a review panel of producer and government representatives to look at all Canadian regulations to make sure domestic farmers do not face higher costs or higher regulatory burdens than their competitors.
“Farmers want to minimize overly burdensome paperwork, have regulation that promotes progressive innovations and approvals rather than impede them and regulation that allows transparency and price competitiveness for inputs like fertilizers and pesticides,” said the report.
It also called for:
- A Grown in Canada food label to designate products that are 100 percent Canadian content, with government spending to promote sale of Canadian products.
- Reintroduction of regional flexibility into national farm programs that allow provinces, aided by Ottawa co-funding, to design programs that meet local farmer needs.
- Creation of a young farmer loan program guaranteed by the federal government, as well as more spending on agricultural extension services.
While repeating Liberal support for the Canadian Wheat Board and supply management, the task force accused the Conservatives of failing to adequately defend supply management at World Trade Organization talks.
It said the government has misused a unanimous all-party agreement in the House of Commons from Nov. 22, 2005, that insisted Ottawa accept no WTO deal that weakens supply management tariff protections.
“The Conservative government twisted the true intent of the supply management motion to excuse themselves from the table and allowed other WTO nations to negotiate the death of supply management,” the Liberals said. “The current results of WTO negotiations speak for themselves. The text has been weakened and supply management is not being protected.”
McMillan told the news conference farmers made it clear to the Liberal task force that they need action.
“They entrusted us to pressure the government with interventions on their behalf,” she said.
