Canada’s provincial agriculture ministers are expected to meet on Feb. 8 in one of the three prairie provinces to discuss federal funding for farmers.
A location for the meeting was not known as of Jan. 29. It was also not known whether federal minister Lyle Vanclief would attend.
Saskatchewan agriculture minister Clay Serby has been calling for the meeting since last November. So has Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuck.
Michael Lohner, executive assistant to Alberta agriculture minister Ty Lund, has said his government is “looking for a strong signal from Ottawa they are concerned about the plight of farmers.”
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Serby has expressed concern that the new Canadian Farm Income Program would provide less money than the Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance program it is replacing.
Serby said he heard promises of more money during the federal election campaign.”I’ve just completed a series of telephone conversations with all of my provincial colleagues,” he said on Jan. 23.
“It isn’t just the Saskatchewan minister who heard that the federal government is prepared to put additional money into agriculture. They all heard it. We’re interested in knowing where in fact that money will be directed.”
Serby thinks some of it should go into real assistance “so farmers have some capability to pay their bills,” but it should also be spent on education and training to help farmers adjust to new farming methods and practices. As well, some should be made available through capital funds so farmers can diversify, he said.
The minister has said Saskatchewan producers are facing a shortfall of up to $300 million this year and has called on Ottawa to help out.
