REGINA – Farmers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border don’t want government involvement in their industry any more, an American farmer told Ralph Goodale Nov. 25.
“We’re all fed up with it,” said Jeff Topp, of Grace City, N.D., during a discussion of issues with Canada’s seven outstanding young farmer honorees at Agribition. “It’s time that taxpayers on both sides of the border got a break.”
“Stop trying to help us and get out of the way,” added Jean Jacques Gauthier, the Quebec representative.
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But the Canadian agriculture minister said he could find many farmers who want government involvement.
“I could find a lot of cattlemen that wouldn’t want government to get out of the regulations for the offshore beef market,” Goodale said.
He added the Canadian government has made the first move to end subsidy disputes by eliminating the Crow Benefit, but the Americans and Europeans continue to apply their subsidies.
“Our trading partners have to make the next move,” Goodale said.
Topp said Canadian farmers should send as much raw agricultural product south as they can. “I can help myself and my colleagues if I control the world pile.”
To prove his point he presented Goodale with several boxes of pasta produced at the co-operatively owned Dakota Growers pasta plant in North Dakota.
Goodale said Canada has “turned that corner from a heavily regulated and heavily subsidized regime that promoted primary products at the expense of secondary products.”
Canada would be happy to compete with North Dakota pasta plants, he said.
