Meteorologically speaking, a perfect storm is created through a rare and unique combination of cold and warm air currents and their interaction with water temperature and barometric pressure. These elements combine to create a perilous situation for those caught in the path of the storm that results, and difficulties even for those on the periphery.
That’s why it’s fitting to think of 2003 as the year of the perfect storm for agriculture.
It was the first time in recorded history that analysts predicted national realized net farm income would descend into negative numbers. It brought BSE, regional droughts and the scourge of grasshoppers. It saw static or diminishing commodity prices, rising input costs and a rising Canadian dollar that put pressure on exports.
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Though we can usually point to one or two healthy agricultural sectors at any given time, such was not the case in 2003. The results aren’t pretty.
In fact, they led to such heartbreaking quotes as the final one on page 95, spoken by a man loath to turn the farm over to his son: “I would be throwing him in with an anchor attached.”
What’s behind this situation? How did Canadian agriculture drift into this tempest and how will it survive? Armed with these questions and many others, Western Producer reporter Barry Wilson sought answers on a recent cross-country journey.
This week, on pages 94 and 95, you’ll find the first in a three-part series about 2003’s perfect storm. This instalment is designed to illustrate the scope of the current farm crisis, from the viewpoints of cattle ranchers, grain farmers and dairy producers. The storm is indeed wide and deep.
In part two of the series next week, we look beyond the farmgate to the fiscal burdens and related political problems faced by provinces most dependent on agriculture. For them, the need is greatest when resources are most scarce.
In the April 29 issue, this series will explore the solutions that various factions believe will see the agricultural industry through the storm. What do they see in store for farmers who supply the raw materials that feed into a long and otherwise profitable food chain?
There’s a federal election on its way. Agriculture – its problems and its future – absolutely must be on the election agenda.
It is our hope that this series will provide readers with additional background and perspectives that will enliven the debate and thus encourage solutions.
No matter how “perfect” the storm, people do survive it.
