There has been a shake-up in leadership at Canada’s largest farm lobby organization.
Marvin Shauf’s eight years as second vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture came to an end March 2 when he was defeated in an election race against former Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnett.
Shauf had hoped to be in line to replace CFA president Bob Friesen when he steps down. Friesen was acclaimed to another two years as president at the CFA annual meeting.
Shauf, a former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool vice-president, then made an emotional speech in which he called on CFA members to support their leaders in the years ahead.
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“It’s going to be important to support each other,” he said, his voice breaking.
Shauf, who does policy work for the Agricultural Producers’ Association of Saskatchewan, told delegates before the vote that the election was not about who would be second vice-president.
“This election is about the next election,” he said. He was alluding to the election to pick Friesen’s successor.
Friesen said later he has not given notice that this is his last term and he would not indicate if it is.
The second vice-president position is the leading contender for the top job when it is vacant because although Quebec farm leader Laurent Pellerin is first vice-president, he has indicated he is not interested in the national position.
Bonnett said after four years as OFA president that included the BSE crisis, low commodity prices and farm rallies and farmer anger at their leaders for not negotiating more government help, he stepped down last autumn because his interests were on national issues.
He said that is inappropriate for a provincial farm leader.
“You cannot have divided loyalties.”
The cow-calf operator from northern Ontario said the CFA must continue to push for policies that will help Canadian farmers prosper. Simply asking for government aid packages is not enough.
“We are going beyond just asking for dollars,” he said. “Farmers must have the tools to turn our enterprises into profitable enterprises our sons and daughters want to take over.”
He said the CFA must strengthen its profile and alliances to be a driving force in winning the policy changes necessary to achieve that goal.
In his pitch to delegates, Shauf said his priority was to see CFA become a driver in finding ways to reverse the decline in agricultural incomes.
He displayed two charts. One showed that Canada’s debt to asset ratio is the highest ever while it has been dropping in the United States. The other chart showed farm income in Canada has gone through its four worst years, while in the U.S. it has been the four best years in history.
“In Canada, our agriculture is in serious trouble.”
Shauf said he wanted to be positioned to take over leadership of the CFA to help forge policies that would reverse Canadian agriculture’s decline.
