Governments’ failure to deal with issues that negatively impact the economic future of Ontario farmers is to blame for forcing farmers into acts of civil disobedience, says Ron Bonnett, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).
Friday’s blockade of Highway 401 in the Tillsonburg area was a clear illustration of farmers’ anger, Bonnett says. “The combination of declining commodity prices, increasing government regulatory measures that increase cost of production for farmers, and government’s failure to correct its safety net program resulted in the blockade,” Bonnett said.
OFA fully understands the position farmers are facing and continues to work to get governments to act to correct the situation, he says. “Farmers have been frustrated with governments’ inaction on their issues, and are forced into actions many of them are uncomfortable with,” according to Bonnett.
OFA’s Board of Directors, meeting Jan. 19, voted unanimously to not participate in the Highway 401 blockade, recognizing OFA’s issue is not with truckers and motorists using that highway. “It does not mean OFA doesn’t support Ontario farmers,” Bonnett says.
“OFA has intensified its lobby efforts to get governments to address the current farm income crisis. “Farmers and their families are suffering financially, and they expect results from their organization,” Bonnett says.
As an example, the January OFA Board meeting approved a resolution from Middlesex County stating that ‘OFA urgently indicate our dissatisfaction to our federal and provincial governments and the CAIS (Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization) administration with the slow, complicated program.’ “This has become an ongoing lobby effort for OFA,” Bonnett says, critical of governments’ failure to respond in a timely manner.
A Grenville County resolution called for OFA and the grains and oilseeds commodity organizations to lobby both governments to ‘provide adequate assistance to grain and oilseed producers for the devastating 2004 (crop) year.’ “OFA has been asking its county federations and individual members to speak directly with their MPs and MPPs in search of a response to the financial crisis of Ontario farmers,” Bonnett says.
~Ron Bonnett~
President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture