The federal government apparently has not given up on its controversial Canadian Farm Families Options program that ends March 31.
A senior Agriculture Canada official told MPs last week that when the program aimed at helping low income farm families ends after its two-year run, the results will be analyzed to decide if it helped.
“The program was designed as a two-year pilot to test it out,” assistant deputy minister Nada Semaan told the House of Commons agriculture committee March 4.
The program was launched in 2006 with a promise to raise the income of low-income farm families to $25,000 and single farmers to $15,000. Previous year tax returns were to be submitted to prove income levels made them eligible for help.
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To be eligible, the farm had to have gross receipts of at least $50,000 and recipient farmers had to agree to take management training or business planning courses.
The government said it would be a $550 million two-year pilot project.
But the takeup was less than expected and many MPs and farm groups criticized it. Rural voters complained that it was a form of farm welfare.
