The meeting between the federal and provincial agriculture ministers last week in Prince Albert, Sask., is drawing more attention for the protests outside the hotel than for the work inside.
But which affects farmers more?
Inside, the so-called group of seven provinces call for reforms to farm safety net programs that could drastically alter how $600 million in federal agriculture money is shared. The proposed changes could mean $40 million less to Saskatchewan and $13 million less to Manitoba, those provinces say.
In the end, officials informally agreed to extend the current safety net agreement to allow time to review the Net Income Stabilization Account program and the Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance program before going ahead with more fundamental structural changes.
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Outside, farmers drive through the streets of the city, gathering at the hotel where the ag ministers are meeting. Battle stories of survival on the farm are shared and farmers manage, at last, to tickle the fickle fancies of the urban media.
Inside, the ag ministers debate bargaining positions for Canada to take into the next world trade talks, looming a few months away. Canadian farmers, who heavily depend on international markets, could gain much from a Canadian hard-line position against subsidies and other price-depressing programs. Better world prices for farm products are ultimately the best long-term solution to farmers’ plight.
Outside, a few protesters shout down the federal ag minister and jostle him when he appears on the steps of the hotel to speak. This marks a departure from the relative decorum of farm rallies of the recent past. A sense of furious desperation seems to have overtaken many in the countryside.
Inside, ag ministers talk about developing closer relationships with northern American states and educating them about the Canadian system. Many border blockades by United States farmers are grounded in ignorance, or are morally foul, election-year campaign ploys by U.S. governors and senators. Closer ties with the northern states and their farmers could pave the way for more open agricultural markets in the United States.
Farmers are right to exercise their democratic rights and pressure politicians into working for the will of the people. The rallies show a desperate need for long-term safety nets, and other initiatives that will ultimately bring fairer prices for farmers.
But while the protests stole much of the spotlight and were significant in pressing the urgent need for action, it will ultimately be what went on inside the conference rooms that decides the long-term economic future for farmers.
Various editorial staff members collaborate in the writing of Western Producer editorials.
