The federal Liberal party has announced that if elected Oct. 14, it will reverse a decision by a previous Liberal government and allow federal co-funding for region or province-specific farm support programs.
The four-year $564 million regional flexibility fund announced Sept. 19 was the centrepiece of the Liberal agriculture election policy, announced at a Manitoba farm by leader Stéphane Dion surrounded by many of his rural candidates.
Liberal agriculture critic Wayne Easter confirmed Sept. 21 the money would be available only if provincial governments bought in with a 40 percent contribution. 
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Under the agricultural policy framework launched in 2001 by the previous Liberal government, companion programs designed for local or regional conditions were phased out. Since then, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and its provincial affiliates have been pressing for a reintroduction of the regional component.
One of the leading proponents was former CFA president Bob Friesen, now running for the Liberals in Winnipeg.
Last week, the CFA quickly praised the Liberals for the commitment.
“Support for farmers representing hard-hit regions and those in specific struggling commodity sectors, such as our livestock producers, is key,” said Laurent Pellerin, CFA first vice-president. “We are encouraged to see that this is addressed in the Liberal platform.”
Grain Growers of Canada, a rival national organization of commodity groups, will not be as pleased.
In a Sept. 10 letter to party leaders, GGC president and British Columbia producer Ross Ravelli urged the parties to resist the pressure for regional programs.
“Some farm groups are calling for regional flexibility in federal money, which risks moving our agriculture policy back to a range of piecemeal programs with wide variation between provinces,” he wrote. “This also greatly increases the risk of trade action being applied against all producers for the effects of one provincial program.”
The Liberal agriculture platform also promised to:
- Fulfil the Green Shift promise of providing $400 million over four years in a credit program that compensates farmers for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
- Introduce a $250 million fund to help farmers convert machinery and other technology to reduce fossil fuel carbon pollution.
- Spend $30 million to support farmers’ markets and the branding of Canadian-grown product.
- Create more rural day care spaces.
- Support farmer control over the future of the Canadian Wheat Board.
- Support a rail costing review.
- Forgive student loans of newly graduated doctors moving to rural areas.
Dion promised that a combination of farm spending, tax cuts, accelerated tax writeoffs for green technology, and research and development credits would send $9 billion to rural Canada over four years.
The CFA noted many farmers still have questions about how the Green Shift carbon tax proposal would affect their costs.
The federation also said that a Conservative promise for a two-cent-per-litre cut in diesel excise taxes over four years would translate into a major saving for farmers.
The Liberals estimate their carbon tax proposal would add seven cents over four years.
The CFA did not critique last week’s Green Party platform that proposed a higher carbon tax than the Liberals are proposing.
