Canada’s agriculture ministers are missing the boat when negotiating the design of the next five-year agricultural policy framework because they are largely ignoring flawed safety nets, says a political critic.
Liberal agriculture critic Frank Valeriote, MP for Guelph, Ont., said farmer appearances before the House of Commons agriculture committee in the past three years almost always included complaints about flaws in income support programs.
Yet when they met in New Brunswick in early July to establish the principles for theGrowing Forward 2, federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and his provincial counterparts barely mentioned the need to improve safety net design.
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“The next policy framework must help the agriculture industry capitalize on emerging market opportunities in dynamic and innovative ways supported by world-class research and development, a new generation of farmers, efficient regulatory systems and modern infrastructure,” they said in their final communiqué.
“I notice a complete absence of any mention of business risk management,” said Valeriote.
“That concerns me and from what I have heard, it concerns farmers. Those programs need to be improved.”
Valeriote also questioned the commitment to new research and innovation.
When Ritz was asked after the meeting how the proposed new policy framework would improve farm profitability, he responded: “I think an emphasis on innovation, and we hear that from industry groups constantly. Science and research, a reinvigoration of results-based science and research, making sure the industry is involved in each of those steps and of course, trade.”
Valeriote said Ritz is making commitments that he does not keep in the real world.
A broad spectrum of farm groups insists there has been a decline in research spending and that a doubling of investment over 10 years is necessary merely to get back to 1994 equivalent levels.
Valeriote also said government has failed to provide incentives to help commercialize scientific discoveries.
“In real dollars, the money just keeps being cut back,” he said.
“The government is relying more on private industry to invest, but they are failing to give the incentives in tax relief that innovators need. It is in decline and will continue to be in decline and as far as I’m concerned, this statement is nothing more than words, window dressing. He’s got to show us the money.”
Valeriote said that when Parliament returns in late September from its summer break, he will propose a motion that MPs get involved in helping shape the next Growing Forward framework by having the agriculture committee hold hearings on gaps in the New Brunswick principles.
Federal and provincial ministers control development of the next five-year framework, organizing industry consultations and then instructing their bureaucrats to fine-tune the details.
“I think Parliament and MPs should have a role to at least examine the proposal and to advise on where we see the need for improvement,” Valeriote said.
Growing Forward 2will guide agricultural programming beginning April 1, 2013.
