The Canadian Federation of Agriculture held its annual meeting in
Halifax Feb. 26-March 1. Western Producer reporter Barry Wilson filed
these stories. See pages 12, 23 & 103 for more coverage.
Farm leaders last week urged federal and provincial agriculture
ministers to put some political energy and money into improving
existing farm safety nets, even if it means reducing the focus on a new
long-term farm policy.
During the annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture,
provincial farm leaders said it is increasingly obvious that a new
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national safety net will not be ready anytime soon.
It means the existing policy, set to expire March 31, 2003 and taking
with it up to $800 million in federal-provincial funding, will have to
be renewed and improved if that money is not to be lost.
“We’re three or four years away, even if it (the negotiating process)
works,” said Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Jack Wilkinson
March 1.
“So we’re going to have to do an extension. The new program is not
going to be up and running next year so why don’t we bite the bullet
and improve what we have, to deal with what is happening in the (United
States) right now. It will be a while before there is a new program.”
Wilkinson also said he figures the federal dream of a national program
combining existing stand-alone programs is in trouble.
“I don’t think this one has legs under it, quite frankly,” he said.
“I think at the end of the day it will become so complicated to
administer that people will be looking for offsets.”
The Ontario farm leader and former CFA president said the federal
proposal for a national safety net and risk management program has run
into trouble because provinces such as Quebec, Ontario and Alberta have
provincial programs that do not seem compatible with the national
proposal.
It also faced a setback because farm leaders and provinces thought
Ottawa was rushing ahead with details before consulting them. Now, the
federal minister has promised a massive consultation process before any
decisions are made.
Wilkinson suggested agreement on national food safety and environmental
rules will be easier to reach than a financial package redesigning
safety nets.
“The minister has no political buy-in at all yet, no money and no
farmer buy-in.”
The veteran of the farm lobby wars said it was na•ve to believe that
detailed decisions would be made quickly in the wake of the euphoria
over principles agreed to last year at a ministers’ meeting in
Whitehorse, Yukon.
Safety net rules always have been contentious to negotiate and
difficult to design, he said.
“Children are taking over their parents’ job in safety net review.
There is a lot of history.”
